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"Updates" to language

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Ahmedali111  #340526  Sun, 18 Mar 07 02:53 PM

It seems to me  there is a diagreement among native speakers themselves !I thinks it is greatly occasioned  by many  "English " s which are used nowedays , American, British, ..... I wonder why natives do not agree to use one  English only  while all the world  has chosen  to speak their  language !!!! By doing that they will be more united and remove the burden on others to learn more than one English . English language emerged from England and from there one should receive updates  (like an internet server) .

EDITED: I have moved this to linguistics, and given it a new title that more accurately reflects the current discussion.

  
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Grammar Geek  #340531  Sun, 18 Mar 07 03:01 PM

Unfortunately for this idea, a language is a living thing. It can't exist exactly as it was, with a periodic update, like software. How people use it defines it. Like an animal that migrates and eventually evolves into different species.

I'm pretty sure that the exact same form of Spanish is not spoken in Spain as in Mexico or Peru. And look how "Chinese" has many different varients.

If you want to discuss this further, let's start a thread in the linguistics forum.

  
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Lil' Ruby Rose  #340535  Sun, 18 Mar 07 03:02 PM

Ah, but Ahmedali, languages are organic and constantly evolving.  It's not at all like getting updates on an internet server - it would be more like saying that the only real cedar trees come from Lebanon, and only their seeds should be sent out across the world! 

Is there a similar case in your own language?  Does your language share common ancestry with the languages from other countries in your region? 

  
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Ahmedali111  #340547  Sun, 18 Mar 07 03:25 PM
My language is Kurdish , and it has many dialects .One othe dialects is very olds , which was the languge in which  the Zorastrian  book written. And many people say the dialect was the origin not only of Persian , but all other Arian  languges. For your knowlege , that dialect is still alive and even  Persia IS GETTEEING MANY (UPDATES) FROM IT BECAUSE IT IS FLEXIBLE
  
Grammar Geek  #340554  Sun, 18 Mar 07 03:33 PM

What do you see as the difference between evolving and being flexible?

People do not speak a certain way, then get an e-mail and learn that "different from" is now "differnt than," and immediately being using only the new usuage. It happens on its own.

If Kurdish is from Persian, how does it compare to the modern language or Persia/Iran?

  
Anonymous  #340579  Sun, 18 Mar 07 04:50 PM

I didnt say kurdish is from perisan  ,but on the contrary ,  many experts say kurdish existed before Persian. Probably you will never hear that from persian people themselves. They do not like to confess that for many reasons! But that is the fact.Every one can  check the two languages and verify the veracity of that statement, it easy . And being flexible reflects the mood of the people who first invented the original language which motivated by the subconscous drives that peaple enjoy. You must know the Goegrphy and weather of a certain place cause the difference in the way peoples and languages differ, the way they mould words, link them and be able to drive new ones from the old ones, and  (inventing)!!!! because the one  who could first invent , only that person alone can  create new ones on the same  spirit , pattern , rythem , and suggestion .

all obove is my idea and sorry if my English is not perfect .

  
Ahmedali111  #340590  Sun, 18 Mar 07 05:43 PM

Thank you  Grammar Geek for that effort  . I have posted a reply oblivious to the fact that I had not signed in , so it might be displyed anonymously and take  a longer time. I tried to explain that why changing the climate and Geogrphical location caused variety in the way peoples expressed themselves . It all has an intimate relation with the way new natural  enviroments  from soil ,  air , to water in that region affect the mood and subconscious  of that nation .What I have from my personal observation on my language as an example is that when a new word is imported to the languge , I find it is modified by all seperate groups of my people( even without having a direct contact) apprximately in the same way. It means that that nation has evolved a mechanism which is unseen to our eyes , by which new things are modified subconsciously.

Again sorry  if there  are  errors in my English , but i hope  Ihave imparted my point clearly.

  
Kooyeen  #340622  Sun, 18 Mar 07 07:18 PM
Hi everyone,
this thread is cool. Yeah, it's cool because I was just thinking of that "updating" and I thought it would be funny. Americans receive updates from England:

Grammar Geek is at her computer, and sees a pop up, "Your database is pretty old, your vocabulary may not be up-to-date." Oh my, she says, and clicks on "update it now"... done! "Thank you for upgrading your English! You got a new word: aubergine."

Now, I would say that it's British people who are somehow upgrading thier English... This would be more likely:

Nona the Brit is at her PC, she's upgrading her English... "Thank you for upgrading your English from the new Hollywood database. You got a new word: dude."

Hahahah, funny. Stick out tongue [:P]
Seriously now, I think it's not possible to control a language. Languages evolve, change, merge and die. If there was only a variety of English, don't you think it would be a dull language? It would be simple to learn and it would be understood everywhere, yes, but that would be dull. The only thing I hope is that English varieties won't diverge too much, to the point they will actually be separate languages. I don't think that will happen, mainly because of the Internet, Hollywood and mass-media in general. But if the Americas had been discovered 5000 years ago (thousands of years without media, heh), I believe American English and British English would now be two completely different languages.
That's all. Smile [:)]

  
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Grammar Geek  #340624  Sun, 18 Mar 07 07:31 PM

Just today, someone posted for a Spanish-English dictionary, specifying "South American." I wish I knew Spanish so I could explore how Spain's Spanish is different from Peru's Spanish.

And Kooyeen, I laughed out loud. I already have "aubergine" because we use it as a color. Perhaps we should get "lorry." My daughter had to ask me about that one this week.

  
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