Scottish Black Isle dialect silenced forever as last native speaker dies aged 92

[Richard Zane Smith]

Thanks Maya,
We all know what they are kinda trying to say....BUT its insulting to those
of us learning and teaching
languages that were declared "Dead" or "Extinct" and we still read that
stuff,even as preschoolers
are hurting our ears  shouting their "extinct" phrases.

There's an odd western cultural phenomenon (maybe inherited from Rome via
the Greeks?)
this glorifying tragedy and recreating a kind of head shaking artificial
sorrow about  "the last of the.................."
Perhaps when we feel this cheaper variety of "sorrow" we feel we've
"grieved," done our job, and can move on.
Seems it's inherent within "Anchor News". Just nothing like our daily
inoculation of "tragedy" to make us feel better.
-Richard





On Mon, Oct 8, 2012 at 1:10 PM, Maya Tracy Borhani <gmcmaya at gmail.com>wrote:

> I think it's urgent that we all speak out against this kind of language
> about language loss: We don't know that Cromarty will be silenced
> "forever." THANK THE GODDESS and gods that there exist audio recordings
> (and hopefully video of dear old Bobby and Gordon), so that descendants -
> like those here in our American tribes - can reconstruct and relearn this
> rich language again.
>
> I strongly believe it's part of our work as language activists to try and
> stop that melodramatic trend in reporting on language loss, because then
> that DEATH becomes the focus of lots of hand-wringing, vs. focusing on
> revitalizing the language with whatever resources we have.
>
> With all wishes of best luck and hard work to the people of the Scottish
> Black Isle.
>
> Blessings,
>
> Maya
>
>
> On Oct 8, 2012, at 11:00 AM, Jordan Lachler wrote:
>
> Final word from Cromarty: Scottish Black Isle dialect silenced forever as
> last native speaker dies aged 92
>
>    - Bobby Hogg was the last person still fluent in the fisherfolk dialect
>    - His younger brother Gordon had been the second speaker of the
>    Cromarty language until he passed away last year aged 86
>
> By Jane Borland<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Jane+Borland+>
>
>  *PUBLISHED:* 20:17 GMT, 3 October 2012 | *UPDATED:* 20:17 GMT, 3 October
> 2012
> It was a traditional dialect used for centuries by fisherfolk.
>
> But yesterday it emerged that the language of Cromarty had finally died
> with the passing of its last speaker.
>
> Bobby Hogg was the only person still fluent in the age-old tongue of the
> Black Isle and his death at the age of 92 means it will now exist only in
> audio recordings.
>
> Read more:
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2212466/Final-word-Scottish-Cromarty-dialect-silenced-forever-native-speaker-dies-aged-92.html<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2212466/Final-word-Scottish-Cromarty-dialect-silenced-forever-native-speaker-dies-aged-92.html#ixzz28jQMGdAx>
>
>
>
>


-- 

 "…revitalizing our language is really just an act of returning to what we
are supposed to be. It is like a fish returning to the water, breathing and
living once again. "Xh'unei Lance E. Twitchell (Tlingit)
*

richardzanesmith.wordpress.com

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