This week in her column, Syinat Sultanalieva takes a courageous look at the political vs the personal sides of language. A relevant question everywhere in the former USSR, not least in Ukraine.
Your mother sounds like an amazing woman! I hate felon47’s decree that English is the “official language” of the USA. When I walk into the grocery store it’s not unusual to hear 3 or 4 languages. I hope that never changes. Good luck learning your friends’ languages. 🇺🇦
To lose a language is to lose part of your history and culture. The fight to preserve and restore historic languages goes on daily in every corner of the world. Dozens of First Nations and “native American” peoples are doing this work right now. Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, and undoubtedly many other groups too.
True. Language and culture definitely affect the way we see and experience the world around us. The basic structure of a language can differ so that translating can be difficult. For example, in Irish (Gaeilge) you do not have something. Rather, something is at you (“I have a brother” —> “Tá déarthair agam” or “Is brother at me.”) or some condition is on you (“I have a cold” —> “Tá tinn orm” or “Is cold on me.”)
Fascinating. I believe language and culture have mutually evolved. There are some ideas I can only express in one language, because the other just has no similar thought, expression, or feeling. And of course in my world, swearing can only be truly done in French, lol!
For English speakers here’s a simple test: the Irish speak English (for reasons of colonialism, BTW), does that make them English? Does that give the UK the “right” or the “duty” to protect them should they all suddenly start speaking Irish Gaelic.
Just one of hundred of examples, but one perhaps even we Americans can understand.
Some 25 years ago I was a part of an interagency US delegation visiting a Central Asian republic (still rather newly independent) for security cooperation discussions. There was some concern about what languages might be used and who we might actually meet with. I soon noted that the host government representatives were conducting all the side conversations amongst themselves in Russian. I suggested to our delegation head that this probably reflected a Soviet era education (combined with their ages) which had to have affected how they would see the world and their own republic's issues.
Your mother sounds like an amazing woman! I hate felon47’s decree that English is the “official language” of the USA. When I walk into the grocery store it’s not unusual to hear 3 or 4 languages. I hope that never changes. Good luck learning your friends’ languages. 🇺🇦
To lose a language is to lose part of your history and culture. The fight to preserve and restore historic languages goes on daily in every corner of the world. Dozens of First Nations and “native American” peoples are doing this work right now. Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, and undoubtedly many other groups too.
It's funny. I only know too languages, English and French. But I think differently in each. I don't know how to explain it.
True. Language and culture definitely affect the way we see and experience the world around us. The basic structure of a language can differ so that translating can be difficult. For example, in Irish (Gaeilge) you do not have something. Rather, something is at you (“I have a brother” —> “Tá déarthair agam” or “Is brother at me.”) or some condition is on you (“I have a cold” —> “Tá tinn orm” or “Is cold on me.”)
Fascinating. I believe language and culture have mutually evolved. There are some ideas I can only express in one language, because the other just has no similar thought, expression, or feeling. And of course in my world, swearing can only be truly done in French, lol!
For English speakers here’s a simple test: the Irish speak English (for reasons of colonialism, BTW), does that make them English? Does that give the UK the “right” or the “duty” to protect them should they all suddenly start speaking Irish Gaelic.
Just one of hundred of examples, but one perhaps even we Americans can understand.
Some 25 years ago I was a part of an interagency US delegation visiting a Central Asian republic (still rather newly independent) for security cooperation discussions. There was some concern about what languages might be used and who we might actually meet with. I soon noted that the host government representatives were conducting all the side conversations amongst themselves in Russian. I suggested to our delegation head that this probably reflected a Soviet era education (combined with their ages) which had to have affected how they would see the world and their own republic's issues.