ELL: RE: Percentage of Language

[Matthew McDaniel]

Benjamin:

What I am wondering is what percentage of an indigenous language is used
for all culture and religion related discussion?  10% ? 20%?

More?

For instance if I told an American Indian they couldn't talk about their
culture any more, couldn't perform it, or talk about their religion, or
legal system, what will I have reduced the language to?

Lets say I reduce it to personal exchanges only, items that are common to
the household BUT not for the religion.

In some cultures I think the loss of words for culture and religion would
represent a considerable shrinking of the language as much of this is
related to indigenous knowledge as well, and we would have to throw that
out too.

We might keep words like water, soil, air, etc?

What would we have left that was sterile in this fashion?

That asks another question, how many words in a common indigenous language,
say Navajo?  Does anoyone know how many words in Navajo?

Matthew













Benjamin Barrett wrote:

> Although I don't know the answer, could you clarify the question?
>
> I've been trying to figure out your question. Is it this:
>
> Have there been any studies showing a breakdown of religions by
> language?
>
> Benjamin Barrett
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-endangered-languages-l at cleo.murdoch.edu.au
> > [mailto:owner-endangered-languages-l at cleo.murdoch.edu.au]O
> > n Behalf Of Matthew McDaniel
> > Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2001 8:43 PM
> >
> >
> > Can anyone tell me if there have been any studies which show what
> > percentage of the language of a people from an orthodox
> > culture is used
> > for that culture?
> >
> > Buddist
> > Islam
> > Jewish
> > Greek Orthodox
> > Hindu
> >
> > Matthew McDaniel
>
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