New research centre to save 'lost languages'

Sat Apr 3 12:58:13 UTC 2004

Wow, that's interesting.  It sounds like you can be Fulani without speaking
Fulfulde.

Stan

----- Original Message -----
From: "Oladipo Salami" <diposalami at hotmail.com>
To: <lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu>
Sent: Friday, April 02, 2004 2:08 PM
Subject: Re: New research centre to save 'lost languages'

>
> How do we look at the Hausa Language in relation to the Fulani in Nigeria?
> Hausa is spoken by the politically dominant Fulani (though some of them in
> power are often referrred to now as  Hausa-Fulani): the descendants of
> Uthman da Fodio. I dont know if the Hausa (in great number/there might be
> individuals though) learn Fulfulde.The interesting thing about the Fulani
in
> Nigeria is that wherever they conquered (including the Yoruba-speaking
> Ilorin) they took the language of the people and even their names but
would
> not give away power. General Idiagbon was Fulani. His name is Yoruba and
he
> spoke Yoruba and Hausa.
> Dipo Salami
>
> >From: "Stan & Sandy Anonby" <stan-sandy_anonby at sil.org>
> >Reply-To: lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu
> >To: <lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu>
> >Subject: Re: New research centre to save 'lost languages'
> >Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 12:02:07 -0400
> >
> >I guess "lesser languages" isn't a good term.  I'm open to suggestions...
> >
> >I've only worked for SIL for 2 1/2 years, so I can't say my views are
> >representative of the organization.  I've traveled quite a bit, though,
and
> >I've noticed the less prestigious groups learn the language of the more
> >prestigious ones.  I haven't seen any examples to the contrary.  I've
seen
> >isolated individuals who learn smaller languages, but it's pretty
uncommon,
> >I think.  Do you have any examples of larger, dominant groups learning
the
> >language of the smaller groups?
> >
> >I don't like crass materialism either - that's one reason why I live in
> >Brazil and don't eat at McDonalds - but it would seem to me that whether
we
> >like it or not, this world is highly motivated by materialism.  It may be
> >noble to fight these world wide trends, but what's wrong with admitting
> >they
> >exist?
> >
> >Stan Anonby
> >
> >
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Joshua Fishman" <joshuaafishman at yahoo.com>
> >To: <lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu>
> >Cc: <joshuaafishman at aol.com>
> >Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2004 3:18 PM
> >Subject: Re: New research centre to save 'lost languages'
> >
> >
> > > That's not a rule of thumb ("Speakers of lesser
> > > languages [sic!!!!!] learn the more powerful
> > > languages; never vice versa"), its a rule of
> > > crass materialism. Strange to find it coming from
> > > SIL. Joshua A. Fishman
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --- Stan & Sandy Anonby
> > > <stan-sandy_anonby at sil.org> wrote:
> > > > Yeah, it's nostalgic.  I work in Brazil, where
> > > > Indians opt for Portuguese.
> > > > Rule of thumb:  Speakers of lesser languages
> > > > learn the more powerful
> > > > languages; never vice versa.  Some rare folk
> > > > like linguists learn lower
> > > > prestige languages, but usually the result is
> > > > to enhance their own prestige
> > > > in the world of dominant language.
> > > >
> > > > Stan Anonby
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: "P. Kerim Friedman" <kerim.list at oxus.net>
> > > > To: <lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu>
> > > > Sent: Friday, March 26, 2004 11:02 PM
> > > > Subject: New research centre to save 'lost
> > > > languages'
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > <http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/research/story/
> > > > > 0,9865,1176959,00.html>
> > > > >
> > > > > New research centre to save 'lost languages'
> > > > >
> > > > >    Polly Curtis
> > > > > Wednesday March 24, 2004
> > > > >
> > > > >    A language is lost every two weeks,
> > > > according to the head of a new
> > > > > centre for research into endangered
> > > > languages, which is being launched
> > > > > today.
> > > > >
> > > > >   People are increasingly choosing to teach
> > > > their children more commonly
> > > > > used languages in a bid to help them gain
> > > > work in later life, their
> > > > > research says. As a result half of the 6,500
> > > > languages spoken around
> > > > > the world are anticipated to disappear in the
> > > > next century - a rate of
> > > > > one every fortnight.
> > > > >
> > > > >   The new centre for research into endangered
> > > > languages at the School of
> > > > > Oriental and African Studies in London, which
> > > > is backed by £20m grant,
> > > > > is being launched today by the Princess
> > > > Royal.
> > > > >
> > > > >   Researchers will use the money to record
> > > > and archive endangered
> > > > > languages and look at ways of encouraging
> > > > people to retain their
> > > > > indigenous languages.
> > > > >
> > > > >   Professor Peter Austin director of the
> > > > Endangered Languages Academic
> > > > > Project, said: "The main reason that
> > > > languages are lost is that
> > > > > communities are switching to speaking other
> > > > people's language - they
> > > > > adopt a language of a local area.
> > > > >
> > > > >   "Many people in east Africa are opting for
> > > > Swahili; Indians in central
> > > > > and south America speak Spanish to their
> > > > children to give them an
> > > > > economic advantage."
> > > > >
> > > > >   The professor, who himself speak three
> > > > Australian aboriginal languages
> > > > > as well as two Indonesian dialects, English,
> > > > some Japanese, German and
> > > > > Italian, added: "The tragedy is that although
> > > > people may decide now
> > > > > that it's better to switch, in a generation
> > > > or two, their children or
> > > > > grandchildren will regret that. We're trying
> > > > to help people remain
> > > > > multi-lingual by adding languages rather than
> > > > losing them."
> > > > >
> > > > >   Along with the endangered languages the
> > > > centre aims to preserve large
> > > > > elements of the disappearing cultures.
> > > > Archived material which
> > > > > Professor Austin has gathered so far includes
> > > > interviews with the last
> > > > > known speaker of Jiwarli, a western
> > > > Australian Aboriginal dialect, Jack
> > > > > Butler, who died in 1986.
> > > > >
> > > > >   Mr Butler describes his childhood
> > > > experiences as well as telling
> > > > > traditional aboriginal stories. From between
> > > > 250 and 270 Australian
> > > > > Aboriginal languages at the time of European
> > > > invasion, 160 are now
> > > > > extinct; 70 are severely threatened and only
> > > > 20 are still widely used.
> > > > >
> > > > > Audio: Jack Butler the last native speaker of
> > > > the western Australian
> > > > > aboriginal language Jirwarli, tells a
> > > > traditional story (real audio)
> > > > > Audio: the translation (real audio)
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > =====
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