D&ST - Science - BF2S Forums

2012-10-06 10:40:19

#1476

FEOS: Bellicose Yankee Air Pirate; +1,182|6701|'Murka

I found this quite interesting today:

http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/05/world/eur … ?hpt=hp_c1

Cromarty fisherfolk appears to be the only descendant from the Germanic linguistic world in which no "wh" pronunciation existed, Millar said.

.................................

"The loss of Cromarty is symptomatic of a greater, general decline in the use of the Scots language," according to Director of Scottish Language Dictionaries Chris Robinson. "This should be a wake-up call to save other struggling dialects."

Ten miles down the coast from Cromarty is Avoch, another sleepy fishing village with the closest surviving dialect to Cromarty fisherfolk, one that may also be endangered, according to Robinson. "It looks more than likely that this will go the same way as the Cromarty dialect," he said.

The dialect of the peoples who originally resided on the shores of Cromarty -- which lies on the tip of Black Isle peninsula, a four-hour drive north of Edinburgh -- was directly linked to their traditional fishing methods.

However, during the industrialization of fishing in the 1950s, established working methods were lost and the connection between the way of life and the dialect eroded. In fewer than 30 years, much of the dialect became obsolete.

.................................

There are some 6,000 to 7,000 languages in the world and it is estimated that they are disappearing at a rate of one every two weeks, according to Millar.

Some 96% of the world's population speak just 4% of the world's languages, he said. "Most languages are only spoken by a few hundred people," he added.

.................................

But the loss of a language often results in the loss of the stories that were told in that language, and in the cultural knowledge they contained. "Even medical know-how," he said

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular

2012-10-09 12:07:31

#1477

Cheeky_Ninja06: Member; +52|7022|Cambridge, England

Its always going to happen, what use is a language that nobody else can understand?

I imagine that we will tend towards a handful of languages or even a singular language given enough time.

2012-10-09 21:13:32

#1478

FEOS: Bellicose Yankee Air Pirate; +1,182|6701|'Murka

Cheeky_Ninja06 wrote:
I imagine that we will tend towards a handful of languages or even a singular language given enough time.

Essentially one of the main points of the article.

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular

2012-10-09 21:37:35

#1479

Winston_Churchill: Bazinga!; +521|7029|Toronto | Canada

im doing a demo of my lab's haptic holography project at a digital technology festival in toronto next weekend. should be pretty cool, excited to see layar's augmented reality in particular

2012-10-17 08:07:17

#1480

M.O.A.B: 'Light 'em up!'; +1,220|6513|Escea

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-19959531

Holy crap, Pandora.

Maybe.

2012-10-17 11:26:56

#1481

unnamednewbie13: Moderator; +2,057|7062|PNW

A lot of languages are in constant danger of dying out. If linguists gave that much of a shit, they'd at least go make recordings before it happened.

Scientific procrastination ftw.

2012-10-17 13:03:45

#1482

Uzique The Lesser: Banned; +382|4544

unnamednewbie13 wrote:
A lot of languages are in constant danger of dying out. If linguists gave that much of a shit, they'd at least go make recordings before it happened.

Scientific procrastination ftw.

is this a joke? linguists and social anthropologists are constantly in the process of doing this. it's a major part of their fieldwork.

2012-10-17 13:23:09

#1483

unnamednewbie13: Moderator; +2,057|7062|PNW

aynrandroolz wrote:
is this a joke?

You're the English expert. You tell me.

2012-10-17 14:14:43

#1484

Kimmmmmmmmmmmm: ©; +1,811|6287

60% no way.

way?

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/480999_536293626385376_1174129716_n.jpg

2012-10-17 15:03:10

#1485

unnamednewbie13: Moderator; +2,057|7062|PNW

unnamednewbie13 wrote:
aynrandroolz wrote:
is this a joke?
You're the English expert. You tell me.

1 hour, 9 minutes ago aynrandroolz (62) D&ST - Science e LOL FUNNY. you're better when you're being autistic and awkward rather than cocky -uzi

Being called cocky by Uzique. I'd smirk at the irony if I could get past my own poker face. I wonder if he signed it this time only because he knew mods could see it anyway?

Eh, nevermind.

2012-10-17 23:20:49

#1486

_j5689_: Dreads & Bergers; +364|7007|Riva, MD

He probably takes offense to people talking back to him or something

2012-10-17 23:27:16

#1487

Macbeth: Banned; +2,444|5876

he was right about the linguists and social anthropologists though

2012-10-17 23:54:06

#1488

Uzique The Lesser: Banned; +382|4544

it was a seriously stupid comment by newbie, trying to be funny and, well, cocky, for lack of a better word.

"scientific procrastination ftw" he says... rofl. there are entire disciplines given to the study and preservation of languages and folklore.

then he says "you're the english student, you should know". scientific procrastination. SCIENTIFIC. dwell on that for a second.

our resident autist is not really very good at this posting style.

Last edited by aynrandroolz (2012-10-17 23:54:26)

2012-10-18 08:11:22

#1489

Superior Mind: (not macbeth); +1,755|6983

We should be teaching children a dozen languages from birth. Language diversity protects knowledge in the way that biodiversity protects ecosystems.

x

2012-10-18 08:46:51

#1490

Uzique The Lesser: Banned; +382|4544

the problem is that (global) capitalism induces, promotes, and encourages a monoculture. one language and one culture = more direct and fluid transfer of capital.

2012-10-18 09:00:02

#1491

Spearhead: Gulf coast redneck hippy; +731|6980|Tampa Bay Florida

Superior Mind wrote:
We should be teaching children a dozen languages from birth. Language diversity protects knowledge in the way that biodiversity protects ecosystems.

People who speak multiple languages are smarter, too. Something to do with the brain I've heard. I only speak one language so I wouldn't know.

2012-10-18 09:15:40

#1492

Superior Mind: (not macbeth); +1,755|6983

Something to do with the brain, eh?

Capitalism, nationalism, xenophobic egomania. The world is fucked.

Learning many languages is not difficult for a growing child. It doesn't require one to be extra intelligent. In pre-colonial New Guinea children typically spoke seven or eight languages.

x

2012-10-18 16:25:20

#1493

unnamednewbie13: Moderator; +2,057|7062|PNW

aynrandroolz wrote:
it was a seriously stupid comment by newbie, trying to be funny and, well, cocky, for lack of a better word.

"scientific procrastination ftw" he says... rofl. there are entire disciplines given to the study and preservation of languages and folklore.

then he says "you're the english student, you should know". scientific procrastination. SCIENTIFIC. dwell on that for a second.

our resident autist is not really very good at this posting style.

You're given a choice between two possible conclusions. With insufficient data, you jump to one. I was being facetious, fuck-nut. Of course they're doing their jobs. I just mentioned "scientific procrastination" in reference to people deciding to "back up their data...later."

lol, cocky.

e: elsewhere, interesting article -

Does Your Language Shape How You Think?

I remember this theory being used a lot to denigrate people from other regions of the world, specifically the Middle East, Africa and east Asia.

2012-11-01 12:11:55

#1494

Superior Mind: (not macbeth); +1,755|6983

Language is the limiting filter with which we know the world. It is in our best interest to transcend the confines of the spoken word.

x

2012-11-01 12:19:35

#1495

Ilocano: buuuurrrrrrppppp.......; +341|6957

Superior Mind wrote:
Language is the limiting filter with which we know the world. It is in our best interest to transcend the confines of the spoken word.

Nah. More like ignorance and prejudice. Countless anecdotes where language wasn't a barrier to anything. Hell, one doesn't need to talk to "get some".

2012-11-01 13:17:46

#1496

Superior Mind: (not macbeth); +1,755|6983

We use language to know every situation. We describe sensory input to ourselves with a limited dictionary. It's not that our acts are confined to the use of language, it's simply how we understand those acts. If we didn't have to filter our ideas through our dictionaries we would all be able to understand each other more deeply. Imagine a direct understanding of someone's mind, we wouldn't get caught up in silly misunderstandings. You could have instant and full empathy.

x

2012-11-01 13:23:53

#1497

Ilocano: buuuurrrrrrppppp.......; +341|6957

Saw a few tall blue people last night?

Empathy, telepathy, grock. Doesn't matter. We'll find ways to block certain "sharing".

2012-11-01 13:26:21

#1498

Superior Mind: (not macbeth); +1,755|6983

I think if we ever reach that point of barrier dissolution we will no longer be dealing the egos that encapsulate us.

Last edited by Superior Mind (2012-11-01 13:27:27)

x

2012-11-01 14:05:57

#1499

Jay: Bork! Bork! Bork!; +2,006|5648|London, England

Superior Mind wrote:
We use language to know every situation. We describe sensory input to ourselves with a limited dictionary. It's not that our acts are confined to the use of language, it's simply how we understand those acts. If we didn't have to filter our ideas through our dictionaries we would all be able to understand each other more deeply. Imagine a direct understanding of someone's mind, we wouldn't get caught up in silly misunderstandings. You could have instant and full empathy.

It's called mathematics.

"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

2012-11-01 15:10:00

#1500

Ilocano: buuuurrrrrrppppp.......; +341|6957

Jay wrote:
Superior Mind wrote:
We use language to know every situation. We describe sensory input to ourselves with a limited dictionary. It's not that our acts are confined to the use of language, it's simply how we understand those acts. If we didn't have to filter our ideas through our dictionaries we would all be able to understand each other more deeply. Imagine a direct understanding of someone's mind, we wouldn't get caught up in silly misunderstandings. You could have instant and full empathy.
It's called mathematics.

Sadly, like the spoken language, most that could comprehend mathemathics would be low level grade school equivalent.

BF2S Forums D&ST - Science

Cheeky_Ninja06 wrote:

unnamednewbie13 wrote:

aynrandroolz wrote:

unnamednewbie13 wrote:

aynrandroolz wrote:

Superior Mind wrote:

aynrandroolz wrote:

Superior Mind wrote:

Superior Mind wrote:

Jay wrote:

Superior Mind wrote:

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