[Lingtyp] Lingtyp Digest, Vol 54, Issue 25

David Beck dbeck at ualberta.ca
Sun Mar 31 14:46:58 UTC 2019


I guess my disquiet stems from this (from the synopsis)

"Taking Martin deep into the jungle, a speaker reveals that Zikril is the language of all beings who live there, the animals and birds as well as man. And, in a scene that skillfully mixes image and sound, we get a spooky sense of birds responding as Zikril is spoken, setting the stage for more magic realism to come.”

Romanticizing is a form of dehumanization. It makes for a good story, but mapped onto the lives of actual communities, it exoticizes indigenous people and makes them not really seem like people. There are real world reasons to work with these communities.

I’ll probably go see the movie, though.

David

> On Mar 30, 2019, at 10:00 AM, lingtyp-request at listserv.linguistlist.org wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
> 
>   1. Re: Lingtyp Digest, Vol 54, Issue 24 (David Beck)
>   2. Re: Lingtyp Digest, Vol 54, Issue 24 (Joo Ian)
>   3. Re: Lingtyp Digest, Vol 54, Issue 24 (George Moroz)
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2019 10:27:35 -0600
> From: David Beck <dbeck at ualberta.ca>
> To: lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org
> Subject: Re: [Lingtyp] Lingtyp Digest, Vol 54, Issue 24
> Message-ID: <DB1B3DBD-7B1B-4D53-872D-7C21A1FB6968 at ualberta.ca>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
> 
> 
> I haven’t seen the movie, which may be very entertaining, but it isn’t about a real language.  The synopsis here 
> 
> https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-i-dream-another-language-review-20170803-story.html <https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-i-dream-another-language-review-20170803-story.html>
> 
> makes it sound like fun, but not much like reality. I suppose if Avatar is inspirational for ecologists, something like this could be inspiring for linguists. 
> 
> Just saying.
> 
> David
> 
> ================================
> 
> David Beck, Professor and Acting Chair
> Department of Linguistics
> University of Alberta
> Edmonton, AB  T6G 2E7
> Canada
> 
> Phone: (780) 492-0807
> FAX: (780) 492-0806
> 
> http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbeck/
> http://www.artsrn.ualberta.ca/totonaco/
>> 
>> Message: 2
>> Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2019 06:08:13 +0000
>> From: Joo Ian <ian.joo at outlook.com>
>> To: "lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org"
>> 	<lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org>
>> Subject: [Lingtyp] A linguistic film: "I dream in another language
>> 	(Sueño en otro idioma)"
>> Message-ID:
>> 	<SN6PR07MB4557169BC51C417823A675DAFE5A0 at SN6PR07MB4557.namprd07.prod.outlook.com>
>> 	
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>> 
>> Dear all,
>> 
>> Yesterday, I watched a Dutch-Mexican film "I dream in another language (Sueño en otro idioma)", which is about a dying language of Mexico. I would recommend it to all typologists and those doing fieldwork on minority languages, as the film is truly touching and inspiring, especially to us linguists.
>> 
>> https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Dream_in_Another_Language
>> 
>> Regards,
>> Ian JOO (주이안)
>> http://ianjoo.academia.edu
>> 
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> Message: 2
> Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2019 16:47:30 +0000
> From: Joo Ian <ian.joo at outlook.com>
> To: "lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org"
> 	<lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org>
> Subject: Re: [Lingtyp] Lingtyp Digest, Vol 54, Issue 24
> Message-ID:
> 	<SN6PR07MB45576A6012482E36E8D6E46CFE5A0 at SN6PR07MB4557.namprd07.prod.outlook.com>
> 	
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
> 
> Dear David,
> 
> Yes, the “indigenous” language featured in the film is solely constructed for the film. And the film plot does indeed have some fantasy-like features in it. But overall, I would say that the film left me many thoughts on fieldwork (e. g. the relationship between the linguist and the native speakers), language endangerment (e. g. the experience of the last speakers of a dying language), and human language in general. Although I haven’t watched Avatar yet, I would imagine that this film is has a more “realistic” background than Avatar.
> 
> Regards,
> Ian
> 
> From: David Beck<mailto:dbeck at ualberta.ca>
> Sent: Saturday, March 30, 2019 1:41 AM
> To: lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org<mailto:lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org>
> Subject: Re: [Lingtyp] Lingtyp Digest, Vol 54, Issue 24
> 
> 
> I haven’t seen the movie, which may be very entertaining, but it isn’t about a real language.  The synopsis here
> 
> https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-i-dream-another-language-review-20170803-story.html
> 
> makes it sound like fun, but not much like reality. I suppose if Avatar is inspirational for ecologists, something like this could be inspiring for linguists.
> 
> Just saying.
> 
> David
> 
> ================================
> 
> David Beck, Professor and Acting Chair
> Department of Linguistics
> University of Alberta
> Edmonton, AB  T6G 2E7
> Canada
> 
> Phone: (780) 492-0807
> FAX: (780) 492-0806
> 
> http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbeck/
> http://www.artsrn.ualberta.ca/totonaco/
> 
> Message: 2
> Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2019 06:08:13 +0000
> From: Joo Ian <ian.joo at outlook.com<mailto:ian.joo at outlook.com>>
> To: "lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org<mailto:lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org>"
> <lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org<mailto:lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org>>
> Subject: [Lingtyp] A linguistic film: "I dream in another language
> (Sueño en otro idioma)"
> Message-ID:
> <SN6PR07MB4557169BC51C417823A675DAFE5A0 at SN6PR07MB4557.namprd07.prod.outlook.com<mailto:SN6PR07MB4557169BC51C417823A675DAFE5A0 at SN6PR07MB4557.namprd07.prod.outlook.com>>
> 
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
> 
> Dear all,
> 
> Yesterday, I watched a Dutch-Mexican film "I dream in another language (Sueño en otro idioma)", which is about a dying language of Mexico. I would recommend it to all typologists and those doing fieldwork on minority languages, as the film is truly touching and inspiring, especially to us linguists.
> 
> https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Dream_in_Another_Language
> 
> Regards,
> Ian JOO (주이안)
> http://ianjoo.academia.edu
> 
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> 
> Message: 3
> Date: Sat, 30 Mar 2019 00:22:34 +0300
> From: George Moroz <agricolamz at gmail.com>
> To: Joo Ian <ian.joo at outlook.com>
> Cc: "lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org"
> 	<lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org>
> Subject: Re: [Lingtyp] Lingtyp Digest, Vol 54, Issue 24
> Message-ID:
> 	<CANJCVCO37L2gO4D1d+dhAo4WOywCFWUYO1qdc_KoPF8GAMWuPA at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
> 
> I'd propose to use this movie as a nice anti-example of fieldwork research:
> recording outside the house during the rain, using finger-pointing,
> collecting words without the context, analyzing oscillogram without
> spectrogram, messing with informants...
> 
> It is a good movie, though.
> 
> GM
> 
> 
> pt., 29 mar 2019 o 19:47 Joo Ian <ian.joo at outlook.com> napisał(a):
> 
>> Dear David,
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Yes, the “indigenous” language featured in the film is solely constructed
>> for the film. And the film plot does indeed have some fantasy-like features
>> in it. But overall, I would say that the film left me many thoughts on
>> fieldwork (e. g. the relationship between the linguist and the native
>> speakers), language endangerment (e. g. the experience of the last speakers
>> of a dying language), and human language in general. Although I haven’t
>> watched Avatar yet, I would imagine that this film is has a more
>> “realistic” background than Avatar.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Regards,
>> 
>> Ian
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> *From: *David Beck <dbeck at ualberta.ca>
>> *Sent: *Saturday, March 30, 2019 1:41 AM
>> *To: *lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org
>> *Subject: *Re: [Lingtyp] Lingtyp Digest, Vol 54, Issue 24
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> I haven’t seen the movie, which may be very entertaining, but it isn’t
>> about a real language.  The synopsis here
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-i-dream-another-language-review-20170803-story.html
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> makes it sound like fun, but not much like reality. I suppose if Avatar is
>> inspirational for ecologists, something like this could be inspiring for
>> linguists.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Just saying.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> David
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> ================================
>> 
>> David Beck, Professor and Acting Chair
>> Department of Linguistics
>> University of Alberta
>> Edmonton, AB  T6G 2E7
>> Canada
>> 
>> Phone: (780) 492-0807
>> FAX: (780) 492-0806
>> 
>> http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbeck/
>> http://www.artsrn.ualberta.ca/totonaco/
>> 
>> 
>> Message: 2
>> Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2019 06:08:13 +0000
>> From: Joo Ian <ian.joo at outlook.com>
>> To: "lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org"
>> <lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org>
>> Subject: [Lingtyp] A linguistic film: "I dream in another language
>> (Sueño en otro idioma)"
>> Message-ID:
>> <
>> SN6PR07MB4557169BC51C417823A675DAFE5A0 at SN6PR07MB4557.namprd07.prod.outlook.com
>>> 
>> 
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>> 
>> Dear all,
>> 
>> Yesterday, I watched a Dutch-Mexican film "I dream in another language
>> (Sueño en otro idioma)", which is about a dying language of Mexico. I would
>> recommend it to all typologists and those doing fieldwork on minority
>> languages, as the film is truly touching and inspiring, especially to us
>> linguists.
>> 
>> https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Dream_in_Another_Language
>> 
>> Regards,
>> Ian JOO (주이안)
>> http://ianjoo.academia.edu
>> 
>> -------------- next part --------------
>> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
>> URL: <
>> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lingtyp/attachments/20190329/95e6d64b/attachment-0001.html
>>> 
>> 
>> ------------------------------
>> 
>> Subject: Digest Footer
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Lingtyp mailing list
>> Lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org
>> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/mailman/listinfo/lingtyp
>> 
>> 
>> ------------------------------
>> 
>> End of Lingtyp Digest, Vol 54, Issue 24
>> ***************************************
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Lingtyp mailing list
>> Lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org
>> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/mailman/listinfo/lingtyp
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