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<font size=4>I have been reading some literature on language vitality/
endangerment recently. I have been struck by absolute (non-relative) uses
of the term "indigenous" as in the following passage in Nettle
& Romaine's VANISHING LANGUAGES: <br>
<br>
"The greatest biolinguistic diversity is found in areas inhabited by
indigenous peoples, who represent 4 percent of the world's population,
but speak at least 60 percent of its languages and control or manage some
some of the ecosystems richest in biodiversity." (13)<br>
<br>
Who are "indigenous peoples?" There are many such constructions
in chapter 1 alone. And David Crystal's LANGUAGE DEATH contains more than
one, but the index leads back to the following:<br>
<br>
"But, in principle, each language provides a new slant on how the
human mind works, and how it expresses itself in linguistic categories:
'Language embodies the intellectual wealth of the people who use
it.'<br>
A statement of this kind allows me to return to
the general perspective which opened this section, where the emphasis was
on all languages -- not just the less well-known ones (to Western minds)
which I have been calling 'indigenous'." (51-52).<br>
<br>
Is "indigenous" becoming (partly)
synonymous with "exotic" or "non-western?" I
know that in these books the authors are generally using the term to
refer to languages and people of non-European stocks and the euphemism
(if this is what it is, or is it a PC word?) seems to be a deviation
(divergence?) from the meaning of "indigenous" that I am
accustomed to, which is relative -- like "peoples and languages
indigenous to Africa."<br>
<br>
Any comments?<br>
<br>
Sali.<br>
<br>
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<font color="#800000">**********************************************************<br>
Salikoko S.
Mufwene
</font><font color="#800080">s-mufwene@uchicago.edu<br>
</font><font color="#800000">University of
Chicago
</font><font color="#800080">773-702-8531; FAX 773-834-0924<br>
</font><font color="#800000">Department of Linguistics<br>
1010 East 59th Street<br>
Chicago, IL 60637<br>
</font><font color="#000000"><a href="http://humanities.uchicago.edu/humanities/linguistics/faculty/mufwene.html" eudora="autourl">http://humanities.uchicago.edu/humanities/linguistics/faculty/mufwene.html</a><br>
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