295
submitted 2 years ago by Sibbo@sopuli.xyz to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] Valbrandur@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Thinking about different languages in the terms of "useful" or "useless" according to the number of speakers they have.

Edit: What I mean specifically is not for someone to want or not to personally learn a language, but if the existance in itself of a language is more or less valuable according to how many people speak it (per example and as I explained below, believing that Occitan's existance is useless because there's already French to talk to Occitan people with, who already understand it). Yes, this happens.

[-] onlinely@lemm.ee 4 points 2 years ago

Why does this show lack of education over lack of interest in linguistics? I’ve studied linguistics, and I don’t categorize languages that way, but I could see how a pragmatist wouldn’t see value in learning Esperanto or Papiamento.

[-] Valbrandur@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 2 years ago

I think you misunderstand what I am referring to. I am not talking about a wish to learn a language, but to consider languages as useful or useless in regards to their entire existence.

This is unfortunately not very uncommon in people of European countries who look down upon regional languages, stating that their existence or that learning them is useless (not for them only, but for anyone) just because you can already do the task of communicating with others through the national language (per example, considering the existance of the Occitan language useless because the people of everywhere where it is spoken can already understand French). This is done by people who not understand (or even worse, who don't care about) the value that exists in language from a cultural perspective.

[-] onlinely@lemm.ee 2 points 2 years ago

So interesting. Thank you for the perspective.

[-] Valbrandur@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 2 years ago

Thank you.

I know this all sounds like Mandarin to most of the userbase of this place (which I suppose to be mainly from the US and alien to the politics of places where big regional languages exist in the same space than even larger national languages), but it's not only the attitude of some regular people but also of some major political forces. Just a few months ago, a far-right party in Spain vowed to shut down the Academy of Valencian Language if they ever reached power (something I suppose a linguist like you would never approve), under the excuse of its existence being "a threat to national unity".

Nationalism: not even once.

[-] onlinely@lemm.ee 1 points 2 years ago

Please, here in the states we squashed so many native languages it’s impossible to count. And I’m no scholar— I just like translating poetry and ordering drinks in other languages

[-] hglman@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 years ago

Unless it a computer language.

this post was submitted on 25 Jun 2023
295 points (100.0% liked)

Asklemmy

44185 readers
943 users here now

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy 🔍

If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!

  1. Open-ended question
  2. Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
  3. Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
  4. Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
  5. An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_A@discuss.tchncs.de~

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS