Simple tongues for simple minds. Habit and regularity herald
stagnation for the mind. Worse, you people wish such stupidity upon the
entire world! You keep your 'freedom from' languages and their
barbarian-simple consistency.
Obviously on the wrong list,
Ken.
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Dear Ken,
You're bashing us so fiercely that it's probably no use trying
to convince you that you're attributing to us opinions and intentions
we've never had -- in fact, erecting men of straw in our place. It's
never a bad idea to try and discuss things quietly before you fly into a
rage. I, for one, am for regionalism but not for parochialism and
xenofobia. My native language is Polish (a synthetic language with seven
noun cases and lots of verb aspects, and certainly far from being
endangered). I love it deeply; but I'm glad there are languages of wider
communication. If I spoke no English I wouldn't be able to communicate
with you; for I suppose you couldn't be bothered to learn MY language
despite your professed preference for the type it represents. Polish and
English don't compete in my brain. I haven't forgotten a single Polish
word or stopped using a single grammatical construction. As for your
linguistic views, you seem to subscribe to the theory that language was
perfect once upon a time but has become corrupted (simpler, less
beautiful, more barbarian). Such a view is usually part of the more
general belief that long ago there was a Golden Age, but the world has
been going to the dogs ever since. Your private mythology is your own
business, but I can see it makes you hate the world in which you live.
You are probably still young, judging from the temperature of your
uncontrollable outburst. You'll grow out of it, I hope.
Happy New Age,
Piotr
Gerry here: Yes, Piotr, what you say rings out with much truth and
compassion; spoken by a true gentleman. Your advice to Ken is on target
and I only wish to add that it is possible to preserve a local language
as well as imbrace one of international standing by simply advocating
bilingualism in the local schools. Besides, kids can learn a language
with much more facility than can adults -- they also do well with word
games, rhymes, nonesense poems etc. With bilingualism as a solution,
both Ken and Piotr can "have their cake and eat it too". May be pause a
moment and reflect on the words of Marie Antionette.
Gerry
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Gerald Reinhart
Independent Scholar
(650) 321-7378
waluk@...
http://www.alekseevmanuscript.com