Standardizing relativization in Dinka (and other languages?)

[john at research.haifa.ac.il]

They do have texts. In fact what I'm saying is based on their Bible translation.
I'm working with a group of Dinka (the Dinka Language Development Association)
to try to improve their writing system so that it can be used for all written
functions (education through university level, government, law, etc.). It seems
clear to me that this is going to require figuring out some relatively
efficient way to do relative clauses. Or do you know of any languages which are
used for all written functions which DON'T have relative clauses? I don't.
John



Quoting Angus Grieve-Smith <grvsmth at panix.com>:

>      Yes, I agree with Mike.  Relative clauses may exist in English and
> biblical Greek, but they don't exist in every language.  A consistent
> strategy for translating something does not require changing the grammar
> of the target language.
>
>      If the Dinka speakers don't have texts, you need to just listen to
> them.  Relative clauses are just a way to identify a thing based on the
> activity or state it's involved in.  How do they do that spontaneously?
> If they do it differently from the way we do, or from the way the
> Evangelists did, maybe their way is better.
>
> --
> 				-Angus B. Grieve-Smith
> 				grvsmth at panix.com
>
>




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