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Subject: the risk of losing languages


Author:
Ian (Australia)
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Date Posted: 20:48:16 11/06/04 Sat
In reply to: Dave (UK) 's message, "Indigenous Languages" on 19:27:46 11/06/04 Sat

Losing a language means losing a whole world view, and that is not a good thing. I think it is important to encourage the use of Celtic languages in the UK and Aboriginal languages in Australia. I see no reason to feel good about losing either Gaelic or Murrin-Patha, both of which I studied at university. Both have structures that reveal interesting ways of conceptualising the world. I also think it is important that everyone in our countries learn English.

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[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: "English words creeping in" aren't you joking Dave - they're NOT English!


Author:
Random Jock
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Date Posted: 17:09:14 11/08/04 Mon

"I laugh today when I watch Gaelic programmes on Scottish TV, and realise how they are so unsuitable for the modern era, with English words creeping in whenever an issue relating to science and technology is discussed."

As a Gaelic speaker, may I remind you that most of what you have just written there is NOT English...

Programme - French
Television - Greek and Latin
Suitable - part French
Modern - Latin
Era - Latin/Greek
Issue - ? but not English*
Science from Latin Scientia, again, not English.
Technology - Greek
Discussed - Latin

I think you need to know a bit about the history [from ancient Greek- "historia"] of English, since it seems that English is "woefully" inadequate [inadequate from Latin "adaequatus", past participle of adaequre, to equalize] for expressing [Latin] the vagaries [French] of modern [Latin] civilisation [Latin], computing [Latin] and technology [Greek].

English speakers have no right to complain that other languages [from French "langue"] borrow! Don't you know that English is just pidgin Norman French and Germanic thrown together? It's the worst borrower of the lot!

* [Middle English, from Old French eissue, issue, from Vulgar Latin *exta, alteration of Latin exita, feminine past participle of exre, to go out : ex-, ex- + re, to go; see ei- in Indo-European Roots.]

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[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Words have to come from somewhere


Author:
Roberdin
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Date Posted: 22:48:49 11/08/04 Mon

Oh don't be so pendantic! You try inventing the million or so words that a language uses from no-where; all you'll end up is sounding like you're trying to drunkenly gargle a frog.

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[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Oh dear, there is no such language as English, we must all revert to Latin.


Author:
Dave (UK)
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Date Posted: 23:36:22 11/08/04 Mon


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[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Television = Greek and Latin?


Author:
Ian (Australia)
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Date Posted: 12:22:33 11/09/04 Tue

"Television" is not English? You really ought to try and make some distinction between Greek and Latin *words* and words invented from Greek and Latin *roots*. "Television" is quite obviously an English word.

To be consistent, you should also seek out the roots of these Greek, Latin and other words that you post as if they had simply been invented one Friday afternoon by a committee of linguists. They also came from somewhere.

English a mongrel tongue? Absolutely! Borrowing words is what all living languages do. You say English is "the worst borrower of the lot": I would have thought the case could be made for it being the *best* borrower of the lot!

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[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Bravo


Author:
Ed Harris (Back in Shropshire)
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Date Posted: 12:30:34 11/09/04 Tue


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[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: ?


Author:
Ed Harris (Back in Shropshire)
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Date Posted: 15:45:34 11/09/04 Tue

Isn't there a character in the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy called "Random"? Were your parents Douglas Adams fans?

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[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Subject: Well...


Author:
Dave (UK)
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Date Posted: 19:06:08 11/09/04 Tue

He's probably related to all the other "Randoms" on this forum, by IP Address!

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