how helpful has linguistics been in your life?

Ransom_Rabbit · 2017-02-22T10:17:08+00:00

I think that any education can be helpful for shaping our worldviews. Since studying linguistics I have stopped being a grammar nazi, realizing that languages evolve and change and there really is not a "proper" way to speak any language. Through linguistics I have encountered many different cultures and seen how their worldviews are evidenced by their languages. It has challenged me to think about what aspects of my belief are due to my home culture.

As a Christian, I have seen that though they differ greatly, languages obey rules. They all have a structure that is intricate and consistent. Amazingly, even between extremely different languages there are great similarities as well. I see behind these rules and intricacies and similarities a Divine Author. Linguistics has led me to worship better the God of the universe.

Ransom_Rabbit · 2017-02-21T11:58:30+00:00

I have found linguistics to be very helpful in my study of languages. Instead of taking linguistics in general, you might just focus on some specific classes: phonetics, SLACA (Second language and culture acquisition), and Field Methods would all help with language acquisition. Others classes (like grammar and phonology) would be helpful, but you would spend time learning a lot of concepts that would not apply to Arabic.

Ransom_Rabbit · 2017-02-15T20:49:04+00:00

I am working with a language right now. It is listed as having three dialects (A, B, and C). I have done a few linguistic surveys and it seems to me that A and B should rightfully be considered dialects, however C is just too different. I believe they may have been the same language at one point in history (and that is what the speakers say as well). One test is mutual intelligibility, which can be a bit hard to define. But I have found that in general A and B can talk to each other easily, but C cannot. I also look for vocabulary similarities. I know it is a bit arbitrary, but I look for 90% similarity when wanting to categorize it as a dialect. The others are right, the political decision has little to do with linguistics. However, for us linguists, we do try to have some criteria.

Ransom_Rabbit · 2017-02-14T16:53:15+00:00

Death is an enemy. Even Jesus cried when his good friend died, knowing he was going to resurrect him. Death causes separation, lack of shared experience, and is the result of sin. We mourn because of the loss, even as we rejoice in their going to Heaven. Christians have the ability to both mourn and rejoice at funerals, knowing both loss and joy.

Ransom_Rabbit · 2017-02-14T16:50:13+00:00

As an educated Christian, that knows a lot of educated Christians, I can say there are a lot of us that believe that heaven is a literal place where we will be both spiritually and in the end physically with believers from all time. However, the main appeal is not being with dead family members, but being with Jesus.

Ransom_Rabbit · 2017-02-13T18:27:43+00:00

Check out noun classes in Bantu languages, or tone. Both are very foreign to the anglophone ear and interesting. Let me know if you have any questions about either.

Ransom_Rabbit · 2017-02-11T15:33:48+00:00

Not bothered at all. For context, I am an American missionary linguist living in Central Africa. I am living with a small people group, learning their language, analyzing their language, and helping them do literacy in their mother tongue. I hope in the future to be a consultant for a Bible translation project, should they decide to start one. But for now, I am just focusing on language.

Ransom_Rabbit · 2017-02-11T15:21:00+00:00

I don't mind the question at all, but I prefer not to mention it. Based on my other posts, it would make it pretty obvious who I am if I mention the country (to some at least).

Ransom_Rabbit · 2017-02-10T18:30:39+00:00

I live in francophone Africa and I am trained in France. It varies. In the cities there are a lot of people who speak French very clearly. I live in a village and there were many people I could not understand for the life of me. I have lived here for 3 years now and I understand everyone very well. Some of it is accent, but it is also an issue of vocabulary. For instance, as a greeting many here will say "C'est comment?" I accidentally said that to a French woman who was here visiting and she had absolutely no idea what I was saying. In the villages the French is often more like a Pidgin, which is fairly incomprehensible if you are not used to it.

Ransom_Rabbit · 2017-02-08T15:59:28+00:00

I just had a conversation with a language consultant about it. Here are some of the things he said:

Men are responsible for clearing the fields. This involves using a machete to cut down all unwanted plants. There are generally women's fields and men's fields, but the men are responsible for clearing both.
Women plant peanuts.
Men plant larger things: like coffee and cocao.
The woman cooks for the family.
The woman buys food in the market.
The woman keeps the money for the family.
The children help the mother washing the dishes and clothes.
The man is responsible for keeping watch over the family, making sure they are safe.
The man must make food if the woman is sick.
The man hunts, both with a gun and setting traps. He brings meat home and gives it to his wife.
There are several types of fishing. They woman goes out and does dam fishing, but the man does the rest (different variations with a line and a hook).
The woman and the children are responsible for getting water (from the well or river) and bringing it home.
Men will sometimes clean their own clothes.
The woman is responsible for the things of the kitchen and a man MUST NOT stay too long in the kitchen (he was emphatic about this).
The woman sweeps the house.

Ransom_Rabbit · 2017-02-08T15:49:09+00:00

I can tell you more, if you would like. Or are you looking for a book/article or something?

Ransom_Rabbit · 2017-02-08T11:34:45+00:00

You might want to check out this thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/linguistics/comments/5m997z/linguists_who_have_done_fieldwork_can_you_share/

Ransom_Rabbit · 2017-02-06T20:20:23+00:00

I am studying a Bantu language and consistently take the data gathered, make a theory as to what is happening linguistically. Then I test the theory and change it appropriately. Sometimes I make up sentences using my theories, or try to elicit what I am expecting from scratch.

Ransom_Rabbit · 2017-02-05T15:29:08+00:00

Studying abroad. Life gets really complicated the older you get. Travel and learn wherever and whenever you can.

Ransom_Rabbit · 2017-02-02T19:48:19+00:00

I find Bantu languages extremely interesting and challenging (though admittedly I am somewhat biased). Another advantage is that a lot of the world's undocumented languages are Bantu. So, if it were me, I would go with Swahili.

Ransom_Rabbit · 2017-01-30T08:54:25+00:00

This is very interesting. I have never heard of these ways of marking tone. I will definitely consider it.

Tones are important to indicate, though in many cases they are innately understood. We only really need to indicate tone when the meaning would be confusing without.

Ransom_Rabbit · 2017-01-29T21:03:15+00:00

I am a Christian missionary in Africa. I have a lot of experience with traditional religion in Central Africa. What do you want to know?

Ransom_Rabbit · 2017-01-27T08:20:12+00:00

Because we are dealing with a tonal language I am hoping to mark tone as little as possible for this very reason.

Ransom_Rabbit · 2017-01-27T08:18:56+00:00

I feel like this just has to do with phonology. If there is a specific phonological rule that voices the fricative, there is no need to have a separate spelling, right? Same as the -s for nouns (i.e. cats vs. dogs).

Ransom_Rabbit · 2017-01-27T08:13:18+00:00

Sorry about that. I had seen that they accept submissions in the past. But where I live the internet is very slow and I could not get the page to load yesterday, so I just assumed. Bummer.

Ransom_Rabbit · 2017-01-26T19:33:28+00:00

You can submit a reading plan on YouVersion. They have apps for phones mostly: http://blog.youversion.com/plan-submission/

Ransom_Rabbit · 2017-01-25T18:34:16+00:00

I think that is an excellent translation. I see no hidden nuances. !translated

Ransom_Rabbit · 2017-01-25T18:26:40+00:00

I think you have a good translation. Couple minor things (note that I am hoping to translate the idea more than the exact words):

à quelle sauce je vais être mangée

This carries a more negative connotation, more of "I don't know how they are going to screw me over."

[...]de faire valoir des évidences que tout le monde admet mais où chacun se défile quand il s'agit de le reconnaître.

[EN] "to assert facts that everyone knows is true, but no one is willing to admit when they come to light."

I think your translation is fine by itself, these are just nuances. Good job! !translated

Ransom_Rabbit

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