Language of the Month: Cantonese
If you have never been to China, you may think that everyone there speaks Mandarin. It is true that the Chinese government made Mandarin the official language of China in order to unify the people. For this reason, it is the language that is traditionally taught in schools and universities in the United States for those who desire to learn about Chinese language and culture. In reality, China’s linguistic situation is not as simple as it is often portrayed. There are in fact 5 major language groups: Mandarin, Wu, Min, Hakka, and Yue (Cantonese). In addition, there are several other dialects that do not fall under these 5 categories spoken by ethnic groups throughout the country. Most of these languages are based on the same writing system and therefore can be considered dialects of Chinese. However, spoken, they are mutually unintelligible and therefore can be considered separate languages. As a result, most Chinese citizens are bilingual in their local dialect and Mandarin.
The Purge of the Turkish Language
During his presidency, the first President of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, wanting to westernize the Turkey of the Ottoman Empire, carried out a series of reforms on the political, economic and cultural spheres. His main goal was to modernize every aspect of Turkish society, including the language, and discard any trace of the Arab-Persian culture. In order to achieve this he separated the Islamic law from the secular law, eliminating laws which did not permit the education of women, thereby empowering Turkish women with greater freedoms and bringing Turkey closer to Western European countries.
“Humankind is made up of two sexes, women and men. Is it possible for humankind to grow by the improvement of only one part while the other part is ignored? Is it possible that if half of a mass is tied to earth with chains that the other half can soar into skies?”
“Culture is the foundation of the Turkish Republic”.
― Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Not only did he increase literacy in Turkey by educating women, but also through linguistic reforms that he carried out in 1928 in which he altered the language. These reforms not only focused on changing the Arabic alphabet into the Latin alphabet (or so called ‘Latinization’ of the alphabet), but also on purging the Turkish language from loanwords, especially Arabic and Persian loanwords, thus maintaining pure Turkish words. Arabic and Persian loanwords were substituted with already-existing Turkish words, or replaced by new words derived from Turkish roots. He considered each manifestation of the Arabic culture within the Turkish culture to be an impediment to establishing closer relations with Western societies.
“The cornerstone of education is an easy system of reading and writing. The key to this is the new Turkish alphabet based on the Latin script”.
― Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
What might have seemed, and still might, an inane manifestation of chauvinism turned out to be a solution to Turkey’s significant illiteracy problem. Along with the decrease in Turkey’s illiteracy rate; however, came other consequences such as the politicization of language use. For instance, some of the “new words” are commonly used in the spoken language, whereas others are not used at all, and still others coexist along with the old-Arabic words. This has come to define, depending of the selection of words used, the way each individual speaks and writes the Turkish language, as well as differences in language use between the generations.
This Turkish duplicity is used by writers to create their own “persona”, giving their writing different connotations depending on the vocabulary they choose to use. On the other hand, it makes it harder to for translators to find equivalents in other languages, such that these differences in language use are preserved. The translation of the Turkish language, however difficult, is possible, though it poses an arduous job for the translation services providers.
Atatürk, with his linguistic reform of the Turkish language, was able to improve his country’s literacy. In order to acquire that literacy the language was simplified such that the alphabet, vocabulary, and expression of ideas were changed significantly. If we keep in mind that a language has its own intrinsic culture, this means that in order to gain recognition by Western European countries, the Turkish culture had to lose something of itself, perhaps something that can not be replaced.
Now, was it worth it? Was it an excellent way of educating the country or was it a foolish way of simplifying a people’s effort to learn, a foolish effort to enlighten/instruct people by reducing the complexity of the subject to be learned as if they wouldn’t be able to assimilate something richer?
About Language Connections:
Language Connections is one of the top language service companies in the US. Over the last 30 years, we’ve focused on providing the best business translation services, interpreting services, as well as interpreter training and customized language training programs. In addition to top-tier corporate language training, we offer certified corporate interpreters and professional business translation services in 200+ languages. Our network includes linguists with backgrounds in all major industries. They’re ready to meet your needs, whether they’re for technical translation services, legal translation, government translation services, international development translation services, education translation services, life sciences translation, or something else. Reach out to us today for a free quote on our cost-efficient and timely translation services, interpreters, or other linguistic services.
Language Connections LLC
2001 Beacon Street, Suite 105,
Boston, MA 02135
Phone: +1-617-731-3510
Email: service@languageconnections.com
Language of the Month: Finnish
Finland is best known for its high-tech products, such as Nokia phones and Kone elevators, and its progressive social programs. Now a member of the European Union, this small country fought with neighboring countries for its independence for many years. Indeed, its two neighbors Sweden and Russia claimed the land known today as Finland for centuries before finally letting it go in the early 20th century. Read more about the Finnish language!
Language of the Month: Yup’ik
The world today has more than 6800 spoken languages. While some are well known and have millions of speakers, some languages are lesser known and tend to be spoken in only one area. One such language is central Alaskan Yup’ik. Yup’ik comes from the words “yuk” and “pik” meaning person and genuine, respectively. Therefore, Yup’ik translates to “real people.”
Language of the Month: Darija
Language of the Month: Alsatian
Did you know that Alsatian is the third autochthonous (native) language in France in terms of speakers, after French and Occitan? It is spoken in the main part of the Alsace region, which is located in northeastern France and is bordered by Germany. The language has no official status, though, since French is the only official language in France. However, Alsatian is taught in Alsace schools. Read on to find more about Alsace and Alsatian and why its not recognized as France’s official language!
Fun Facts about American Sign Language
When we think about interacting with each other, the first thing that crosses our mind is verbal communication. When learning a foreign language, we immediately focus on proper pronunciation – the accent, the tone, and the expressions. Now, have you ever thought about using your hands to make people understand you? And I am not talking about Italians speaking with their hands, or tourists making funny gestures to ask where the restrooms are or to get something to eat. I am talking about people that you may encounter in the subway, or sitting at a table in a restaurant, or just walking down the street, using their hands to express what we express with sounds. Welcome to the World of the Deaf and American Sign Language.
Language of the Month: Galician
Galicia is a region located in north-western Spain famous for its shellfish, beautiful landscapes and the Way of St. James. But did you know that there is a co-official language along with Castilian Spanish in Galicia? It is called Galician and is spoken by around 3 million people in the world today. Read more about the Galician language! (more…)
Language of the Month: Indonesian
The Republic of Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 17,500 islands located between Southeast Asia and Australia. The official national language, Indonesian, based on a form of Malay, is universally taught in schools, and consequently is spoken by nearly every Indonesian. It is the language of business, politics, national media, education, and academia. In a nation which boasts more than 700 different languages and dialects – 14 of them with over a million speakers each – and a vast array of ethnic groups, it plays an important unifying role for the country. The Indonesian language is the only thing which gives substance to the idea that there is a national Indonesian culture. (more…)
Language of the Month: Haida
Haida is a language of the northwest coasts of British Columbia and Alaska whose origin is uncertain. Although many linguists consider it to be a Na-Dene dialect distantly related to Tlingit and the Athabaskan languages, others consider it an isolate (a language unrelated to any other language). Fewer than a hundred elders speak the Haida language fluently today, but there is a movement among the upcoming generations of Haida youth to keep their ancestral language alive. So why have we chosen to feature Haida? As an endangered language with less than 40 remaining fluent speakers, the struggle to provide interpreting services and translation services, as well as revive the Haida language is in itself a tribute to the Haida people and their culture.
Among the different native peoples living along the northwest coasts of Alaska and Canada, the Haida were traditionally known as the best carvers, painters, and canoe and house builders. If we used localization services to translate Haida, we’d focus on social norms like Craftsmen, who proudly pass down their skills in producing carved objects from wood and slate. Today, they mostly work in the fish canning industries. Despite their adaptability and perseverance, they now are considered to be among the endangered world cultures.
Haida is the name of the mother tongue of the native people living in the Queen Charlotte Islands of British Columbia, the southern part of the Prince of Wales Island, and the northwest coast of Alaska. The majority of remaining fluent speakers are mostly elders who live in Haida communities in Skidegate and Old Massett (BC, Queen Charlotte Islands), as well as parts of Alaska. These elders were the primary focus of a photographic exhibit shown recently at the Haida Gwaii Museum. The photographs were taken by a Vancouver-based photographer, Farah Nosh, who also published a book entitled That Which Makes Us Haida: The Haida Language. They document the great pride and strength of the Haida elders, many of whom are no longer alive.
In response to the loss of many of their elders, the Haida youth have expressed a strong desire to preserve their heritage. Like many an endangered indigenous tongue, Haida is now at a critical stage. Once those who are fluent in the language are gone, it can no longer thrive. Thus, many Haida youth are taking the time to learn the language from their living elders. Some have decided to immerse themselves completely in the language by spending time with fluent speakers, and speaking only in Haida. Dictionaries, glossaries and phrasebooks in the three remaining dialects of Haida (Massett, Skidegate and Alaska) have been created, as well as orthographies used to write in these dialects. There are instructional CD’s, maps of Haida place names, and transcriptions and translations of traditional Haida songs.
Few of the elder storytellers are left to help document the history of the Haida people, but those that are have been trying to pass on their knowledge to the next generation. However, today’s storytellers do not get the opportunity to train in the art of story telling like their ancestors. According to one Haida historian, a new story teller had to pass through a period of training, where if they missed even one word in the story, they had to retell the same story to their elders the following night, and every night after that until they told it correctly. This process was crucial in ensuring that stories were passed down correctly.
There is hope that the culture and language of the Haida people can be preserved and passed down to the next generation. According to Nika Collison, a curator at the Haida Gwaii Museum and a native of Skidegate, the revival of the Haida language allows her people not only to maintain their way of speaking, but also their way of thinking. In her own words, “It is how we understand who we are.”
About Language Connections:
Language Connections is one of the top language service companies in the US. Over the last 30 years, we’ve focused on providing the best business translation services, interpreting services, as well as interpreter training and customized language training programs. In addition to top-tier corporate language training, we offer certified corporate interpreters and professional business translation services in 200+ languages. Our network includes linguists with backgrounds in all major industries. They’re ready to meet your needs, whether they’re for technical translation services, legal translation, government translation services, international development translation services, education translation services, life sciences translation, or something else. Reach out to us today for a free quote on our cost-efficient and timely translation services, interpreters, or other linguistic services.
Language Connections LLC
2001 Beacon Street, Suite 105,
Boston, MA 02135
Phone: +1-617-731-3510
Email: service@languageconnections.com