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lindsaysofia_25's review
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.75
Such a fascinating read! I especially appreciate how the author's enthusiasm was dripping off the page. Definitely a wonderful way to dip my toe into linguistics.
hannahbanana23's review
5.0
So well written - I really enjoyed this book and found it really fascinating.
icywaterfall's review
3.0
Origins: Humans started speaking sometime in the past, roughly between 100,000 years and 50,000 years ago. Only humans have the distinct ability to speak in the way we do, animals can be taught sign language but ultimately, they are not creatively expressing their thoughts, but mimicking the human communicators. The big question: Is the propensity to communicate using language innate or learned? Nature vs nurture? The answer is somewhere in between. We have the biological programming, and biological faculties, to allow us to want to communicate (nature), but without the trigger that enables us to latch on to the common stream of words used in the forum, (i.e. listening to the words being spoken around us = nurture) we wont be able to speak at all.
- Identity: for many, a language represents an identity. The Turkana people, living in land that stretches from Kenya to Sudan, are violent and homogenous pastoralists, that fight to keep their language alive from the encroaching Swahili and English that dominate political and cultural life at the state level. They do so because they can (they number roughly half a million) and because identity is not something that the youngsters want to keep at arms length from themselves. They are proud to be called Turkana, unlike the younger Akha from Thailand, who are ashamed to be called Akha because they won't be able to fit into the wider world otherwise. An Akha tradition is recounting the whole generation for up to a thousand years prior, a wholly oral tradition. "To lose a language is to lose a culture and its history." For the Irish (who are in a similar boat to the Akha) and the Basques (who are in a similar boat to the Turkana), language is also related to personal identity. The language spoken is a political badge, worn either proudly in defiance of politically 'stronger' languages or in vergogna, in shame.
- Uses and Abuses: Language is a tool and like many tools, language can be used in a productive way or can be used as a weapon. It can also be used for innocuous tasks. Swearing is one obvious way language can be used, to breach taboo in society. Taboos shift with the rest of culture - where religion dominated, it was taboo to mention the Lord's name in vain; with the decline of religion rose the taboo of bodily functions; and with the latter's decline, we are now living in a racially charged taboo society. Innuendo and euphemisms can be used for humour too; for talking about things in a humorous way that would be difficult to breach otherwise, as certain subjects are seen as too heavy. Language can be used negatively to cover reality, not for humour, but as a thin veneer. Political doublespeak requires us to say collateral damage instead of civilian death by war, for example. This is often used for propaganda purposes. Secret languages evolve too; slang sprouts up all over the place, mainly in order to distinguish the in-group members from the out-group. Examples include Cockney rhyming slang, Polari (gay speak), aussie slang, textese (lol, lmao), and rap/hip-hop terms. When the slang reaches the mainstream, it has become ineffective at differentiating the in from the out and needs to be replaced. With the advent of technology and social media, this occurs at a much quicker pace than before.
- Spreading the Word; written language is one of language's disciples. Originating in cuneiform form in Mesopotamia, it has progressed like a viral disease to all corners of the globe. With the creation of the printing press, books have been disseminated faster and cheaper, leading to the exponential growth of literacy rates everywhere, leading to an increase in education and knowledge, not just for the ruling elite, but for peasants too. Now with technology just around the corner, the question of whether books and physical paper will become obsolete has been answered in the negative. People still enjoy books; now that there is another medium upon which to enjoy writing, people will benefit from an even greater choice, without running the risk of running the printing press into the ground.
- The Power and the Glory; we narrate our lives to give ourselves purpose and a sense of self. Stories are ubiquitous and ancient. From the Turkana, to the Aborigines, to Homer, to modern day movies, we tell stories for many different reasons. (This section overlaps with the previous uses and abuses section.) Poetry, plays, music, speeches, advertising, political propaganda, novels - the diversity with which we narrate these epics exploring what it means to be human are myriad. Stories are as essential to us as the very food we eat and we seem to digest stories with particular ease. We are Homo Narrans.
- Identity: for many, a language represents an identity. The Turkana people, living in land that stretches from Kenya to Sudan, are violent and homogenous pastoralists, that fight to keep their language alive from the encroaching Swahili and English that dominate political and cultural life at the state level. They do so because they can (they number roughly half a million) and because identity is not something that the youngsters want to keep at arms length from themselves. They are proud to be called Turkana, unlike the younger Akha from Thailand, who are ashamed to be called Akha because they won't be able to fit into the wider world otherwise. An Akha tradition is recounting the whole generation for up to a thousand years prior, a wholly oral tradition. "To lose a language is to lose a culture and its history." For the Irish (who are in a similar boat to the Akha) and the Basques (who are in a similar boat to the Turkana), language is also related to personal identity. The language spoken is a political badge, worn either proudly in defiance of politically 'stronger' languages or in vergogna, in shame.
- Uses and Abuses: Language is a tool and like many tools, language can be used in a productive way or can be used as a weapon. It can also be used for innocuous tasks. Swearing is one obvious way language can be used, to breach taboo in society. Taboos shift with the rest of culture - where religion dominated, it was taboo to mention the Lord's name in vain; with the decline of religion rose the taboo of bodily functions; and with the latter's decline, we are now living in a racially charged taboo society. Innuendo and euphemisms can be used for humour too; for talking about things in a humorous way that would be difficult to breach otherwise, as certain subjects are seen as too heavy. Language can be used negatively to cover reality, not for humour, but as a thin veneer. Political doublespeak requires us to say collateral damage instead of civilian death by war, for example. This is often used for propaganda purposes. Secret languages evolve too; slang sprouts up all over the place, mainly in order to distinguish the in-group members from the out-group. Examples include Cockney rhyming slang, Polari (gay speak), aussie slang, textese (lol, lmao), and rap/hip-hop terms. When the slang reaches the mainstream, it has become ineffective at differentiating the in from the out and needs to be replaced. With the advent of technology and social media, this occurs at a much quicker pace than before.
- Spreading the Word; written language is one of language's disciples. Originating in cuneiform form in Mesopotamia, it has progressed like a viral disease to all corners of the globe. With the creation of the printing press, books have been disseminated faster and cheaper, leading to the exponential growth of literacy rates everywhere, leading to an increase in education and knowledge, not just for the ruling elite, but for peasants too. Now with technology just around the corner, the question of whether books and physical paper will become obsolete has been answered in the negative. People still enjoy books; now that there is another medium upon which to enjoy writing, people will benefit from an even greater choice, without running the risk of running the printing press into the ground.
- The Power and the Glory; we narrate our lives to give ourselves purpose and a sense of self. Stories are ubiquitous and ancient. From the Turkana, to the Aborigines, to Homer, to modern day movies, we tell stories for many different reasons. (This section overlaps with the previous uses and abuses section.) Poetry, plays, music, speeches, advertising, political propaganda, novels - the diversity with which we narrate these epics exploring what it means to be human are myriad. Stories are as essential to us as the very food we eat and we seem to digest stories with particular ease. We are Homo Narrans.
halfmanhalfbook's review
4.0
The book for the TV series presented by the wordmaster Stephen Fry. Very good, should be read by any one with an interest in words & language
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