Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id NAA17012 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 30 Apr 2002 13:45:38 +0100 Message-ID: <570E2BEE7BC5A34684EE5914FCFC368C10FC89@fillan.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: future language Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 13:38:35 +0100 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2653.19) Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" X-Filter-Info: UoS MailScan 0.1 [D 1] X-MailScanner: Found to be clean Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Esperanto was a deliberate effort, but what about naturally occuring
languages like creole (a fond subject of the anthropologists of latter years
interested in cultural evolution IIRC).
Thinking about it, Bill's invective (even though I know what he meant) about
lost languages is a bit of a misnomer, as to some extent all languages are
the product of acculturation, some more violently occurring than others
perhaps, but defending indigenous languages today doesn't necessarily take
into account how those languages came into use by those peoples
historically. It's a return to the myth of the noble savage again.
<As we co-mingle and co-habit and co-operate, if we don't co-opt it
all
> first, it is, culturally cohesive, that we'll co-manage language to the
> pidgin of a commonly shared tongue.>
>
Having said the above, perhaps a less "natural" and more colonial
form of arriving at a common language may occur in coming years, but the
same is said about cultural trends more widely- cultural imperialism,
globalisation etc. etc. Apart from the previously mentioned knowledge of
local plants for medicines, at the risk of annoying the hell out of people,
I don't see the loss of tribal peoples' cultures as a huge thing (unless
it's being done in a kind of ethnic cleansing way, which does of course
apply to many, many instances). I'm sure I'd feel differently if the shoe
were on the other foot... The reason I don't see it as a huge thing is that
there's a vast gap between the often tribal societies of indigenous peoples,
and the post-industrial societies of the developed world, and even the
industrial societies of the developing world. So they have unique
languages, customs, beliefs blah, blah, blah, what utility is gained across
that societal gap? Cultural diversity perhaps? (but then you might as well
say let's keep an enclave for the Taliban to preserve their culture for
posterity).
Perhaps I should stop before someone leaps on a plane to Scotland (I
wouldn't the weather's terrible today) to ram my keyboard down my throat...
Vincent
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