Re:Languages: Why we must save dying tongues (2014)
by omio on Sunday July 03, 2016 @11:40PM
(#12028789)
Like Latin after the fall of the Roman Empire. Sumerian is such an interesting language too. I love how Neal Stephenson incorporated it into Snow Crash really got me thinking about languages.
Re:Languages: Why we must save dying tongues (2014)
by thret on Monday July 04, 2016 @04:18AM
(#12029422)
This was readily apparent in The Wire. As a native English speaker from across the sea I could not understand the Baltimore street dialect.
Re:Languages: Why we must save dying tongues (2014)
by circlefavshape on Monday July 04, 2016 @06:44AM
(#12029892)
I could, I just needed to turn on subtitles :)
English patois in some parts of the world makes no sense to British/American speakers, even though it reads and sounds more or less like standard English.
You don't even have to travel to find the split happening. Just try listening to teenagers.
Language isn't just a utility. One of its functions is to define social register and tribal identity, and humans are so attached to both they can't accept homogenisation.