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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2007End of language diversity to be desired?
Is the end of language diversity desirable? Consider an article by John J. McWhorter (senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute) in the newspaper this week: http://www.nysun.com/pf.php?id=45847 "...In the end, the proliferation of languages is an accident: a single original language morphed into 6,000 when different groups of people emerged. I hope that dying languages can be recorded and described. I hope that many persist as hobbies, taught in schools and given space in the press, as Irish, Welsh, and Hawaiian have. However, the prospect we are taught to dread - that one day all the world's people will speak one language - is one I would welcome. Surely easier communication, while no cure-all, would be a good thing worldwide. There's a reason the Tower of Babel story is one of havoc rather than creation. For those still uncomfortable given that this single language would be big bad English, then notice how that discomfort eases when you imagine the language being, say, Lenape..." Aloha ~~~ Ozzie Maland ~~~ San Diego > http://www.nysun.com/pf.php?id=45847 > > "...In the end, the proliferation of languages is an accident: a > single original language morphed into 6,000 when different groups of > people emerged." This is a hypothesis, not a fact. We have no reason (except the Bible story of Babel) to suppose that at any date in prehistory all homo sapiens spoke the same language. This idea is a special case of the "single ancestor" hypothesis, that all homo sapiens today are descended from a single individual or tribe living in a single place (probably in Africa) one or two million years ago -- but this too is a hypothesis, likely but not a demonstrated fact. Among those ideas that are facts are that we have no idea at what date any language first appeared.  SignatureDon Phillipson Carlsbad Springs (Ottawa, Canada) >> http://www.nysun.com/pf.php?id=45847 >> [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >This is a hypothesis, not a fact. Hypotheses can state facts; it's just not certain yet. >We have no reason (except >the Bible story of Babel) to suppose that at any date in [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >fact. Among those ideas that are facts are that we have >no idea at what date any language first appeared. Because it is pretty well accepted that that some 50,000 to 75,000 years ago there was a population bottleneck when the entire population of homo sapiens consisted of peraps 10,000 individuals in Africa, would seem that there might have been a single language, but that would depend on the distribution of that population. Whether that would be what some linguists have temed "Nostratic" isn't so certain. As to the Mitochondrial Eve, she seems to be more definitely established by the DNA evidence. Signature************* DAVE HATUNEN (hatunen@cox.net) ************* * Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow * * My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps * > Because it is pretty well accepted that that some 50,000 to > 75,000 years ago there was a population bottleneck when the > entire population of homo sapiens consisted of peraps 10,000 > individuals in Africa That lower date sounds iffy. I'm pretty certain they have found human remains in Australia at least 50 000 years old. I think there is also some disputed evidence of a separate origin in China. SignatureRob Bannister > On Tue, 2 Jan 2007 09:36:23 -0500, "Don Phillipson" > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > >This is a hypothesis, not a fact. > Hypotheses can state facts; it's just not certain yet. Except that - there is not a scrap of evidence to support such a hypothesis, - it cannot be "certain" ever, - there won't be new data except if 10,000 - 50,000 - 100,000 (?) year-old recordings are found > > http://www.nysun.com/pf.php?id=45847 > > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > fact. Among those ideas that are facts are that we have > no idea at what date any language first appeared. And I'm not convinced that communication would be significantly improved if everybody _did_ speak the same dialect of the same language. And, at that, I'm not convinced that many of the world's problems are ones of communication, or at any rate ones of communication in even a broadly linguistic sense. SignatureMike. > And I'm not convinced that communication would be significantly > improved if everybody _did_ speak the same dialect of the same > language. And, at that, I'm not convinced that many of the world's > problems are ones of communication, or at any rate ones of > communication in even a broadly linguistic sense. [snip] During my visit to China in November, I was struck by the amount of English subtext everywhere, on products, on newspapers and print media, on TV programs, etc. I'm thinking the government is looking to English to help resolve age-old dialect differences among the various regions, and particularly the big divide between (North/South) Mandarin and Cantonese. If the premise is valid for China, then likely there is a value in "single language" for the entire globe. Aloha ~~~ Ozzie Maland ~~~ San Diego > > And I'm not convinced that communication would be significantly > > improved if everybody _did_ speak the same dialect of the same [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Cantonese. If the premise is valid for China, then likely there is a > value in "single language" for the entire globe. I suppose what I'm asking -- I'm still formulating my ideas -- is whether it may be easy to accord too much importance to language. The kind of questions that occur to me are: On major issues, do we, the English-speaking community, or communities, understand one another better, or agree more, than do those from distinct Chinese communities? What would improve for the Chinese if everybody in China spoke the same language? People could work, if they wanted to, outside their home areas without learning a new dialect. The army would be easier to run. That kind of thing. But wouldn't regional divisions remain? Would Iraq and Iran be happier neighbours if all citizens of both spoke the same language? (Actually, they might; but it doesn't always work.) How many people anywhere in the world ever actually need to talk to a foreigner? SignatureMike. [...] > How many people anywhere in the world ever actually need to talk to a > foreigner? My wife does sometimes. SignatureLes > On major issues, do we, the English-speaking community, or communities, > understand one another better, or agree more, than do those from > distinct Chinese communities? Surely one thing that comes out clearly in this newsgroup is how misunderstandings can frequently occur because of differing English usage in different regions. Mainly across the Pond, but not entirely. If everyone spoke English, it would only take a generation or so before they started becoming mutually unintelligible again. Good grief, we often have trouble understanding people in our own family when they are 30 years younger. SignatureRob Bannister > > On major issues, do we, the English-speaking community, or communities, > > understand one another better, or agree more, than do those from [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > often have trouble understanding people in our own family when they are > 30 years younger. Like fer sure! > Is the end of language diversity desirable? Consider an article by > John J. McWhorter (senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute) in the [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > single language would be big bad English, then notice how that > discomfort eases when you imagine the language being, say, Lenape..." Isn't it astounding that the greatest part of people's thinking is based on linear approximation? Ever since I discovered it, I am stunned by the magnitude of this problem. Regards, Igor > > Is the end of language diversity desirable? Consider an article by > > John J. McWhorter (senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute) in the [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > Ever since I discovered it, I am stunned by the magnitude of this > problem. And it's increasing exponentially, too. -- John > > > Is the end of language diversity desirable? Consider an article by > > > John J. McWhorter (senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute) in the [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > And it's increasing exponentially, too. In one short sentence, the genius discloses its identity. Not only that you made a funny remark, you also stayed clear of the difficult topic: What increases, the value or the derivative? And more importantly, how? Only exponential function possess the peculiar property (d/dt) (e^x) = e^x. True regards, Igor > > > > Is the end of language diversity desirable? Consider an article by > > > > John J. McWhorter (senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute) in the [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > > (d/dt) (e^x) = e^x. And in one short sentence, the eternal learner discloses his (dark secret). Make that [1] -> his, please. Regards, Igor |
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