JapanForum.com
Page 2 of 2 < 1 2
Show 40 post(s) from this thread on one page

JapanForum.com (https://www.japanforum.com/forum/)
-   English & Other Language Help (https://www.japanforum.com/forum/english-other-language-help/)
-   -   i have a question (https://www.japanforum.com/forum/english-other-language-help/26372-i-have-question.html)

Barone1551 07-17-2009 05:39 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by komitsuki (Post 748485)
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.

MMM 07-17-2009 05:47 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by KyleGoetz (Post 748439)
You would think, but you'd be wrong in a few instances. The fact that Japanese has お茶 instead of ご茶 shows that they've forgotten that 茶 comes from Chinese.
Languages are not math and are not logical. They are living organisms, really.

KyleGoetz 07-17-2009 11:58 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by MMM (Post 748547)
Languages are not math and are not logical. They are living organisms, really.
Oh no, I agree 100%. My point is that the お rather than ご is evidence that 茶 is not thought of as a Chinese-derived word. The very fact that it is not thought of as such is proof that languages are not logical (because it is, in fact, Chinese-derived).

komitsuki 07-18-2009 03:04 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by MMM (Post 748547)
Languages are not math and are not logical. They are living organisms, really.
(Sorry for being off-topic but this must be corrected.)

Slightly wrong. Just slightly. Human language is organic under the foundation that basic logic is not discouraged. The reason why we can make sentences that make sense is because of respecting basic logic embedded in our ways of using words.


All times are GMT. The time now is 03:43 PM.
Page 2 of 2 < 1 2
Show 40 post(s) from this thread on one page

Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.0.0 RC6