The Lord of the Rings and Other Popular Literature in Siouan Languages

[Shane Henry]

Thanks to everyone who sent feedback on the idea of Indian translations of popular literature. It opened my eyes as to how even linguists of good will are severely constrained by the present economic and governmental order. I hope for the liberation of the cultural sphere, including linguistics. The only hope I see is the Threefold Social Organism presented by Rudolf Steiner: http://wn.rsarchive.org/Books/GA024/English/AP1985/GA024_index.html
In this regime, linguists would be working as members of an independent Cultural Republic of America.
in regard to using native Bibles as literary models, though I recognize the value in using a natural idiom, staying away from artificial abstractness, I'd say that the cultivation of a "high style" is not inherently a bad thing. Every language that has received a Bible translation (or other deep works such as Shakespeare), has *itself* been molded by the literary work -- it's a two-way influence. The English language has changed because of the English Bible, and so may the Indian languages change via influence of their Bibles.
Travis


      
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