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Barone1551 (Offline)
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Posts: 208
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: USA
07-17-2009, 05:39 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by komitsuki View Post
Then you have a language called Piraha, which is so different that importing foreign (loaned) concepts is always a huge hassle, thus impossible.

Pirahã language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1. no numbers
2. very simplified kinship term(s)
3. no abstract color terms

This is the best and the rarest example how language completely constrains a culture, lifestyle, and make it impossible to understand loanwords.
I did some research on this tribe for a paper, very interesting language anomalies actually. There are some other tribes with similar language differences. Fascinating stuff if you really dig deep into it.


The King wore a crown. Now he is the king of kings.
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