Parrot Time

The Thinking of Speaking Issue #3 May/June 2013

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LLaanngguuaaggeess IInn PPeerriill KKaasshhuubbiiaann,, RRuussyynn LLaanngguuaaggee LLeeaarrnniinngg and Silesian TThhrroouugghh CCllaasssseess and Silesian

AA LLaanngguuaaggee DDrreeaamm LLooookk bbeeyyoonndd wwhhaatt yyoouu kknnooww

Parrot Time is your connection to languages, linguistics and culture from the Parleremo community. Expand your understanding. Never miss an issue. Contents Parrot Time

Parrot Time is a magazine covering language, linguistics Features and culture of the world around us. 06 The Voynich Manuscript - Cryptic Codex It is published by Scriveremo Publishing, a division of This medieval book contains bizarre illustrations and a Parleremo, the language learning mysterious script which no one has been able to translate. Is it community. a fantastical look at the world around us, or some bizarre hoax? Join Parleremo today. Learn a language, make friends, have fun. 1 4 Benjamin Whorf - Relativity of Language Whorf took a very unconventional approach to studying lin- guistics, both in the manner in which he started and the views he took. His work extended into several fields and he pursued everything with a fierce passion for answers to the world.

Editor: Erik Zidowecki Email: [email protected] 39 A Language Dream Published by Scriveremo Publish- A guest writer tells us about a language dream he had one ing, a division of Parleremo. night. This issue is available online from http://www.parrottime.com The editor reserves the right to 40 Revisited - Words From National Character edit all material submitted. Views There are many words that we have adopted into English expressed in Parrot Time are not necessarily the official views of regarding other people's of the world. Sadly, these are rarely Parleremo. All rights of reproduc- truly reflective of their national character. tion, translation and adaptation re- served for all countries, except where noted otherwise. All copy- 44 Language Learning Methods - Classes right material posted in the public- The third in our series of articles about language learning ation retains all its rights from the methods is about the oldest and most widely accepted: classes. original owner. Parrot Time, Par- leremo, officers and administra- tion accept no responsibility collectively or individually for the service of agencies or persons ad- vertised or announced in the pages of this publication. Departments

05 Letter From The Editor

20 At the Cinema - Lost in Translation

22 Languages in Peril - The Polish Connection

25 Word on the Streets - Romanian Poets

Cover: Dovecote at Manoir 31 Where Are You? d'Ango, near Dieppe, France. A dovecote is a structure in- 34 Celebrations - Holi tended to house pigeons or doves. The Manoir d’Ango was built in the 1500s by Jehan 49 Sections - Language Exchange Ango and is a work ofItalian architects and artists.

Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 3 ¿¿HHaabbllaa uusstteedd eessppaaññooll??

Learnalanguage, Makefriends, Havefun!

PPaarrlleerreemmoo wwwwww..ppaarrlleerreemmoo..oorrgg Letter From The Editor Freaking Out

If you are reading this magazine, you probably have some interest in languages. You might be fascinated by the sounds ofpeople speaking in a language that is unfamiliar to you. You might be intrigued by the different ways languages use grammar and phonology. It might be the mystery ofhow languages work and evolve that draws you. It might even be the way a language presents you with a path to anoth- er culture. I was personally drawn to languages by seeing the differ- ent writing systems, specifically Cyrillic and Mayan. To see another means of communications so completely foreign to what I knew was a true wonderment.

Whatever the reason, you have probably then also found yourself at a loss oftrying to explain this obsession to others. As it is with many subjects, ifaI person isn’t “into it”, it’s hard to explain the attraction. Over the years, I have heard many language lovers refer to them- selves as “freaks”, because that is how they felt among their non- communication obsessed associates. How many times have you had to try to explain why you want to study language X when the only re- sponse is the question ofwhat is wrong with your native language. Isn’t that good enough for you?

Some people study languages for very practical purposes. They may wish to pursue a career which deals with foreigners, in which knowing a second or third language would be a great asset. Some people start studying a language because of an interest in something cultural, like understanding Ja- panese Anime or watching Bollywood movies without subtitles. Some may even start it because they have met or want to meet a person they wish to be involved with romantically.

As an American, my first formal language training began in High School (age 15-18). We were expected to study a language, but the small school only offered two options: Latin or French. By now, I was already intrigued by different alphabets, but neither of these two languages really gave me that. I had started learning the Greek alphabet on my own already, so I decided to go with another ancient lan- guage. Few students chose Latin, so our classes were literally composed of just a handful of students. Despite this small turnout, our Latin teacher was always full ofenergy for the subject and made every class interesting. If it wasn’t for him, I probably would have done as most people do when forced to take a language course: forgotten it as soon as they could and never touch it again.

I also started teaching myselfRussian and was very happy to find another student who was doing the same. We would spend our study halls (class time in which we were just supposed to study anything) practising what we learned with each other. It was during this time one day when we were reciting the alphabet that we commented on the way just saying the letters sounded like new words. It was from this interchange that was born the nick I use online now: Abavagada.

We didn’t get very far in our studies ofRussian, and I’m afraid I have forgotten most ofthe Latin I learned (it’s hard to find ways to apply Latin on a daily basis), but it was the start that keeps me still fascinated with languages to this day.

What got you interested in languages, and where do you hope to go with them? I hope you wear your title of “language freak”, whether it’s self-proclaimed or imposed on you by others, with pride. You have most likely earned it! Erik Zidowecki ERIK ZIDOWECKI EDITOR IN CHIEF

Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 5 The Voynich Manuscript Cryptic Codex

Botanical drawings, astrological figures, nude women and an untranslatable text in an unknown language make up one of the oddest documents history has ever uncovered. It is known as the Voynich Manuscript, but where it came from, who wrote it and why are questions that have yet to be answered. The Voynich Manuscript - Cryptic Codex

The exact starting place and time of this story are not com- pletely known, so we will begin in Frascati, near Rome, in 1912. There was the Villa Mondragone. It was built in 1573, and served as a temporary residence for nobles and popes for a few cen- turies before being sold to Jesuit priests in 1865. The Jesuits turned it into a college, the No- bile Collegio Mondragone, for young aristocrats. In 1912, the college found itself in need of Pages of the Voynich Manuscript, with foldout, showing plants and the strange text money and decided to sell, very discreetly, some of the objects it The experts believe it is women, sometimes in bathtubs had collected over the centuries. European and perhaps written that are connected by elaborate An American antique book between the 15th and 17th cen- plumbing, sometimes in charts dealer and collector, Wilfrid M. turies. which contain strange zodiacal Voynich, took an interest and As to the writing, it has been signs. purchased a collection of thirty determined to be an alphabetic The physical dimensions of ancient manuscripts from the script, with somewhere between the manuscript are smaller than priests. Among them was a very nineteen to twenty-eight letters, normal modern book sizes, being odd manuscript, containing text but they don’t show any rela- just around seven by ten inches in a language that Voynich had tionship to any English or (18 x 25cms), but it is rather never seen before, as well as nu- European letter system. The text thick. It contains just over 240 merous coloured drawings. This is written smoothly, indicating pages, but is estimated to have curious document came to be the author understood what he originally contained 272 pages, known as the Voynich was writing, and there doesn’t as shown by gaps in the page Manuscript. appear to be any corrections. numbering. Just 33 ofthose There is, however, some evid- pages contain only text, the rest Contents ence that possibly two different contain drawings or a combina- Voynich could make little sense languages, if that is indeed what tion of both text and drawings. ofthe manuscript, so he made they are, were used and that it copies and had was written by more than one Possible Origins them sent to person. The text ofthe The origins of the Voynich various experts manuscript is clearly written Manuscript are confusing and ofthe time, in- from left to right, as can be seen unverified. The earliest date cluding many because there is a slightly anyone can place on it is 1586. well known ragged right margin and some of It is believed that Emperor cryptologists and the longer sections are broken Rudolph II, the Holy Roman scholars. They into paragraphs with “bullets” Emperor, purchased the strange also could un- on the left margin. book from a man who visited derstand very But the text isn’t the only Rudolph’s court. The Emperor Wilfrid Voynich little ofit, but odd part ofthe manuscript. It is was a lover ofart and the occult, they did learn a few things about full of hand-drawn images, many and so this book of strange writ- it. coloured, of a variety things. ing and images First of all, from a piece of Some are unidentified plants, would have im- paper which was once attached which might relate to what seem mediately inter- to it, they were able to determine to be herbal recipes or botanical ested him. The that the manuscript was once classifications. There are myster- man bearing the part of the private library of Rev- ious charts which seem to show manuscript erend Petrus Beckx S.J., a Bel- astronomical objects as seen presented it with gian Jesuit, elected 22nd through a telescope as well as a letter which Superior-General of the Society some oflive cells as seen stated that it ofJesus. There is no evidence, through a microscope. The was the work of Emperor Rudolph II, however, that he was the author. stranger drawings involve naked the Englishman the Holy Roman Emperor

Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 7 The Voynich Manuscript - Cryptic Codex

The Letter

Here is the contents of the cover letter that Johannes Marcus Marci sent along with the Voynich Manuscript to Athanasius Kircher in 1666.

REVERENDANDDISTINGUISHEDSIR,FATHERINCHRIST:

This book, bequeathed to me by an intimate friend, I destined for you, Castle of Prague, where the manuscript was my very dear Athanasius, as soon as it came into my possession, for I kept after the Emperor bought it was convinced it could be read by no one except yourself. The former owner of this book asked your opinion by letter, copying and sending Roger Bacon, a thirteenth cen- you a portion of the book from which he believed you would be able to tury English philosopher and read the remainder, but he at that time refused to send the book itself. Franciscan friar. Rudolph paid To its deciphering he devoted unflagging toil, as is apparent from six hundred gold ducats for it, attempts of his which I send you herewith, and he relinquished hope which was an amazing amount only with his life. But his toil was in vain, for such Sphinxes as these ofmoney at that time to pay for obey no one but their master, Kircher. Accept now this token, such as it anything as simple as an un- is and long overdue though it be, of my affection for you, and burst known manuscript. through its bars, if there are any, with your wonted success. Dr. The Emperor collected many Raphael, tutor in the Bohemian language to Ferdinand Ill, then King of things and among them were a Bohemia, told me the said book had belonged to the Emperor Rudolph menagerie of exotic animals and and that he presented to the bearer who brought him the book 600 botanical gardens, which were ducats. He believed the author was Roger Bacon, the Englishman. On housed at Prague Castle. He this point I suspend judgment; it is your place to define for us what even had to have a northern view we should take thereon, to whose favor and kindness I wing added to contain his grow- unreservedly commit myself and remain, ing collections. Jakub Hořčický became administrator of the At the command of your Reverence, properties of the St. George’s JOANNESMARCUSMARCI, Convent in the Prague Castle in of Cronland. 1606. He was also the personal PRAGUE, 19th August, 1666 doctor of Emperor Rudolf II who granted him the title ’de Te- penecz’. At some point, Jakub handled the manuscript, even signing his name at the bottom ofthe first page. This was faintly the Collegio Romano, Athanasi- seen, as it had been erased, but us Kircher, who had published a was revealed with the help of Coptic dictionary and worked on chemicals. Unfortunately, deciphering Egyptian hiero- Voynich tried to find more such glyphs, so Baresch sent a copy hidden writings on that page by ofsome script to him in 1637. chemical treatment which only After receiving no reply, he sent succeeded in erasing Jakub’s another letter in 1639, present- name. It can only now be seen ing his view that the manuscript on photocopies of the document. represented ’Egyptian science’. It is not known why Jakub Kircher did not have any would have signed it. answers, but was interested in Sometime after this, the acquiring the book. However, manuscript became property of Baresch refused to give it up, Georg Baresch, a European al- and it was only after Baresch’s chemist and antique collector death in 1662 that more action from Prague. He was also curi- was taken. The manuscript was ous and puzzled about the inherited by Baresch’s friend, manuscript and wanted to find Jan Marek Marci (Johannes someone who might be able to Marcus Marci), who was then Page of the manuscript showing nude help him understand it. He the rector of Charles University women bathing in bathtubs connected by heard of a Jesuit scholar from in Prague. He knew of Baresch’s strange plumbing

8 Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 The Voynich Manuscript - Cryptic Codex

letters to Kircher and sent the Rudolph with it would have been manuscript, along with a cover John Dee, who was known to letter explaining its origins, to have a large collection of Bacon’s Kircher in 1666. It is from this works. Dee was a mathematician letter that we know the previous and astrologer at the court of history of the manuscript. Queen Elizabeth I, and, with his After that, nothing is known assistant Edward Kelley, lived in ofwhat happened to it during a Bohemia for several years, hop- span over over two hundred ing to sell their services to years. Most likely, it was kept Rudolph. This connection has with the rest of Kircher’s corres- been discounted because Dee pondences in the library ofthe kept highly accurate diaries of Collegio Romano , now the all his sales and the manuscript Pontifical Gregorian University. is never mentioned in them. In 1870, the troops ofVictor Em- Some speculate that Dee himself manuel II of Italy captured the may have written it and attrib- city and annexed the Papal uted it to Bacon, in the hopes of Page showing many colourful plants States. The new Italian govern- selling it for a high price. ment began confiscating many Still going with the Bacon- Jakub Hořčický (Jakub de Te- properties of the the Church, Dee connection, some suspect penecz) could be the author. Not and those included the Collegio Kelley might have written it. Kel- only was his signature found on library. Many books were quickly ley was a bit eccentric, claiming the first page, but he was also a transferred to personal libraries that he could turn copper into specialist in herbal medicine, before this happened, so as to gold, which is an alchemist’s which the manuscript seemed to avoid being confiscated. This is make many references to. probably how it finally came to Rudolph paid six hundred However, the writing in the Petrus Beckx. His “private” lib- gold ducats for it, which manuscript does not match that rary was later moved to the Villa was an amazing amount of ofJakub’s signature. It is pos- Mondragone. money at that time to pay sible that he was the author and that the signature itself was ad- Theories of Authorship for anything as simple as ded by a later owner who had While the origins of the an unknown manuscript. also speculated that Jakub was manuscript aren’t completely the author. It has also been sug- clear, even less is known about dream. He also claimed to have gested that the signature was the person or persons that wrote conversations with angels using added by Voynich in order to it. A number of suggestions have a crystal ball, which Dee recor- give more credence to the Roger been given and argued about. ded. He even had a language the Bacon theory. According to the letter from angel’s used which became Even Voynich himself has Marci to Kircher, the manuscript called Enochian. It is believed been suspected numerous times was originally presented to Em- that Kelley fabricated these of creating the the manuscript. peror Rudolph with a cover letter claims in order to fool others, in- He was an antique book dealer, explaining that the document cluding Dee, and so he may have and it is hypothesized that he was written by Roger Bacon. created the Voynich Manuscript had the knowledge to fabricate a Voynich believed that was the to swindle the Emperor as well. fake, for an unknown book by truth, and tried for many years The problem with this theory is Roger Bacon would have been to confirm it. However, other that it rests on Dee being the very valuable. Experts have scholars that studied both the one who delivered the dated the manuscript, and manuscript and Bacon’s work manuscript, claiming that Bacon found it to be much older, have said it is not wrote it, and that theory is de- however, and it can’t explain the possible. pendent on Bacon being the au- letters by both Baresch and If the docu- thor. Note too that the entire Marci to Kircher. ment had been story of the man selling Rudolph At this point, the ideas be- written by Bacon, the manuscript is from the letter comes more conspiratorial. then it is as- Marci sent Kircher, and it is un- Marci and Kircher had been sumed that the known how Marci obtained this friends for 27 years after meet- mysterious man knowledge. ing at the Charles University to who presented Roger Bacon Another suggestion is that Rome in 1638 and had ex-

Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 9 The Voynich Manuscript - Cryptic Codex

Enochian

Enochian is the name of the angel’s language as recorded in the journals ofJohn Dee and his assistant Edward Kelley, two alchemist of 16th century England. The name comes from “Enoch”, the Biblical father of Methuselah, who, according to legend, had been taken on a tour ofHeaven by angels, which he then wrote about in a book.

Kelley claimed to talk to the angels using a Edward Kelley crystal ball and he dictated to Dee what they told him. Some scholars ofmagic believe it to be a constructed language that can be used in the working of magic. However, scholars of constructed languages believe it to be just a poor im- itation of an ancient language using basic English grammar. Page showing women and astrological symbols The journals ofthese two men contain a great deal written in the language, with only a little of it having English translations. changed letters many times. Those who have studied Enochian do not consider it to have an Marci had been part ofa extraordinary features. The journals also never describe the lan- struggle by the secular side of guage as “Enochian”. Instead, they contain references like “An- the University to keep it from gelical”, the “Celestial Speech”, the “Language of Angels”, and a joining their rival, the Clem- few others. The term “Enochian” was assigned to it because of entinum college in Prague. The Dee’s own assertion that Enoch had been the last previous hu- two universities did merge, man to know the language. however, in 1654, and fell under Jesuit control. It has been thought that perhaps Marci held some further animosity toward the Jesuits and created both the manuscript and Baresch’s let- ters, sending them to Kircher, in the hopes of discrediting him because he was a major figure among the Jesuits. This idea is not completely unprecedented. A similar trick had already been played on Kircher by orientalist Andreas Mueller who has once sent him an unintelligible manuscript, claiming it came from Egypt. Mueller wanted Kircher to trans- late it, and supposedly, Kircher provided him with a translation. It is also interesting to note letter and manuscript were sent that the only proof that Georg to Kircher. But there is no proof Translating Baresch even existed is the let- that Marci had any such resent- When Voynich submitted the ters from he and Marci. There ment or hostility toward the Je- manuscript to experts for trans- isn’t even a proofofownership of suits. He was a devout Catholic lations, many expert cryptolo- a house in Prague to Baresch, himselfand had studied to be- gists thought it would be simple although it is claimed he lived come a Jesuit, even being gran- decode. Indeed, it appeared to be there. Also, there is no more ted an honorary membership in written in some kind of valid known correspondences between their Order shortly before his language. The text has almost Kircher and Marci after the cover death. two-thousand glyphs, written

10 Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 The Voynich Manuscript - Cryptic Codex

Zipf's Laws

Zipf's law, named after the American linguist George Kingsley Zipf who first proposed it, is an empirical statistical concept used to describe some aspects of natural language. Basically, it states that the frequency of any word is inversely proportional to its rank in the frequency table. In simple terms, the most fre- quent word will occur approximately twice as often as the second most frequent word, three times as often as the third most frequent word, etc. The law seems to hold true for most languages.

Sample of the text with one or two strokes, but they only at the end. This is not progress has been made. In the are not all distinct, and an es- found in most European lan- late 20th century, Prescott Cur- timated thirty distinct glyphs guages however. Some of the rier made some very interesting could account for most of the words are more repetitious as statistical discoveries which he text. Groups of these glyphs, well, with a few appearing up to presented in New Research on separated by larger gaps than three times in a row. Even the Voynich Manuscript: Pro- those between each glyphs, give odder, some words that are only ceedings ofa Seminar in 1 978. the text flow. Put simply, the different by one letter repeat Among these, he showed that document clearly has letters and more often than normal. Despite the manuscript is actually com- words. Some ofthe words occur these apparent clues, the posed of two “languages”. He more frequently than others, manuscript has not been suc- called these simply A and B such as articles and conjunc- cessfully translated or even (sometimes referred to now as tions would. These words, ap- linked to any other known lan- Voynich A and Voynich B). Each proximately 35000, are of guage. page was written in one ofthese varying lengths and seem to fol- That doesn’t mean that no languages, and the pages of one low some phonetic or ortho- graphic laws, such as some letters must appear in each word, like vowels. Also, some let- ters never follow others and some may be doubled while oth- ers never are. These traits are all similar to most modern known languages and appear to follow Zipf’s laws of statistical frequen- cies in languages. There are even words that appear on most pages as well as some words that only appear in certain sec- tions, suggesting some kind of vocabulary specialization. In the herbal section, some words only appear only as the first word on the page, suggesting that is the name ofthe plant being de- scribed. However, there are a num- ber of orthographic oddities as well. Almost no words are more than ten letters. Similar to Arab- ic, some letters only ever occur at the beginning ofa word, some always in the middle, and some

Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 11 The Voynich Manuscript - Cryptic Codex

However, the names these two people have proposed for each plant do not match. A Finnish businessman, Viekko Latvala, claims that he has decoded the manuscript, saying it can only be translated by someone with a “direct line to God”. He also claims to be one such person. Latvala says the strange writing is actually “sonic waves and vocal syllables”, and while the manuscript contains descriptions of plants, astro- nomy and astrology, it also con- tains prophecies. The text, he says, is a mix ofSpanish, Itali- an, and other languages, used by the author because he had no language to write the direct word ofGod. This sounds a bit like Pages with odd drawings and text written correctly, sideways, and upside-down Kelley’s “language of the angels”. Latvala even provides a transla- were grouped together with other duced, for it would require more tion ofsome parts, but there is pages containing the same lan- people to be used in the decep- no evidence that these are valid. guage. This differed only in the tion. Another problem with the herbal section. He also stated hoax theory relates to Zipf’s There are many other theor- that the writing seems to have laws. It is doubtful that anyone ies surrounding the manuscript been made by more than one could have accidentally created regarding its origins, authorship, person, perhaps even anywhere a text that conformed to Zipf’s contents and translations. It between five and eight with dis- laws, which were not themselves doesn’t appear as though we will tinct handwritings being used. postulated until 1935. A con- ever know the truth behind it, He concluded that at least two structed language however however, and it is more than people had written it. would follow those laws. likely that it will remain another Another possibility is that of history’s mysterious oddities. the manuscript is written in an Today PT artificial, or constructed, lan- People around the globe contin- guage. Two prominent cryptolo- ue to attempt to decipher the gists who were studying it, W. mysterious Voynich Manuscript. Friedman and J. Tiltman, both Many theories and ideas are be- came to this idea independently. ing exchanged, and a few have Although these became popular even claimed to have cracked the Villa Mondragone in Frascati, near Rome, in the later part ofthe 20th cen- code. Edith Sherwood claims where the manuscript was kept until tury, there is only one known that the names ofthe plants are Voynich purchased it in 1912 constructed language before the Italian anagrams time of the Voynich manuscript, written in an and that was was the “Lingua Ig- elaborate script, nota”, created by Hildegarde of and has presen- Bingen in the 12th century. ted her transla- Still, many people believe tions for those. that the manuscript is a hoax, Dana Scott has created by one ofthe possible also come up with authors mentioned before for his own analysis their own reasons. If Currier is of the botanical correct about the idea of several images and listed people writing it, then the likeli- what he believes hood ofit being a hoax is re- the plants to be.

12 Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 Parleremo Ebook series presents Word search puzzles

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Puzzle books available in several languages, including French, Spanish, German and Italian. Benjamin Whorf RReellaattiivviittyy ooff LLaanngguuaaggee Benjamin Whorf was a man with many in- terests, including botany, astrology, ciphers, Mexican history, Mayan Archaeology, photo- graphy and linguistics. His studies of American Indian languages helped him develop a theory of "linguistic relatively" which was eventually combined with Edward Sapir's own work to form what is commonly known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. Benjamin Whorf - Relativity of Language

Whorftook a very unconventional ap- and, in 1928, he first presented a paper at proach to studying linguistics, both in the International Congress of Americanists the manner in which he started and which was his translation of a Nahuatl the views he took. His work extended document on display at the Peabody Mu- into several fields and he pursued seum of Harvard. From there, he began to everything with a fierce passion for in- study the comparative linguistics of the tellectual answers to the world. newly designated Uto-Aztecan language family, as described by linguist Edward His Life Sapir. Benjamin Lee Whorfwas born on April 24, Mesoamericanists (one who studies 1897, in Winthrop, Massachusetts, the the cultures and artifacts of Mesoamerica) eldest ofthree sons ofHarry and Sarah Alfred Tozzer, the Maya archaeologist at Lee Whorf. He graduated from Winthrop Harvard University, and Herbert J. High School in 1914 and then received a Spinden, of the Brooklyn Museum, were B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the impressed by Whorf’s work and encour- Massachusetts Institute of Technology in aged him to apply for a grant with the So- 1918. After college, Whorf joined the Hart- cial Science Research Council (SSRC) to ford Fire Insurance Company as a trainee fund his research. Whorf was planning to in fire prevention engineering. He settled use the money to travel to Mexico to ob- in Hartford and in 1920, he married Celia tain Aztec manuscripts for the Watkinson Inez Peckham. Together, they had three library, but Tozzer suggested instead that children: Raymond, Robert and Celia. he spend his time in Mexico documenting Whorfgot his interest in linguists in a modern Nahuatl dialects. rather unique way. Whorf was religious And so, in his application for the and while his family was Methodist, it is grant, Whorf proposed to establish the oli- not quite known what his personal beliefs gosynthetic nature of the Nahuatl lan- were. He seems to have been interested in guage. An oligosynthetic language is one Theosophy, a nonsectarian organization that uses very few morphemes, perhaps as which is based on Buddhist and Hindu a few as only a few hundred. These would teachings, promoting the view of the world combine synthetically to form statements. as an interconnected whole. Whorf also presented a paper titled Stem During the time, the conflict between series in Maya at the Linguistic Society of science and religion was a major issue America conference which professed that and Whorf thought that language might in the Mayan languages, syllables carry hold a key to resolving it. He became fas- symbolic content. Whorf was awarded the cinated by the seemingly powerful sig- grant by the SSRC and, in 1930, he nificance of the letters of the Hebrew traveled to Mexico City. Once there, Pro- alphabet. Around 1924, he started analyz- fessor Robert H Barlow connected him ing Biblical texts in an effort to find hid- with several speakers of Nahuatl. This trip den meanings. He started a semantic and produced a posthumously published out- grammatical analysis of Biblical Hebrew. line of Milpa Alta Nahuatl and an article He began to search in other languages on a series of Aztec pictograms. such as Mayan for special meanings in By the time Whorf returned from the glyphs and letters, and from there be- Mexico in 1930, he had become a well came interested in Native American lan- known figure in Middle American linguist- guages and learned about the effort to ics. He still worked as an inspector for the reconstruct the languages of the ancient Hartford Fire Insurance Company and Mayan and Aztec people. would do so for his entire life, for it Whorf began to study Biblical linguist- provided him with a steady income. ics at the Watkinson Library, now the However, he found himself still drawn into Hartford Public Library, which had an ex- the linguistics world and, in 1931 he en- tensive collection of materials regarding rolled in a program of graduate studies at Native American linguistics and folklore. Yale. He did so for his own interest, not as In 1925, he started studying the Nahuatl a means ofobtaining a degree. One ofhis language and in 1928 he began studying courses was American Indian Linguistics, the collections of Mayan hieroglyphic taught by Edward Sapir, and he was soon texts. His interests and skills grew rapidly part ofthe the circle ofSapir’s students

Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 15 Benjamin Whorf - Relativity of Language

that included many prominent ture, it works as a “guide to linguists ofthe time, such as ’social reality”’ and largely Mary Haas, Charles F. Voegelin, shapes an individual’s and a Morris Swadesh, Harry Hoijer culture’s perception of the world. and G. L. Trager. Trager and Since language can be subjected Whorf became close friends and, to a systematic analysis, it can at the urging of Sapir, published also be an essential tool for un- several articles together on the derstanding a culture, even its historical and descriptive lin- most elusive aspects. Chaco Culture National Historical Park guistics of Uto-Aztecan, continu- These ideas of Sapir worked showing remains of Indian dwellings ing Whorf’s work on that very well with Whorf’s own stud- subject. ies of languages and alphabets. New York. He also traveled to the Sapir was also a huge in- Whorf already understood the Hopi reservation in New Mexico fluence on Whorf’s view of lan- way a person’s perception of the and learned the language so well guages. While Whorf already had world was altered by the lan- that he compiled a Hopi-English come to embrace the view that guage they used. An anecdote of dictionary. He wrote several much of the such understanding was related dozen articles in the 1930s, world was inter- to Whorf’s own time working as many of which published as the connected, it was an inspector. In this, Whorfde- book Language, Thought, and his time with Sa- scribed a work area that stored Reality (1956) after his death. In pir that really full gasoline drums in one room his writings, he used examples guided that and the empty drums in another from a number of Native Amer- thought in lan- room. Workers would be very ican Languages, but the most guages. Sapir careful around the full drums, used for the basis ofhis ideas had also worked but not around the empty ones, was Hopi. with Native Edward Sapir even smoking in the same room The reason for the main fo- American Indian as the empty drums. This, Whorf cus on Hopi is that, according to languages, which he combined explained, was because of the la- Whorf, the Hopi Indians did not with his concepts of phonology bel “empty” which led incorrectly think in terms of past, present, and grammar. From those, Sapir to the idea that the drums were and future, which is the natural formulated that culture should inert and thus not dangerous. way of English and many other be viewed as part of individually However, the “empty” drums languages. They divided the learned patterns, both conscious were probably more dangerous world into what comprised of the and unconscious, and not as ex- because of the flammable vapors physical universe, which he ternal elements. If culture comes they still held. Because ofthe called the manifested, and the from learned rules of the society usage of the inaccurate word more abstract concepts of the instead of as fixed structure, and the beliefbehind it, the future, desires, power, intelli- and language plays a key role in workers chose the wrong way of gence, thought, and life force, thought and communications, dealing with the reality. which he referred to as mani- then culture and language are Sapir urged Whorf to study festing. This philosophy was distinctly tied together. The way the Hopi language as part ofthis bound up in the language itself, a person expresses themselves language studies. Whorf took with verbs exhibiting concepts shapes their culture, even if they lessons from Ernest Naquay- that would normally be repres- don’t realize this is happening. ouma, who was a speaker of ented by nouns in English. Furthermore, because of a lan- Hopi from Toreva village and Whorf was appointed “Hon- guage’s central place in a cul- currently living in Manhattan, orary Research Fellow in An-

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thropology” at Yale in 1936. He Hopi and Boasian anthropology. was also invited by Franz Boas, His work in linguistics was a who was a mentor ofSapir, to way to create an understanding serve on the committee ofthe of how language worked. Society of American Linguistics. However, he died at the age of Whorf was awarded the Sterling 44 in 1941 at his home in Weth- Fellowship by Yale in 1937 and ersfield, Connecticut, before he became the lecturer there on many ofhis theories could be Anthropology from 1937 to proven. They have, however, 1938. He replaced Sapir, who provided many future linguists had fallen ill. with help in their own studies. Whorf himself became ill Hopi woman dressing hair of unmarried girl with cancer in 1938. He was also Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis deeply affected by Sapir’s death After Whorf’s death, his close in 1939, and he wrote The Rela- friend Trager was appointed as “We dissect nature along tion ofHabitual Thought And Be- the curator for his unpublished lines laid down by our native havior to Language in 1 939, in manuscripts. While Whorf had language. The categories memory ofhim. This has become worked on many theories and and types that we isolate accredited as his most definitive areas of linguistics, his name is from the world of phenom- work on the subject. He contin- most commonly attached to the ena we do not find there be- Sapir-WhorfHypothesis. Whorf cause they stare every During the time, the had published his own observa- observer in the face; on the conflict between science tions on how linguistic differ- contrary, the world is and religion was a major ences have consequences in presented in a kaleidoscope human cognition and behavior, flux of impressions which issue and Whorfthought has to be organized by our that language might hold a separate from Sapir. Harry Hoijer actually created the term minds—and this means key to resolving it. “Sapir–Whorf hypothesis”, even largely by the linguistic sys- though Sapir and Whorf never tems ofour minds. We cut ued publishing his ideas on lin- put forth any such hypothesis or nature up, organize it into guistics in major scholarly even worked together to formu- concepts, and ascribe sig- journals and more popular late the ideas apart from the nificances as we do, largely journals, like the M.I.T.’s Tech- teacher-student relationship. because we are parties to an agreement to organize it in nology Review. Three essays in Whorf referred to this concept this way—an agreement that that publication [Science and himself as linguistic relativity. holds throughout our Linguistics (1 940), Linguistics as Trager and Hoijer published speech community and is an Exact Science (1 940), and many of the works and worked codified in the patterns of Languages and Logic (1 941 )] hard to popularize Whorf’s ideas our language. The agree- helped make his ideas more about linguistic relativity. It fo- ment is ofcourse, an impli- widely known. cused extensively on the way a cit and unstated one, but its He continued writing many person views and interprets the terms are absolutely obligat- essays and papers on a variety world based upon their language ory; we cannot talk at all ex- of topics, which appeared regu- structure and therefore, also cept by subscribing to the larly in the journal Main Current shaped the world according to organization and classifica- in Modern Thought. The topics their language. From his Science tion of data that the agree- included his research on the and Linguistics (1 940): ment decrees. We are thus

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introduced to a new prin- ciple of relativity, which subsequently became a standard */a/. This became known as holds that all observers are part of linguistic structuralism. “Whorf’s law”, although a more not led by the same physical Whorf viewed allophones as an- detailed understanding of way evidence to the same picture other example of linguistic re- this occurred has since been de- of the universe, unless their lativity because they describes veloped. linguistic backgrounds are how acoustically different similar, or can in some way sounds can be treated as reflec- Mayan be calibrated.” tions ofa single phoneme in a Remember that Whorf’s earliest language. Through this, the dif- experience with linguistics was Hopi ferent sounds might appear sim- his study of Hebrew and Mayan. Whorf’s work with the Hopi lan- ilar to native speakers ofa Whorf said that Mayan writing guage was an example of lin- language. Whorf described them was, to an extent, phonetic, but guistic relatively. It also became as “Objectively, acoustically, and the main authority on the An- the most discussed and criti- physiologically the allophones of cient Mayan culture, J.E.S cized example. While Whorf [a] phoneme may be extremely Thompson rejected this notion, claimed that the Hopi language unlike, hence the impossibility of claiming that Mayan writing used a different method of view- determining what is what. You lacked any kind of phonetic ing time, linguist Ekkehart always have to keep the observer component and thus couldn’t be Malotki tried to prove this incor- in the picture. What linguistic deciphered using linguistic ana- rect by giving numerous ex- pattern makes like is like, and lysis. Whorf argued back that it amples how the Hopi language what it makes unlike is unlike”. was the very refusal to approach refers to time. He stated that it that way was what was was while the the Hopi language sys- Uto-Aztecan languages holding back the work on deci- tem oftenses was composed ofa Sapir was the first to conclus- phering it. While Mayan writing future and non-future, manifest- ively show the Uto-Aztecan as a turned out to be logo-syllabic ing and manifested in Whorf’s valid language family and Whorf and was deciphered in the terminology, the only significant had worked extensively in the 1950s by Yuri Knorozov, it was difference between the Hopi sys- languages of it while in Mexico. Whorf’s idea of its phonetic tem the three-tense system of Among his published works were nature that helped Knorozov European languages was that Notes on the Tübatulabal lan- make the breakthrough. Hopi combined the past and guage, The Comparative Linguist- present into a single category. ics ofUto-Aztecan, and a review While Whorf never sought a Many viewed this analysis as of Kroeber’s survey of Uto- degree in linguistics, his studies proof that Whorf’s ideas and his Aztecan linguistics. His grammar and publications in several areas concept of linguistic relativity sketch of the Milpa Alta dialect of the field have contributed were false. However, others de- of Nahuatl, as was mentioned greatly to an understanding of fended Whorf, arguing that earlier, was not published until how language worked. He may Whorf wasn’t claiming that Hopi after his death. It was used as a have died before many ofhis lacked words or categories to de- basic description of modern theories could be published or scribe time, but that the Hopi Nahuatl, it is still considered to proven, but they have earned concept of time is altogether dif- be technically advanced. him a position among the most ferent from that of English Part ofhis legacy in the In prominent of linguists. PT speakers. Whorf had also de- Uto-Aztecan languages is the scribed a group ofstems which discovery of the reason that the Plaster cast of he called tensors which de- Nahuatl language has the phon- Seibal, Stela scribed aspects of temporality, eme , which is notfound in 10, a Mayan but did so without referring to the other languages of the fam- artifact from countable units of time. ily. It had puzzled other lin- Seibal, Guatemala guists, even Sapir. Whorf Allophones published a paper in the journal Whorf had also introduced the of American Anthropologists in concept of the allophone, which 1937 which claimed that the is a word that describes posi- phoneme was a result ofsome of tional phonetic variants of a the Nahuan or Aztecan lan- single superordinate phoneme. guages having undergone a This was also promoted by sound change from the original Trager and Bernard Bloch and /*t/ to in the position before

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PARTIAL LIST OF WORKS Writings on Linguistics Published Writings • Toltec History, 23rd International Congress ofAmericanists, Abstracts of Papers 1928 • Aztec Linguistics, 23rd International Congress ofAmericanists, Abstracts of Papers 1928 • An AztecAccount of the Period of the Toltec Decline, 23rd International Congress ofAmericanists, Proceedings 1928 • The Reign of Huemac, American Anthropologist 1929 • ACentral Mexican Inscription Combining Mexican and Maya Day Signs, American Anthropologist 1932 • The Phonetic Value of Certain Characters in Maya Writing. Millwood, N.Y. 1933 • "The Comparative Linguistics of Uto-Aztecan." American Anthropologist 1935 • Maya Writing and its Decipherment, Maya Research 1935 • "Review of: Uto-Aztecan Languages of Mexico. A. L. Kroeber" American Anthropologist 1935 • "The Punctual and Segmentative Aspects of Verbs in Hopi," Language 1936 • Notes on the Tubatulabal Language. American Anthropologist 1 936 • "The Origin ofAztec TL," American Anthropologist 1937 • "Some Verbal Categories of Hopi," Language 1938 • "Science and Linguistics," Technology Review 1940, 1966 • "Linguistics as an Exact Science," Technology Review 1940 • "Languages and Logic," Technology Review 1941 • "The Relation of Habitual Thought and Behavior to Language," Language, Culture, and Personality 1941 • "Decipherment of the Linguistic Portion of the Maya Hieroglyphs," The Smithsonian Report for 1941,1942 • Maya Hieroglyphs: An Extract from the Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution for 1941 • Language Mind and Reality." Theosophical Society 1942 • "The Hopi Language, Toreva Dialect," in Harry Hoijer, ed., Linguistic Structures of Native America 1946 • The Milpa Alta dialect ofAztec. Viking Fund Publications in Anthropology 1946 • "Four articles on Metalinguistics" Foreign Service Institute, Dept. ofState 1950

Unpublished Writings • ANew Conception ofSemitic Roots 1927 • The Inner Nature ofthe Hebrew Language 1928 • AContribution to the Study ofAztec Language 1928 • Investigations in Aztec Linguistics and Toltec History. 23rd International Congress ofAmericanists 1928 • Notes on the Oligosynthetic Comparison of Nahuatl and Piman, with Special Reference to Tepecano 1928 • Appendix to Notes on the Oligosynthetic Comparison of Nahuatl and Piman (Tepecano) 1928 • Plan of Project, submitted to the Social Science Research Council 1 928 • Translations from the Annals of Quauhtitlan 1928 • Translation ofAztec MS, Gates Coll. #758A/1 1929 • Conclusion of Report on Research Project, Social Science Research Council 1930 • Stem Series in Maya and Certain Maya Hieroglyphs, Linguistic Society ofAmerica 1930 • Notes on Two Recent Findings from Central Mexico 1930 • Pitch Tone and the Saltillo in Modern and Ancient Nahuatl 1930 • The Problem ofAmerican History Before Columbus, Connecticut Historical Society 1931 • The Structure of the Athabascan Languages 1932 • Characteristics of the Uto-Aztecan Stock 1932 • The Uto-Aztecan Stock 1932 • First Report on Hopi 1933 • Recent Determinations of Phonetic Characters in Maya Writing, Linguistic Society ofAmerica 1933 • The Phonology ofHopi 1934 • Hopi Phonemes 1934 • Hopi Text 1934-1935 • Educational Project: Study of Learning- Inhibitions and their Prevention and Treatment 1935 • First Steps in the Decipherment ofMaya Writing 1935 • Outline ofHopi Morphology 1935 • The Hopi Language 1935 • Hopi Verb Classes 1934 • The Hopi Language 1935 • A Comparative Decipherment of Forty-one Ancient Maya Written Words, American Anthropological Association 1936 • Notes for the Chemistry of Language and Thought, Hartford Technical Club 1936 • "Azteco-Tanoan" 1936 • Macro-Penutian 1936 • Response to circular letter on the status ofAmerican linguistics 1 937 • Classification of the Languages of North America North of Mexico 1937, 1939 • The Reading ofMaya Glyph C ofthe Supplementary Series and other Glyphs 1938 • Phonemes ofthe Toreva Dialect ofHopi 1939 • Some Experiments with Language, Wethersfield Rotary Club 1 939 • Descrifamiento de la Parte Linguistica de los Jeroglificos Mayas, Eighth American Scientific Congress 1940 • Maya Vocabulary from Motul Dictionary 1940 • Analysis and Translation of a Short Maya Text in Hieroglyphs, Linguistic Society ofAmerica 1940

Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 19 At the Cinema - Lost in Translation At the Cinema

Lost in Translation

rom the title itself, “Lost in as they are. When Charlotte’s hus- Translation” sounds like a great band John travels to another part of movie about languages. It does Japan for a few days, leaving Char- have a few languages in it, with the lotte alone again, she decides to go out story revolving around two Americans on the town with some Japanese in Japan. English and Japanese are friends and invites Bob to join them. obviously involved, but there are also The two find themselves bonding dur- brief flashes of German and French in ing their adventures in the Japanese a few scenes. nightlife and as they find themselves Languages are the not reason I am coming to life, the culture also be- reviewing this movie, however. The comes something they enjoy. story is about Bob Harris, played by The movie isn’t about Japanese Bill Murray, and Charlotte (Scarlett culture. It is not trying to make a Johansson). Bob is a movie star whose statement about it, negative or posit- career is fading and he is in Japan do- ive, nor does it try to explain it. I think Lost in Translation ing an advertising campaign for Sun- the movie would have worked ifit had R 1 01 min tory whisky. Charlotte is the new wife been set in any number offoreign Drama of a photographer who is doing photo countries, since it is acting as a meta- 3 October 2003 (USA) shoots in Japan and she finds herself phor for the characters own emotional left alone much ofthe time in the for- confusion. They are struggling to find Country: USA, Japan eign country. their place in their own lives as well as Language: English We see that both Bob and Char- in another country. Only when they lotte are having trouble sleeping and start to figure out their places through seem to be walking around in a daze, their friendship are they able to really not really being part ofthe world interact with the culture around them. around them. They are lost, unsure Having said that, the Japanese It is the backdrop about where they are in their lives and culture and society is very much on ofJapan and its what they should be doing: Bob is in a display in the film. When Bob first ar- loveless marriage of 25 years and rives, exhausted, in Tokyo, he is jarred culture that helps Charlotte, while recently graduated by everything from the polite business us see them go from college and only married a year, card exchanges to the automatic cur- from being lost to has no idea what she wants in life. tains opening in his hotel room. found as they are While they are lost in their own One very odd scene involves a able to adapt to it thoughts, the culture around them “Premium Fantasy Woman” who has provides them with no enjoyment. been sent to his room. She tries to as well. Eventually, both the characters carry out her job ofproviding Bob with start talking to each other, since they a role-play fantasy, shoving one of her share the same hotel and can see that stocking clad legs into his face and in- “ the other person seems to be as lost sisting that he “lip my stocking”.

20 Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 At the Cinema - Lost in Translation

where monks are chanting, then later she finds herself wandering into an ikebana event (the Ja- panese art of flower arrangement). She does finally become more comfortable, and is even seen tying a prayer to a tree (one ofthe customs). The story is about two people struggling to find themselves in their own lives and finding a bond between each other that helps them do that, although we don’t know how successful that truly is since we don’t see them when they are reunited with their spouses. It is the backdrop ofJapan and its culture that helps us see them go from be- ing lost to found as they are able to adapt to it as well. There is a funny bit of trivia regarding the title. When he finally understands that she means “rip” In South American Spanish, it was translated as and attempts to do so, she goes into some con- “Perdidos en Tokio”, the Chinese title was “Mi Shi fused mix of role-playing, finally lying on the floor Dong Jing”, and the Hebrew title in Israel was on her back, kicking her feet into the air, yelling. “Avudim be-Tokio”, all of which mean “Lost in When Bob tries to help her up, she latches onto Tokyo”, so the title itself was lost in translation, him and pulls him down, causing him to smash literally. These versions were at least closer than the lamp providing them light, plunging them into some others. In Portuguese, it became “Love is a darkness. We are never told what she was trying to Strange Place” and in Polish, it was “In Between achieve. Words”. The changing of“r” into “l” is done a few more The movie won a few awards, including an times in other dialogues before Bob finally under- Oscar for best Original Screenplay and received stands what is happening. Charlotte asks him why good reviews. It also received an R rating, although they do that, and he flippantly tells her, “For this only because ofa short scene in the movie yucks. Just to mix things up”. Probably not the that takes place in a strip club in which a woman linguistic explanation one would expect. is shown topless. I don’t know why they needed There is a scene early on that is a version of her topless, because otherwise, this movie would an old translator/interpreter joke. While Bob is do- have been rated PG-13. There is no violence, no ing a photo shoot, holding a glass ofthe whiskey sex besides that scene mentioned, and a minimum he is advertising, the photographer is speaking to ofswearing. There is a warning I would give, him loudly and forcefully in Japanese to give him however, for those who might be offended: the directions. A female translator then tells Bob that opening title shot is ofa woman in panties lying on he wants Bob to turn his head. The length ofwhat a bed. was said and what was translated obviously con- Lost in Translation is a very good movie for fuses Bob, and he tries asking about it, but the those that like soul-searching dramas, but it isn’t translator just ignores him. This happens a few for everyone. You might find it boring, or you more times, with the photographer obviously say- might find it very touching and emotional. I hope ing much more than is being repeated. It is a dir- you do give it chance, however: you might find ect representation of the title of the movie, something yourself. PT showing that something is lost in the translation. When Bob and Charlotte have their first night on the town, they get chased out ofa bar by a BB- gun wielding bartender, run through a few stores, take a taxi with their friends, and finally end up singing (badly) in a Karaoke bar. In another part of the movie, they are in a restaurant trying to order for what seems to be several identical dishes on the menu, only to be served with raw meat they must cook at their table themselves. Charlotte hurts her toe at another point and Bob takes her to the hospital, where, while neither ofthem speak Japanese, they are able to make themselves some- what understood. Less hectic aspects of Japanese life are also on display. We see Charlotte traveling to a shrine

Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 21 Languages in Peril - The Polish Connection

Languages in Peril

TThhee PPoolliisshh CCoonnnneeccttiioonn

The Slavonic branch of the and, like Polish, it includes loan- Poland, Kashubian began rising Indo-European languages words from both Low and High in status in Poland. In 2005, it have a number of well known German, as well the Baltic lan- was granted legal protection in languages, such as Polish and guages and Russian. However, Poland and became recognized Russian. However, there are a the several dialects of Kashubian as an official regional language few languages in that group are not highly mutually intelli- and is the only language in Po- that have struggled with being gible, such as a speaker of land to achieve this status. recognized as more than just southern Kashubian would have There are a number ofschools in dialects. Now, they even considerable difficulty in under- Poland, perhaps as many as 90, struggle for their own survival. standing a speaker of the north- that Kashubian is used in as a Three of those are Kashubian, ernmost dialects. teaching language. Books and Rusyn, and Silesian. Examples of printed magazines are also published in Kashubian literature go back to Kashubian, and there are some Kashubian the late 1500s. Many authors radio and TV programs in it. It is Kashubian, also known as Cas- wrote in Kashubian, and that lit- even an official alternative lan- subian, is a Lekhitic language, erature has been translated into guage for local administration which is a group ofthe Slavonic English, Czech, Finnish, Ger- purposes in Gmina Sierakowice family of languages. It is repor- man, Belarusian, Slovene and, and Gmina Parchowo in Pomer- ted to have roughly 200,000 ofcourse, Polish. A large body of anian Voivodeship. However, speakers total, with only 53,000 Christian literature has also this may not be enough to pre- speakers using it daily. Most of been translated into Kashubian, vent it from becoming extinct. the speakers use it as a second- including the New Testament. ary language to Polish and it is The current written form of the Rusyn considered to be a seriously en- language was developed from Rusyn, also called Ruthenian or dangered language. one introduced by Florian Ruthene, is an East Slavic lan- Kashubian gets it name from Ceynowa in his the the tribes which first spoke book Zarés do it, called the Kashubians. These grammatikj kaseb- tribes lived in the central Poland sko-slovjnskjé region called Pomerania, which mòvé (An Outline lies on the southern coast ofthe of the Grammar of Baltic Sea. Most current speak- the Kashubian- ers ofit live still in this region, Slovincian Lan- but there are also some guage), published Kashubian speakers living in in Poznań in 1879. Canada. The alphabet used For many years, Kashubian is based on the was viewed as a dialect ofPolish, Latin alphabet but during the 14th century, it with added dia- began to be seen as a distinct critics. language in itself. It is the After the end closest “living” relative to Polish of communism in Bilingual Polish-Kashubian road sign in Poland

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tury. guage spoken by the Rusyns of In Slovakia, Hungary and Central Europe. The Rusyns are the Serbian province of Vojvod- not part of just one country, ina, the dialect spoken is Panno- however, which makes tracking nian-Rusyn. However, in the number of speakers difficult. Hungary, the people and lan- They are one of the multiple eth- guage are called “Ruthene”. The nic groups of Slovakia, like the Polish call it “Lemko”. In north- Germans, Slovaks, Hungarians ern Romania, the people are called “Ruteni” and the language In Slovakia today, Rusyns is called “Ruteană”. It is similar are undergoing a revival to West Slavic languages, partic- in their culture and lan- ularly Slovak, but also has East guage. Slavic phonetics and vocabulary and it has been influenced by surrounding South Slavic lan- and Romanies (Gypsies), and guages, like Serbian and Croa- have never had their own coun- tian. There are also speakers of try. Their current homeland is Rusyn in the USA and Canada, Rusyn woman's costume from Presov spread over the a few countries, where it is called “Ruthenian”. mainly Ukraine, Slovakia, Hun- While this diversity in dia- ate ethnicity, despite the fact gary and Poland. lects and regions has made it di- that some Rusyn speakers con- In Ukraine, the Rusyns live fficult to get an accurate count, sider themselves ethnically dif- in the Transcarpathian Region. there are approximately 1.5 mil- ferent from Ukrainians. Many While it is often considered to be lion Rusyns in Europe today, Rusyns immigrated to America a dialect of Ukrainian in and approximately 120,000 of between 1880 and 1914. During Ukraine, the dialect spoken them are in Slovakia. There have the 1950s, the Rusyn nationality there is referred to as Carpatho- been attempts to standardise the in Czecho-Slovakia was declared Rusyn. It is composed ofa mix- variants of Rusyn, but they have to be Ukrainian, but the vast ture of some Eastern Slovak dia- been unsuccessful. Different or- majority of Rusyns refused to lects and East Slavic features, as thographies have been de- accept a Ukrainian identity and well as other languages such as veloped, most using variants of instead declared their nationality Russian Church Slavonic, Rus- the Cyrillic script. Meanwhile, a to be Slovak. Existing Rusyn sian and Old Ruthenian, be- number of different grammatical cultural institutions were cause the Rusyns there standards exist based on region- changed to Ukrainian, and the emigrated to Bačka from Eastern al dialects. use ofthe Rusyn language in all Slovakia and Western Ukraine Most Ukrainian scholars do official communications was during the mid-eighteenth cen- not recognize Rusyns as a separ- ended. As a result, most Rusyn villages had only a Slovak-lan- guage school and a Slovak iden- tity was adopted by most ofthe Rusyn population. The first scholars to recog- nize the existence ofRusyn as a separate language were from former Institute of Slavic and Balkan Studies in Moscow (now the Institute of Slavonic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sci- ences) in 1992. Serbia has also recognized Pannonian-Rusyn in Vojvodina as an official minority language, and since 1995, Ru- syn has also been recognized as a minority language in Slovakia. In Slovakia today, Rusyns are undergoing a revival in their Rusyn farmsted from the village of Lyuta, Beliko-Bereznyanski region culture and language. They have

Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 23 Languages in Peril - The Polish Connection

their own weekly newspaper, ternational linguists regard quela Silesiana and Tôwarzistwo magazine, radio programs, art Silesian as a separate language. Piastowaniô Ślónskij Môwy museum and dramatic theatre. Silesian itself has several “Danga”. Some elementary schools in dialects. In the Czech Republic, One ofthe outcomes ofthese towns and villages also now there are the Cieszyn Silesian, new agencies was the formation provide instructions to their stu- Opava Silesian, Jabłonków ofa new alphabet. Pro Loquela dents in the Rusyn language Silesian and Lach Silesian dia- Silesiana created the new alpha- along with Slovak. Rusyn is lis- lects. In Poland, there are bet to better cover the sounds of ted as a protected language by Niemodlin Silesian, Gliwice Silesian, since previous alpha- the European Charter for Re- bets, like the Polish one, were gional or Minority Languages in The Silesians living in unable to do so properly. Pub- Slovakia, Serbia, Croatia and Poland mostly view lishing of Silesian materials Romania. However, they must themselves as a separate began before that, though. In still struggle to overcome count- nation within Poland. 2003, the National Publishing less years of denationalization if Company of Silesia (Narodowa they are to survive as a people Oficyna Śląska) was started. It and language. Silesian, Kluczbork Silesian, was founded by the Alliance of Prudnik Silesian, Opole Silesian the People of the Silesian Nation Silesian and Sulkovian Silesian dialects. (Związek Ludności Narodowości Silesian (or Upper Silesian, as Only in the last decade has Śląskiej) and it prints books there is a “Lower Silesian” in Silesian really gained ground in about Silesia and in the Silesian Germany, which is now called being recognized as a language. language. “Silesian German”) is a West In July 2007, it was recognized It has also received greater Slavonic language, spoken in a by an ISO Joint Advisory Com- usage in other media. There are region called Upper Silesia mittee, Library of Congress, In- now TV and radio stations, mu- which is split between the north- ternational Information Centre sic groups, theatre perform- eastern region of the Czech Re- for Terminology and SIL Interna- ances, films and teaching public and southwestern Poland. tional, confirming its place in the teaching aids for Silesian. This is About 509,000 people declared areas of technology. A few very promising for the continued Silesian as their native language months later in September, the survival of this language. PT in the last official census in Po- Polish parliament made a state- land in 2011. In the combined ment about a new law to give censuses of Poland, Czech Re- Silesian the official status of a public and Slovakia, nearly 0.9 regional language. In 2008, two million people claimed Silesian organizations promoting Silesian nationality. language were created: Pro Lo- Group with Pro Loquela Silesiana banner Like its language sisters of Kashubian and Rusyn, Silesian has fought hard to be recognized as a language on its own. Some Polish linguists claim it is a dia- lect of Polish, although studies have shown that it could only be classified as a dialect ofOld Pol- ish, and not the modern version. Others claim it is a part ofthe Czech language. Polish people have some trouble understand- ing Silesian, but they are able to, which neither proves nor dis- proves its status as an inde- pendent language, since Polish speakers can also understand Czech and Slovak speakers. The Silesians living in Poland mostly view themselves as a separate nation within Poland. Some in-

24 Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 Word on the Streets

RRoommaanniiaann PPooeettss

TThhee ssttrreeeettss ooff PPaarrlleerreemmoo aarree nnaammeedd aafftteerr ffaammoouuss wwrriitteerrss ffoorr tthhee llaanngguuaaggee ooff eeaacchh qquuaarrtteerr..TThhiiss iiss wwhheerree wwee ttaakkee aa qquuiicckk llooookk aatt wwhhyy tthheeyy aarree ffaammoouuss.. Word on the Streets - Romanian Poets

Bulevardul Mihai Eminescu Mihai Eminescu 15 January1850 –15 June 1889

Mihai Eminescu is con- lish poems and worked on a novel Geniu pustiu sidered the greatest Romani- (Wasted Genius). an poet ofthe 19th century, and some would say he is the He went to Vienna at the age of19 in 1869 to best known Romanian poet of study and remained there until 1872. There he at- all time. He was a Romantic tended many lectures, especially on philosophy, poet, novelist and journalist and had a very active student life. He became a who introduced a new spirit contributor to Convorbiri literare (Literary Conver- into Romanian poetry. Draw- sations) and, in 1870, he wrote three articles (un- ing heavily on mystical and der the pseudonym “Varro”) in Federaţiunea, on historical subjects, his writings glorified the Ro- the situation of Romanians and other minorities in manian past while criticising the society of con- the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He later became a temporary Romania, both directly and through journalist for the newspaper Albina (The Bee). satire. But he was also a melancholy person, and From 1872 to 1874 he was a student in Berlin, much ofhis poetry has a feeling ofsadness and with the help ofa stipend offered by Junimea, the impending doom. Romanian literary society that edited Federaţiun- ea. Eminescu was born on January 15, 1850, al- though some records, including his own claims, Thanks to his friendship with Titu Maiorescu, the have the date as December 20th, 1849. He was leader of Junimea, Eminescu worked as the dir- born in Ipateshti, near Botoshani, in the north of ector of the Central Library in Iaşi, a substitute Moldavia. His surname was originally Emin, but teacher and editor of the newspaper Curierul de this was changed to Eminovici (his farther was Iaşi (The Courier ofIaşi) from 1874 to 1877. After Gheorghe Eminovici) and finally to the Romanian that, he moved to Bucharest where he worked as a Eminescu. The last change was chosen by publish- journalist and then editor-in-chief of the newspa- er Iosif Vulcan when he started publishing the per Timpul (The Time). He continued his own writ- boy’s work, for Vulcan disliked the Slavic suffix “- ings all through this, including Scrisorile and ici” ofthe young poet’s last name and wanted it to Luceafărul. be “more Romanian”. Eminescu fell seriously ill In June of1883 and He attended school in Czernowitz, spent some time entered the hospital ofDr. Şuţu. During his last the civil service, then returned to studying in years, he suffered from manic-depressive psychos- Transylvania in 1864. In January of1866, Ro- is, a hereditary disease of his family, and he finally manian teacher Aron Pumnul died and his stu- died in the hospital on June 15, 1889. He was dents published a pamphlet, Lăcrămioarele buried in Bucharest at Bellu Cemetery. învăţăceilor gimnaziaşti (Tears of the Gymnasium Students), in his memory. In this was published Eminescu’s presence is found extensively many pieces by the students, including the poem throughout modern Romania. Statues of him are La mormântul lui Aron Pumnul (At the Grave of everywhere and he even appeared on the 1000-lei Aron Pumnul) by then 16 year old Eminescu. This banknote issued in 1998 and is on the new 500-lei was the start of his poetry writing. banknote issued in 2005. There are many schools and institutions which are named after him, and While in Transylvania, he joined a theatrical com- the anniversaries ofboth his birth and death are pany where he worked at the various positions of celebrated each year in many Romanian cities. actor, prompter and stage manager for a few years. During this time, he continued to write and pub-

26 Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 Word on the Streets - Romanian Poets

Works by Mihai Eminescu

Bibliography • Lasa-ti lumea... [Come dear, set your world apart] Most Famous • Melancolie [Melancholy] • Lacul, 1876 [The Lake] • Mortua est [Mortua est] • Luceafărul, 1883 [The Vesper] • Nu ma intelegi [You never knew my soul] • Mai am un singur dor, 1883 [I Have Yet One Desire] • O, mama [O, mother...] • Odă (în metru antic), 1883 [Ode (in Ancient Meter] • Oricite stele... [How many a star burns...] • Şi dacă, 1883 [And if...] • Pajul Cupidon... [Cupid] • Doina, 1884 • Pe aceeasi ulicioara... [Beats the moon upon my • Dorinţa, 1884 [Desire] window ] • Epigonii, 1884 [Epigones] • Pe linga plopii fara sot... [Down where the lonely • Floare albastră, 1884 [Blue Flower] poplars grow] • O, rămii, 1884 [Oh, Linger On] • Peste virfuri [O'er the woods] • Sara pe deal, 1885 [Evening on the Hill] • Povestea codrului [The tale of the forest] • La Steaua,1886 [At Star] • Revedere [Return] • Scrisori [Letters or "Epistles-Satires"] • Rugaciunea unui dac [A Dacian's prayer] • Sărmanul Dionis [Wretched Dionis] • S-a dus amorul [Fair love, our mutual friend] • Adio [Farewell] • Scrisoarea I [Satire I] • Atit de frageda [So delicate] • Scrisoarea II [Satire II] • Calin (file din poveste) [Calin (pages from a tale)] • Scrisoarea III [Satire III] • Ce e amorul? [What is love...] • Scrisoarea IV [Satire IV] • Ce te legeni codrule [Why do you wail, o forest trees] • Se bate miezul noptii [The brazen bells of midnight...] • Cezara (Caesara) • Singuratate [Solitude] • Cind amintirile [When memory] • Somnoroase pasarele [Drowsy birds] • Craiasa din povesti [Legendary queen] • Sonet I [Sonnet I] • Criticilor mei [To the critics] • Sonet II [Sonnet II] • Cu maine zilele-ti adaogi... [With life's tomorrow time • Sonet III [Sonnet III] you grasp] • Sonet IV [Sonnet IV] • Dalila (Scrisoarea V) [Delilah (satire v)] • Sonet V [Sonnet V] • De ce nu-mi vii? [Why don't you come?] • Sonet VI [Sonnet VI] • De cite ori, iubito [How many a time, beloved] • Stelele-n cer [High o'er the main] • De-or trece anii [Although the world] • Strigoii [Ghosts] • Departe sunt de tine [Now far i am from you] • Te duci [You go] • Despartire [Separation] • Venere si Madona [Venus and Madonna] • Diana [Diana] • Din valurile vremii [The waves of time] • Dintre sute de catarge [Of all the ships] • Dupa ce atita vreme [So long, dear one, since you departed] • Egipetul [Egypt] • Făt-Frumos din lacrimă [The Tear Drop Prince] • Freamat de codru [The murmur of the forest] • Geniu pustiu [Empty Genius] • Glosa [Gloss] • Imparat si proletar [Emperor and proletarian] • Inger de paza [Guardian angel] • Inger si demon [Angel and demon] • Kamadeva [Kamadeva] • La mijloc de codru [Midst the dense old forest stout]

Online Some of Eminescu's works online: http://www.romanianvoice.com/poezii/poeti/eminescu.php

Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 27 Word on the Streets - Romanian Poets

Strada Vasile Alecsandri Vasile Alecsandri 21 July1821 –22August1890

Vasile Alecsandri was one of wrote his poem-manifesto Desteptarea Romaniei the leading Romanian poets, (Romania’s Awakening), urging the public to join playwrights, political and dip- in the cause. Despite all this, the revolution failed, lomatic figures of the 19th cen- and Alecsandri fled to Transylvania to avoid arrest. tury. His works inspired and influenced other Romanian He continued writing his politically charged poetry writers during his time and and became even more ofa unionist, pushing for long after his death. He collected Romanian folk- the union of Moldavia and Wallachia. A few songs and poetry and his own poetry and heroic months later, he moved to the Hurmuzakis in Cer- dramas were highly successful. nauti and became the secretary of the Moldovan revolutionary committee. From that position, he Alecsandri was born in the Moldavian town of issued the “Proclamation of the National Party of Bacău and was one ofthree surviving children out Moldova to All Romanians,”. In September, the re- of seven. He was educated privately at the Victor volutionaries sent him to Paris to be both diplomat Cuenim “pensionnat”, an elite boarding school for and propagandist, informing Europe of the Ro- boys in Iaşi, until the age of13, when he was sent manian national cause. He was also sent to Con- to Paris. There he studied law, literature and stantinople, Hungary and Transylvania to promote medicine. But his only true love was for literature, the ideas, and settled in Paris. and he wrote his first essays in 1838 in French. When the liberal unionist Prince Grigore Ghica re- In 1839, Alecsandri returned to Iaşi and started placed Prince Mihail Sturdza in 1849, he invited working in the Treasury of Moldova. During this Alecsandri back to Moldova and made him State time, he published and promoted, along with sev- Archivist. Among his nationalist and unionist eral other young intellectuals, the idea of rebellion activities, Alecsandri published the journal Ro- against the administration imposed by Imperial mania Literara in 1 855, his Hora Unirii in 1 856, Russian authorities upon Moldova. While working and he eventually became one ofhis key advisers with the underground, he frequently visited the to newly elected Alexandru Ioan Cuza in 1859. Costache Negri estate, which was a center for Muntenian and Moldovan reformers. During this time, Alecsandri also found love again with Paulina Lucasievici, the daughter of an It was there that he fell in love with the 21-year old innkeeper. They moved in together at Alecsandri’s and recently divorced Elena Negri, sister of Cost- estate at Mirceşti and their daughter Maria was ache. Elena returned his affections and Alecsandri born in 1857. When the two Romanian provinces began writing love poems to her. A sudden illness were finally united, he was appointed minister of forced Elena to head abroad to Venice, however, External Affairs and toured the West, pleading for and Alecsandri met her there. They became lovers acknowledgement of the newly formed nation and and traveled around to Austria, Germany and support its emergence. However, after a few years France before Elena’s chest illness became more the touring tired him and in 1860 he settled in aggravated, forcing them to return home in 1847. Mirceşti. He married Paulina in 1876. Before they arrived, Elena died on the ship in Alec- sandri’s arms. Alecsandri was devastated, but In the years between 1862 and 1875, Alecsandri channeled his mourning into a poem, Steluţa was prolific and wrote 40 lyrical poems. He also (Little Star). He also later dedicated his Lăcrimioare tried writing epic poems and published them as a (Little Tears) collection of poems to her. collection “Legende”. He even dedicated a series of poems to the soldiers who had participated in the The political situation in Moldova continued to es- Romanian War of Independence. He received the calate and 1848, Prince Mihail Sturdza invited award of the Romanian Academy for his drama some of the young idealists, including Alecsandri, Despot-Vodă in 1879 and in 1881 he wrote to a meeting to present their complaints. In re- Trăiască Regele (Long Live the King), which be- sponse, Alecsandri co-wrote a manifesto, Dorinţele came the national anthem of the Kingdom of Ro- partidei naţionale din Moldova (Wishes ofthe Na- mania. Alecsandri finally died in 1890 at his estate tional Party of Moldavia), for the revolutionaries, in Mirceşti after a long battle with cancer. promoting the ideas ofunion and liberty. He also

28 Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 Word on the Streets - Romanian Poets

Partial list of works by Vasile Alecsandri

Doine (1842-1852) • Malul Siretului • Doina • Varia [Various] • Strunga • Soarele, vântul şi gerul • Andrii-Popa • Imn lui Ştefan cel Mare • Baba Cloanţa • Ştefan Vodă şi codru • Hora • Ştefan şi Dunărea • Groza • Cinel-cinel Legende [Legends] • Dorul româncei • Cuza Vodă • Cântec ostăşesc • Dan, căpitan de plai • Legenda rândunicăi Lăcrimioare [Tears] • Legenda ciocârliei • Steluţa • Legenda lăcrimioarei • Gondoleta • Pe mare Ostaşii noştri [Our soldiers] • Adio • Peneş Curcanul • Lăcrimioare • Sergentul • Oda ostaşilor români Suvenire [Souvenirs] • Hora de la Plevna • Pe un album • Adio Moldovei Din periodice [Of the period] • 15 mai 1848 Mărgăritarele (1852-1862) [Pearls] • Ţara • Hora unirii • Deşteptarea României Postume [Posthumously] • Sentinela română • Fluierul • Muntele de foc • Romanţa de toamnă • Înşiră te, mărgărite • Stelele

Pasteluri (1862-187...) [Pastels] • Miezul iernii • Gerul • Bradul • Sania • La gura sobei • Noaptea • Dimineaţa • Fântâna

Online Some of Alecsandri's works online: http://www.romanianvoice.com/poezii/poeti/alecsandri.php

Coming in April • Find and decipher the Phaistos Disc • Meet the Danish linguist and creator of Novial, Otto Jespersen • Party with Brazil during Carnival • Learn about major Kannada writers

Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 29 The Parleremo 2013 Calendar is now available online! This beautiful calendar is full ofimages from countries around the world along with descriptions oftheir languages.

The countries include Malta, Finland, India, Latvia, Lao and the languages include Amharic, Xhosa, Kannada, Pashto and Panjabi.

Available in both PDF format and individual images suitable for your computer desktop wallpaper!

Don't spend another day without it!

http://www.parleremo.org/deskcalendar Where Are You? Where Are You?

This capital city dates back to pre-Roman times, and legend has it that Ulysses founded it. In those years, it was a constant battleground between three rivals: the Phoenicians, the Greeks and the Carthaginians. When the Romans began a two-century reign over it, it became the most important city in the western Iberian region.

Centuries later, the Moors took over the city, fortified it, and held out against Christian attacks for almost 400 years. Finally, however, the Christians recaptured it, and made it the capital of its home country. It rapidly developed a booming maritime and inland trade.

A famous navigator later decided to break Islam's economic power by finding a way around that region by sea, and with the help of the best sailors, map makers, ship builders and astronomers he could find, he did find a way. In 1434, one of his ships sailed beyond the greatly feared Cape Bojador on the West African coast, ending the maritime superstition that it was the end of the world. This route, along with Vasco da Gama's own expedition in 1497 which opened a sea route to India, quickly made this city into the seat of a vast empire.

However, these years as a prosperous trading center would not last long. Even with the huge amount of wealth it was amassing, the cost of maintaining its empire was far too great, and it collapsed under its own power. A few centuries later, it was dealt a crippling blow when a massive earthquake reduced the city to rubble. It was never able to recover its power after that.

Napoleon's occupation of the city started a long succession of power struggles over the region. A coup in the early 20th century brought almost four decades of authoritarian rule under a one-time finance minister. During this regime, political parties were banned and censorship, propaganda, and brute force maintained order in the country.

Finally, another revolution brought the country into the path of democracy, which it followed faithfully. It finally joined the European Union, and that inclusion helped restore a strong economy to the country. Today, this city is a thriving city with a rich cultural mix of immigrants. It continues to draw international attention as a host city for world expos and has even played host to the continent's biggest football tournament. Ulysses would be proud.

Can you name this city and country?

Last month's answer: Alesund, Norway

ParrotTime | Issue#3 | May/June2013 31 Head to Mexico for your next vacation and experience all the magic, color and warmth ofthis unique country! We have a grand mix ofthe old and new, from ancient pyramids to soaring skyscrapers. Experience the vibrant pulse ofthe modern city as well as the mystery and beauty of the old world. MMeexxiiccoo Mexico will constantly surprise you with new experiences, adventures, sights and sounds. Visit Mexico today and fall in love for a lifetime! Holi Bonfire in front of Jagdish Temple in Udaipur. The burning is done to clense away evil and celebrate the triumph of good over evil with the burning of the evil demoness, Holika. Celebrations - Holi

Celebrations Holi

very spring, most parts of India have a celeb- bonfires are lit on the eve ofthe festival, which is ration to mark the end ofwinter called Holi called Holika Dahan (burning of Holika). (pronounced the same as English “holy”). It Another legend associated with Holi is the normally lasts two days and while it is celeb- story ofDhundhi. She was an evil ogress who used rated slightly differently, according to region, the to trouble the children ofthe kingdom ofPrithu. main festival involves lighting bonfires, eating rich She had a boon on her that made her almost in- food, and coating other people in coloured powder vincible. However, she was also cursed by Lord and liquids. During this time, the normal societal Shiva, making her vulnerable to shouts and strictness is relaxed, allowing people of all age, pranks by children, which eventually allowed the gender, status and caste to come together in a children she tormented to drive her away. For this time of excitement and fun. This year, Holi will reason, children play pranks during the time of start on Wednesday, the 27th ofMarch and will Holika Dahan. continue for 2 days until Thursday, the 28th. A third legend is one oflove. Young Lord Krishna, who was dark ofskin, was confused by Legends how fair skinned his beloved Radha was, so his The celebration is attributed mainly to a legend mother, Yashoda, told him to apply colour to her about a king of demons named Hiranyakashipu. face. The mischievous young Krishna did just that, The Demon King had been granted a boon (favor or throwing coloured powder on her as well as others. blessing) by Brahma, making him almost im- This became a tradition among the young which possible to kill. With this power, he became arrog- eventually spread to everyone. This aspect of the ant, attacking both the Heavens and the Earth, celebration gives Holi the name Festival ofColours. demanding that people stop worshipping the Gods and praise only him instead. However, his own son, Prahlad, disobeyed him, and continued his devotion and prayers to Lord Vishnu. This infuriated Hiranyakashipu, so he tried many times to kill his son for his in- solence. Each attempt was foiled by Lord Vishnu. Finally, the Demon King turned to his Demoness sister, Holika. She had also been granted a boon which made it impossible for her to be burned by fire. Hiranyakashipu ordered Prahlad to sit on the lap ofHolika while she sat on a burning pyre. Prahlad obeyed his father, but also prayed to Lord Vishnu to protect him from the fire. When the pyre was lit, it was Holika that burned instead, while Prahlad was unharmed. The boon only worked when Holika entered fire on her own. This miracle of Prahlad surviving while Holika burned is celeb- rated as Holi, being seen as a triumph ofgood over evil as well as devotion to god. Specifically, A rajah and his wife celebrating holi

Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 35 Celebrations - Holi

pot of buttermilk high above the street. Young boys form hu- man pyramids in at- tempts to reach and break it while girls try to stop them by throwing coloured water at them. The young boy that man- Holi party in Delhi, with crowd and a tree decorated in coloured fabrics. ages to break the pot is crowned the “Holi King”. In some places, the women of the family will beat their brother-in-laws with their rolled up saris in mock anger while the brother-in-laws try to drench them with coloured water. In the evening, the brother-in-laws will Historical References bring them various treats. Some of the oldest depictions of Holi celebrations The region ofUttar Pradesh has a number of go back to the 16th century. A panel from that variants. In Barsana, they have the “Lath mar time in a temple in Hampi has a scene showing a Holi” (“that Holi in which people hit with sticks”) prince and princess among maids who have large before the regular Holi. For this, women chase pichkaris (water pumps) full ofwater to soak the away men and beat them with sticks while others royal couple. A Mewar painting from around 1755 watch, singing songs. depicts the Maharana giving gifts to some people Kanpur extends Holi to seven days and is fol- while a dance is happening. In the center ofthe lowed by a large fair called “Ganga Mela” to celeb- scene is a tank full ofcoloured water. rate the freeing of Kanpur from British rule after the First Indian War ofIndependence in 1857. People from all castes, creeds, religion and societ- Celebration ies join in. The Ganga Mela, which takes place a The way Holi is celebrated, as well as the dur- few days after Holi, marks an end to it with the ation, varies by region all over India. A primary washing in the river. On the eve ofGanga Mela, all part ofit is the lighting ofbonfires the night before government offices and shops remain closed so the festival, which is always on a full moon, on major business groups and politicians gather many street corners. This is often called Holi along the Ghats (steps that lead down to the water) Paurnima (“Holi Full Moon”) and is done as a cel- ofthe River Ganga banks. The next few days are ebration ofthe burning ofHolika as well as a full of remembrance and worship along with vari- means ofcleansing the air ofevil spirits. The next ous fun contests and selling oftoys and other day, all shops and offices are closed. Everyone items at fair stalls. comes out oftheir homes and into the streets, The Kumaon region of Uttarakhand has a very dressed in white. During this time is the wild cel- unique form ofHoli. Much ofthe celebration in- ebration as people run around throwing coloured volves a great deal ofsinging songs based on clas- powder and squirting coloured water at each oth- sical ragas (melodic modes used in Indian er. Water balloons filled with coloured water may classical music). The singers usually wear tradi- also be used. Some people form groups called tolis tional white churidar pyjama and kurta while dan- and move around more slowly, spreading colours and greeting others. There is also singing and dan- cing among the activities and eating of many sweet foods. This goes on for a few hours before everyone finally goes to the river or baths to wash them- selves before relaxing for the afternoon. In most areas, Holi lasts about two days. Many regions bring in their own ways of celebrating, extending the holiday, and even giving it oth- er names. In Gujurat, for example another Bonfire on Holi Dahan tradition is to hang a Braj Lath mar Holi in Barasana, India.

36 Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 Celebrations - Holi

Holi Preparations The coloured powder of Holi is called called gulal. In the days before Holi, merchants put out many bowls ofgulal and abeer (or aabir - small crystals that are added to the gulal to make it sparkle) in many bright colours in preparation for the celebration. These powders will also be mixed with water which can be sprayed on people using hand pumps called pichkaris or used to fill water balloons which will be thrown. In medieval times, these powders were made by drying tesu flowers, which were bright red or deep orange coloured, then grinding them to dust. Today, the colour added to the powder is chemical based.

The pichkaris, which have been used since the sixteenth century, constantly come out in new styles to attract children, and many of them even become collectibles. Traditional ones looked like large syringes, but now they can be almost anything, from modern squirt guns to toy figures and come in all different sizes.

Women also spend much of the time before the festival preparing various traditional foods, like gujiya (a sweet dumpling made with wheat flour and stuffed with khoya, a thick milk food), mathri (a kind offlaky biscuits) , papri (crisp fried dough wafers), papads (thin, crisp crackers) and pakoras (fried snacks, like fritters). These are consumed along with large amounts of the intoxicating bhang, which is a preparation from the leaves and flowers cannabis plant, and thandai (a cold drink pre- pared with a mixture of almonds, fennel seeds, magaztari seeds).

Mathri Papads Papri cing in groups. Krishna legend, Holi in Maharashtra is mainly as- In Bengal and Orissa, Holi is called Dol Purn- sociated with the burning of Holika. There, Holi ima (“Swing Festival”) and is dedicated more to Paurnima is also called as Shimga. A week before Lord Krishna and Radha. On the Dol Purnima day the festival, chil- in the early morning, the students dress up in the dren go around early morning in saffron-coloured or pure white the community, clothes, wearing garlands of flowers, and sing and collecting fire- dance to the accompaniment of traditional musical wood and money. instruments like the ektara and veena. Icons of The firewood is Krishna and Radha are places on a richly decor- arranged in a ated swinging palanquin and taken round the large pile at on main streets ofthe city. Women dance around the the day ofHoli swing and sing devotional songs while men keep and is lit that spraying them with coloured water and powder. In evening. Each Orissa, however, icons of Jagannath, the deity of household then the Jagannath Temple of Puri, replace the icons of makes an offering Krishna and Radha. of a meal and While Dol Purnima focuses more on the dessert to the fire Man playing an Ektara

Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 37 Celebrations - Holi god. Shimga is about the elimin- ing traditional white and yellow hibitions are dropped and a ation ofall evil. Unlike the Holi turbans. spirit ofjoy and love is spread festivals of the north, the colour throughout the community. The celebrations here normally take No matter what it’s called or Festival ofcolour is truly a won- place on the day of Rangapan- how it’s celebrated, Holi is derful tradition for the entire chami, which is five days after mainly a celebration of renewal. country. PT Holi. The festival is supposed to It is the time to start the new help people forget about rivalries year, drive away bad feelings, and to start new, healthy rela- and to celebrate with everyone tions with others. around you. Formalities and in- In Manipur, Holi is celeb- rated for six days and is merged Vocabulary with the centuries-old festival of Yaosang. The festival starts with Holika Dahan - Burning ofHoli the burning ofa thatched hut of Holi Paurnima - Holi Full Moon hay and twigs while young chil- pichkaris - hand-pumps dren go around to the houses nakadeng - collected money collecting money, known as na- ghats - steps that lead down to the water kadeng (or nakatheng), as gifts tolis - group of people that travel around together on the first two days. At night, ragas - melodic modes used in Indian classical music youths perform a group folk gulal - coloured powder dance, the Thabal Chongba, on abeer - small crystals added to gulal to make it sparkle the full moon night along with churidar pyjamas - tightly fitting trousers worn by both men & women folk songs and rhythmic beats. kurta - a loose shirt falling to the knees ofthe wearer Similar performances are done ektara - one-string instrument often used in traditional music in the Krishna temples, in which veena - a generic name for a string instrument devotees sing devotional songs and perform dances while wear-

Other scenes of Holi: Shop selling colours for Holi, Old Delhi; Women preparing the Holika Dahan bonfire at Thapathali, Kathmandu. Nepal; Holi celebrations, Pushkar, Rajasthan; Girl in Holi colours.

38 Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 Special Feature

AA LLaanngguuaaggee DDrreeaamm

ast night I had a sort ofa language dream, and he was trying to speak fast, unintelligible on that is, a dream involved with language- purpose, just to confuse me. As he realized I learning or with speaking foreign languages. wasn’t replying very enthusiastically, he switched Dreaming in a foreign language is not uncommon to Portuguese, and he advised me to try out the among language enthusiasts, the so-called “lan- courses for more commonly learned languages, as guage freaks”, but this one seemed quite authentic they could also help me at that stage. and realistic. I went back to the school and asked the reception- At this dream I was sitting on a counter with my ist what she could offer me. She reminded me that sister, in front ofa commercial building. It was I had already done a few placement tests. My Eng- Saturday, early in the morning. I would have an lish should be about C1, but she was unsure as appointment at the eye doctor that day and I for which class should I take. would also visit a language school. It turned out that my appointment had been cancelled, so she ’I don’t think I will take any present English and I decided to wander a bit downtown then re- courses anytime soon’, I replied. turn. ’Then you should check our French courses. Here When I came back to the building, I entered the are the results of the placement tests’. building and went to the language school, located at the second (actually middle) floor. The recep- I looked at the results sheet and I saw that most of tionist greeted me and I told her I was looking for the people were assigned to one oftwo textbooks. I some language courses or materials: can’t recall their names.

’I’m aware you’re into less commercial languages ’You see, those people will get either our upper-be- such as Georgian, Aramaic, Papiamentu and Esto- ginner or intermediary textbooks and classes. You, nian, and I’m afraid I won’t have much to offer on the other hand, were assigned to a more ad- you, right?’ vanced French book, the Cambriopolitain. I’m afraid I can’t give you a prediction ofhow long it ’Yep. I can see nothing new on the shelves, any- will take till a class with a minimal number of stu- way. Besides, what you have is quite expensive.’ dents is formed’. (At that time I took a glance at some packs ofwhat looked like those famous language courses with I turned back, not surprised or disappointed with tapes. One ofthem seemed to cost around 1,500 the standard response a self-learner gets after a US$). placement test. What kept boggling my mind was the name of that textbook: “Cambriopolitain”. I turned around and stepped into what seemed to What on Earth would such textbook be about? The be an inner courtyard with a balcony to the left, French language as spoken in the bigger cities of from which I could see the central span ofthat France during the Cambrian geological period? building. A group of students and their teacher Now that is what one would call an archaizing lan- were sitting around a large bench that surrounded guage course. the courtyard. The teacher started talking to me in English about my progress, learning strategies and I woke up. I made sure to google for “Cambriopoli- so on. He was speaking so fast that I could barely tain”, “Cambropolitain”, “Cambrolitain” and al- understand anything. I knew that he was Brazilian ternate forms. No results until now. PT

Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 39 Revisited - Words From National Character

RReevviissiitteedd Words From National Character

[Editor’s note: This article is a conquered; but for a long time most barbaric of the German reprint from “Stories That the Franks were the only people tribes which overran the Roman Words Tell Us” By Elizabeth who were altogether free. From Empire from the third to the fifth O’Neill. It was published in this fact the word frank came in- century. They showed no respect 1918, but still gives a good to use, meaning “free.” A “frank” for the beautiful buildings and look at how we have dertived person is one who speaks out the great works of art which some words in English from freely and without restraint. were spread over the empire. The name Frank has given They robbed and burned like national characters.] us a word with a very pleasant savages, and in a few years des- meaning, but this was not the troyed many of the beautiful here is one group ofmeta- case with all the Teutonic tribes things which had been made phorical words which is which broke in upon the Roman with so much care and skill by specially interesting for Empire. A person who is very the Greek and Roman artists. So the stories of the past uncivilized in his manners is deep an impression did their de- which they tell us ifwe examine sometimes called a “Goth.” The structiveness make on the world into their meaning. Many names word is often especially used to of that time that their names of ancient tribes and nations, describe a person who does not have been handed down through and some names of modern appreciate pictures and books sixteen centuries, and are used peoples, have come to be used and works of art. Sometimes ar- to-day in the unpleasant sense as general words; but the new chitects will pull meanings they have now tell us down beautiful what other peoples have thought old buildings to of the nations bearing these make place for names in history. new, and the One ofthe best things that people who ap- can be said about a boy or a girl preciate beauti- is that he or she is “frank,” by ful things which we mean open and describe them as straightforward. The Franks “Goths.” More were, of course, the Teutonic often, perhaps, tribe which conquered Gaul (the the word Vandal country we now call France) in is used to de- the sixth century. Unlike the scribe such English when they conquered people. The the Britons, the Franks mixed Goths and Van- with the Gauls and the Roman dals were two of population which they the fiercest and Statue of barbarian king imprisoned. Notice the thick beard

40 Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 Revisted - Words From National Character

of wilful destroyers of beautiful partly fought for the freedom of things. the small Slav nations, of which The words barbarian and Serbia is one. The Slavs have a barbarous are used in the same long history of oppression and way. We describe a child who be- tyranny behind them. They have haves in a rough way as “a little been subject to stronger nations, barbarian,” or a grown-up per- such as the Turks, and, in Hun- son without ordinary good man- gary, the Magyars. The first ners as “a mere barbarian.” And “slaves” in mediæval Europe be- the word barbarous has an even longed to this race, and the word worse meaning. It is used to de- “slave” is only another form of scribe very coarse, uncivilized Slav. The word gives us an idea behaviour; but most often it has of the impression which the mis- also the sense ofcruelty as well fortunes ofthe Slavs made on as coarseness. Thus we speak of the people ofthe Middle Ages. the barbarous behaviour of the The words Turk and Tartar Germans in Belgium. But when have almost the opposite mean- the word barbarous was first ing to slave when they are used used it meant merely “foreign.” in a general sense. We call an To the Greeks there were unmanageable baby a “young only two classes of Turk,” and in this expression we people—Greeks, and non-Greeks have the idea ofall the trouble or “barbarians.” The name bar- the Turks have given the people barian meant a bearded man, of Europe since they swarmed in Depiction of a Turk in the 16th century and came from the Greek word from the East in the twelfth cen- barbaros. The Greeks were tury. The word Turk in this It is chiefly Eastern peoples clean-shaven, and distinguished sense is now generally used whose names have passed into themselves from the “bearded” amusingly to describe a trouble- common words meaning fierce peoples who knew nothing of some child; but a grown-up per- and cruel people. Our fairy tales Greek civilization. The Romans son with a very quick temper or are full oftales of“ogres.” It is conquered Greece, and learned very difficult to get on with is of- not quite certain, but it is prob- much from its civilization. To ten described also, chiefly in able that this word comes from them all who were not Greeks or fun, as a “Tartar.” Tartar is the Hungarian. The chiefpeople of Romans were “barbarians.” Hungary are the Magyars; but Some Roman writers, like But the original assassins the first person who used the Cicero, use the word in the mod- were an Eastern people name Hungarian in the sense of ern sense ofunmannerly or even who believed that the “ogre” probably did not know savage, but this was not a com- this, but thought ofthem as mon use. St. Paul was a Roman murder of people of a reli- Huns, or perhaps Tartars, and citizen, for he belonged to gion other than their own therefore as very fierce, cruel Tarsus, a city in Asia Minor was pleasing to their God. people. The first person who is which had been given full Ro- known to have used it is Per- man rights; but he was a Greek rault, a French writer of fairy by birth, and he uses the word name ofthe race ofpeople to tales in the seventeenth century. in the Greek way. He speaks of which the Turks, Cossacks, and The Great War has given us all men being equal according to several other peoples belong. another of these national names the Christian religion, saying, The name by which they called used in a new way. Many people “There is neither Greek nor ... themselves was Tatar; but referred to the Germans all barbarian, bond nor free.” Europeans changed it to Tartar, through the war as the “Huns.” The word slave, again, con- from the Latin word Tartarus, The Huns were half-savage tains in itself whole chapters of which means “hell.” This gives people, who in the early Middle European history. It comes from us some idea ofthe impression Ages moved about in great the word Slav. The Slavs are the these fierce people made on hordes over Europe killing and race ofpeople to which the Rus- mediæval Europe—an impres- burning. They were at last sians, Poles, and many other na- sion which is kept in memory by conquered in East and West, tions in the East ofEurope the present humorous use of the and finally disappeared from belong. The Great War has been word. history. But their name re-

Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 41 Revisited - Words From National Character

mained as a synonym for that the murder ofpeople ofa cruelty. The Kaiser, in an unfor- religion other than their own tunate speech, exhorted his sol- was pleasing to their God. The diers to make themselves as Arabs first called this sect by the terrible as Huns; and when name hashshash, which the people heard of the ill-treatment scholars of the Middle Ages of the Belgians when their coun- translated into the Latin assas- try was invaded at the beginning sinus. The Arab name was given ofthe war, they said that the because these people were great Germans had indeed behaved eaters of “hashish” or dry herbs. The name Arab itself has In the Middle Ages schol- come to be used with a special ars wrote in Latin, but po- meaning which has nothing to ets and taletellers began do with the people whose name to write in the language of it is. A rough little boy who the people -- the romance spends most ofhis time in the languages in France and streets is described as a “street Arab,” and this comes from the Italy. fact that we think ofthe Arabs as a wandering people. The like the Huns oflong ago. The “street Arab” is a wanderer also, Painting of a Bohemian woman name clung to them, and during of another sort. the war, when people spoke of Another name of a wander- from Egypt, and so gave them the “Huns,” they generally meant ing people has also come to have this name. the Germans, and not the fierce, a special meaning in English. Another name often given to half-savage little men who fol- The French word for gipsy is bo- very dark people is blackamoor, lowed their famous chief Attila, hemien, and from this we have a name by which negroes are plundering and burning through the English word Bohemian. sometimes described. This really Europe about fifteen centuries When we say a person is “a Bo- means “Black Moor,” and shows ago. hemian,” we mean that he lives us how confused the people who Another name with a some- in the way he really likes, and first used the word were about what similar meaning is assas- does not care whether other different races of people. The sin, which most people would people think he is quite respect- Moors were a quite different not guess to have ever been the able or not. It was the novelist people from the negroes, being name of a collection of people. Thackeray who first used the related to the Arabs. But to An assassin is a person who ar- word Bohemian in this sense. some people every one who is ranges beforehand to take some Bohemia is, of course, the not white is a “nigger.” Nigger one by surprise and kill him. name of a country in Germany, comes, of course, from negro. But the original assassins were but it is also used figuratively to The Moors inhabited a part an Eastern people who believed describe the region or com- of North-west Africa. It was also munity in which “Bo- a North African people, the Al- hemian” or gerians, who gave us the word unconventional people Zouave. Every one has seen live. since the Great War began pic- The word gipsy it- tures of the handsome and selfis used to describe quaintly-dressed French soldiers a very dark person, or called “Zouaves.” Perhaps some almost any kind of children wondered why they people travelling round wore such a strange Eastern the country in cara- dress. It is because the Zouave vans. But gipsy really regiments, which are now chiefly means “Egyptian.” composed of Frenchmen, were When the real gipsies originally formed from an Algeri- first appeared in Eng- an mountain tribe called the land, in the sixteenth Zouaves—Algeria being a French century, people possession. The name is almost Painting "Arabs Drinking Coffee in Front of a Tent" thought they came forgotten as that of a foreign

42 Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 Revisted - Words From National Character

tribe, but has become instead pression, “Oh, he is only roman- we have the expression “Punic the name of these light infantry cing,” by which we mean that a faith” to describe treachery. The French regiments. person is saying what is not Romans had had many reasons The name ofthe most fam- true, inventing harmless details for mistrusting their great en- ous of Eastern nations now to improve his story. The word emy, the Carthaginians, and spread all over the world, the romance has now many mean- they used this expression, Fides Jews, has become a term of re- ings, generally containing the Punica, which we have simply proach. For hundreds of years idea of imagination. A person is borrowed from the Latin. after the spread of Christianity called “romantic” when he or she We use the expression “Attic over Europe the Jews were is full of imaginings of great (or Athenian) salt” to describe a looked upon as a wicked and deeds and events. Or we say a very refined wit or humour. The hateful people. In many coun- person is a “romantic figure” Romans used the word sal, or tries they were not allowed to when we mean that from his “salt,” in this sense of wit, and live at all; in others a portion of looks or speech, or from some their expression sal Atticum the towns was set apart for other qualities, he seems fit for shows the high opinion they had them, and they were allowed to adventures. of the Athenians, from whom, live there because they were use- But romance, from which we indeed, they learned much in art ful as money-lenders. get romantic, was at first merely and in literature. It is this same Naturally the Jews, perse- an adjective used to describe the expression which we use to-day, cuted and distrusted, made as languages which are descended having borrowed and translated much profit as they could out of from the Latin language, like it also from the Latin. the people who treated them in French, Italian, and Spanish. In We speak of a “Parthian this way. Perhaps with the the Middle Ages scholars wrote shot” when some one finishes a growth of their wealth they grew in Latin, but poets and tale- conversation or an argument to love money for its own sake. tellers began to write in the lan- with a sharp or witty remark, In any case, before long the Jews guage of the people—the leaving no chance for an answer. were looked upon as people who romance languages in France This expression comes from the were decidedly ungenerous in and Italy. The tales of adventure story of the Parthians, a people the matter of money. Everybody and things which we should now who lived on the shores ofthe knows the story ofthe Jew call “romantic” were written in Caspian Sea, and were famous Shylock in Shakespeare’s great the “romance” languages; and as good archers among the an- play “The Merchant of Venice.” from being used to describe the cient nations. Nowadays a person who is not language, the word came to be The way in which the names really a Jew is often described used to describe the kind of of nations and peoples have contemptuously as a “Jew” if he story contained in these poems taken on more general meanings shows himself mean in money and tales. Gradually the words gives us many glimpses into his- matters; and some people even romantic and romance got the tory. PT use a slang expression, “to jew,” meaning which they have to-day. Statue of a Japanese ogre meaning to cheat or be very We have seen in another mean over a money affair. chapter that we have a number Another name of a nation of words taken from the names which stands for dishonesty of of persons in ancient history. We another sort (and much more ex- have also a modern and special cusable) is Gascon. The Gascons use ofwords formed from the are the natives ofGascony, a names ofsome ofthe ancient province in the south of France. nations. We saw that we use the It is proverbial among other word Spartan to describe any Frenchmen that the Gascons are very severe discipline, or a per- always boasting, and even in son who willingly uses such dis- English we sometimes use the cipline for himself. word Gascon to describe a great There are several other such boaster, while gasconade is now names used in a more or less a common term for a boastful complimentary way. We speak of story. “Roman” firmness, and every Another word which we use one who has read Roman history to describe this sort ofthing is will agree that this is a good use romance. We often hear the ex- ofthe word. On the other hand,

Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 43 Language Learning Methods - Classes

LLaanngguuaaggee LLeeaarrnniinngg MMeetthhooddss CCllaasssseess

hile in this column we labs have been used for over a have talked about meth- century in some schools, the ods of learning languages first appearing in the University through self-study, the most of Grenoble, France in 1 908. Es- popular means of learning is sentially they are classrooms probably still by attending with each seat having direct ac- classes. Schools all over the cess to media equipment to aid world offer classes in at least the students in learning. Some one language to students. In may even be so advanced as to many schools, taking such a be separate sound booths, clos- class is even mandatory. ing out the noises ofthe other A teacher explaining some grammar details These kinds of classes are students. From the 1950s to the to a class done with many other students 1990s, these were mostly tape or Learning by audio can only truly learning together at the same cassette based systems, but they improve your listening skills, time. A teacher presents the stu- are more likely to be using mul- while books can only improve dents with the material and timedia computers now. your reading. You have no feed- helps them master the basics of Taking classes means show- back from a person to help cor- the language. Textbooks are ing up regularly for a fixed rect your progress. Even when usually the primary source of amount oftime to receive in- using a more interactive ap- the materials, but with the ex- structions from the teacher, re- pansion of language media view what was learned, and Ofcourse, you hope that types, students can now make practise with other students. the teacher of the class is use of audio, videos, magazines This is one ofthe few ap- competent in the language. and newspapers, and even com- proaches that offers a regular puters. direct, face-to-face interaction Sadly, this is not always A version ofthis media us- with other learners. This is a the case. age isn’t entirely new. Language huge asset, as it allows the stu- dents to truly use proach, like posting or chatting the language to its online, some aspect is missing. fullest extent. They Another major benefit of are able to practise classes is that you can get clar- speaking and ification of the vocabulary and listening in real grammar as you learn from a time as well as person who is fully knowledge- formation and able. When studying on your comprehension. own, there is often not anyone to This differs from help clarify a point, so unless the more passive you have someone you can ask methods of books or another reference to help, you and audio which will find your understanding hit- only allow a person ting a sudden wall. This may not to utilize one be a major problem, but it dis- A basic language lab for teaching English in the Middle-East. means of input. rupts your flow of studying.

44 Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 Language Learning Methods - Classes

their teachers own native, or perhaps even a stu- abilities. dent of the same language from These brings us a different class, they may find to the second prob- themselves lost. This is likely to lem of this method. happen with any system of While the students learning, ofcourse, and how bad are learning the lan- the damage is will depend on guage with several how incorrect the original source other people at the or teacher was. same time, this can A real world example ofthis lead to a what I call a is when I traveled to Italy for the closed system situ- first time. I had met an Italian Students practising their language skills during class ation. What that exchange student named Lucio Along with the direct feed- means is that everyone is repeat- when he attended my school one back, a student in a larger class ing what they have learned from year and so I visited him the also gets the social interaction the teacher, books, and next year in his country. While with others sharing the desire to whatever other media they are in his home town, we went to his master the language. This might using. The less influence they English class briefly and there I sound trivial, but to anyone that have outside the classroom, the met his English teacher. The has tried learning a language on more restricted their education teacher, while able to make their own, this can make all the becomes. himselfclear to me, was cer- difference. You are no longer Think about only ever eating tainly not fluent and made a few struggling alone. You have a at a single Italian restaurant all basic mistakes while talking to group of peers that are learning your life. You might try every me. I diplomatically did not and practising right along with dish, memorize the entire menu, point these out, but I did realize you. Since you are all beginners, and always feel firm in your that Lucio’s English was much this can also greatly ease the knowledge of Italian food be- better than his teacher’s from fear of making mistakes. When cause ofthis. However, what if having had spent a year in the you study alone then try to prac- one day you eat at another Itali- United States. If he hadn’t done tise with someone more ad- an restaurant which has a differ- the exchange program, I wonder vanced or even a native, you are ent way of preparing the dishes how much his English could likely to be very afraid of saying you know, or even offers ones have improved with this teacher. something wrong. This can be you have never heard of. You almost completely wiped away will realize that you have a great when everyone else is at the deal more to learn. You might Advanced Interaction same level as you. You can relax even find out that what you were Methods and enjoy the shared learning eating in your restaurant wasn’t With the increase of technology experience. correct. It would be like thinking and the internet, many classes Ofcourse, you hope that the you were eating real Italian food can now supplement the learn- teacher of the class is competent all your life because you ate at ing experience by allowing stu- in the language. Sadly, this is the Olive Garden, only to travel dents to talk to other learners not always the case. The teacher to Italy and visit a restaurant and native speakers via the in- may have learned the language there. Everything you thought ternet. Going back to our fic- as a second language themselves you knew might suddenly be tional German learning Spanish, and therefore their abilities will proven wrong. depend greatly upon their own This can hap- education as well as their experi- pen in the ence. For example, a German classroom as well. who learned Spanish in a Ger- If what you have man school and goes on to be- learned there is in- come a Spanish teacher correct, yet every- themselves will probably not one repeats it speak it as well as a teacher that constantly, it be- learned it by living in Spain for a come ingrained. few years. A student’s ability Then when a stu- with the new language will dent tries to con- therefore be majorly impacted by verse with a true Classroom with computers to use more learning technologies

Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 45 Language Learning Methods - Classes

he could be studying in the class that the teacher while also having a chance to continues at a reg- talk to a native Spanish speaker ular pace and any by using a voice-chat like Skype. students that can This advanced interaction can not keep up are help decrease the closed system left struggling. effect as well as infusing the en- Meanwhile, there tire class with greater enthusi- are going to be asm. Rather than just speaking some students that with fellow classmates and par- pick up the mater- roting what they have learned, ial much faster they can practise with natives than the others and quickly refine both their and they will be- listening and speaking skills. come bored and This then becomes a hybrid of frustrated with the The University of Da Nang's Foreign Languages School classes and internet learning class as well. This methods. is a problem with classes in any another country and being im- subject. The larger the class, the mersed in the language full time Setting the Pace bigger the problem is likely to be for a period ofa few weeks or While working with a class gives because there will probably be months. Immersion is con- you the benefits of having more students that are either sidered one ofthe best ways to someone who can (hopefully) an- slower or faster than the rest. learn, and we will discuss it fur- swer your questions as well as For this reason, many people ther in another article. direct interaction with other prefer individual study in which I did find myselfattending a learners, it does have the related they can work at their own pace. French immersion class while I problem of acquisition speed. A was in my university. The teach- class is meant to make sure Immersion er would enter the class and everyone learns the language, Classes may also use more of start speaking in French, first which means the class can only the immersion technique, as pi- greeting us then telling us what progress as fast as the slowest oneered by the Berlitz schools. we would be covering for that learner. If a student isn’t grasp- Immersion is when the learner is class. The only problem with this ing the material as swiftly as the put into a situation in which was the it was a French history others, the teacher may end up they can only speak the lan- class, and the only person that spending more of the class time guage they are learning. They understood any French in the attempting to assist that one are also only spoken to in that class was the French exchange student, leaving the other stu- language. This forces them to student. After a week ofthis, we dents waiting and perhaps even- use the language in a real-world finally asked him to stop speak- tually resenting the slower setting they might not otherwise ing French, since we were there student. This can quickly lead to get a chance to experience. A for the history, not the language. bad feelings in the class as well class can simulate this by hav- as boredom. The alternative is ing the teacher constantly speaking in the Costs new language and A major drawback to taking insisting the stu- classes is the cost. Ifthe lan- dents only use guage class is part ofyour nor- that language as mal school criteria, then the cost well in response is no more than whatever your or when talking to normal tuition is (if any, since others. Of course, public schools are usually paid this can only be for by the government). However, maintained dur- ifyou are not in school, then ing the class time. taking classes may become ex- Some more ex- pensive. You are paying for the pensive classes teacher, the use of the facilities may involve hav- (wherever the class is being ing students ac- held), and any textbooks you will A large class which can leave slower students behind or drag on tually traveling to be expected to purchase. faster students.

46 Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 Language Learning Methods - Classes

might normally be doing back in advanced and the introduction your own country? No matter of internet facilities, a classroom what format the classes take, has more resources and inter- you have to attend them accord- active means. Even more im- ing to their time schedules, not portant, a student has a greater yours. chance to practise and expand their learning outside the Tutoring classroom, either on their own or A related means of learning is as assigned by the teacher. This Language school in Delhi taking classes with a private tu- has already led to a hybrid of tor. This has many ofthe same distance learning, in which a In New York, USA, a Berlitz benefits as a class, but also person can attend a class in real immersion course can cost $250 some further drawbacks. With a time, with full visual and audio, per month for 90-minute classes tutor, a student will be able to in a class that is hundreds or while another course may cost get all the help they need and even thousands of miles away. $210 to $285 for ten hour long work at their own pace. Imagine sitting on your com- classes. At the University of Cali- However, the amount of social puter at home in France and be- fornia, Los Angeles, a traditional, interaction will be severely lim- ing able to attend a Spanish three-month language class ited, since the only other person language class being held in costs $480. These are relatively they are likely to be speaking Germany. You instantly elimin- inexpensive. By comparison, as with is the tutor. The quality of ate the travel time or cost ofliv- an immersion course in another their education will also be dir- ing there while still benefit from country, KCP International offers ectly tied to the abilities ofthe group learning experience. classes in Japanese in Japan, tutor. A native speaker might be Classes will not be the best with a cost of$2900 per ideal as a tutor, but it is also choice for everyone, of course. semester for just the course it- likely the teacher may have Those who can’t afford them or self. Add a few thousand dollars simply learned the language in a find them locally will be unable more depending on where you class they attended a few years to participate while those that live during that time. before. Private tutors are also don’t learn at the same pace as likely to be far more expensive others are likely to prefer self- Time Spent than a group class, because the study or private tutoring. Still, Depending on the nature ofthe single student is paying for the they should certainly be con- class, whether it is part ofyour entire salary of the tutor, rather sidered for anyone wanting to daily school activity, a few nights than having that cost split pick up another language or a week at a local university or among many others. three. course center, or an extensive We hope you enjoyed this immersion school, you are likely There are many benefits third article in this series of lan- to be spending a great deal of with learning through classes, guage learning methods. Previ- time NOT involved in the actual and they will probably always be ous articles have discussed the learning. If you need to travel a major method of language ac- methods of audio learning and regularly to the location of the quisition. As newer technologies books. We would like your class, that time is wasted. And evolve and become integrated, thoughts and comments on the during a class, whenever the the classroom can actually ex- article and your experiences teacher needs to assist any stu- pand its capabilities rather than with classes. Please write to us dent who is having a problem having to compete with these al- at [email protected]. with the material, including you, ternative means. For example, PT that is time you aren’t actually with software becoming more practising and learning. This might make you think then that a full immersion course like the Japanese one is the most effi- cient. That might be true, yet consider that you are actually dedicating several months to learning the language. How much are you sacrificing when you can’t be doing the stuffyou Classroom of the future?

Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 47

Sections - Language Exchange Sections

Language Exchange

Parleremo Language Exchange Sections is a mothly column about different Since Parleremo is already a collection of people parts of Paleremo, explaining their purpose wanting to learn new languages, we naturally built and how to use them. in our own exchange system. A few things have to be different from dedicated exchange sites. Since very popular method of using the internet not all members on Parleremo will want to be in- to learn languages is the language ex- volved in an exchange, a member must create a change. Because there are people from all profile for the exchange program in order to parti- over the world on the internet daily, and cipate in it. This takes some information from their potentially millions of them wanting to learn a new existing Parleremo profile and gives them places language, then connecting them directly with other for extra details. language learners benefits everyone. On the introduction exchange page is basic Basically, you want to match up two people description of the program. Options are given to who each want to learn the other persons native create a new profile or edit an existing profile (if language. For example, a Frenchmen that wants to the member has already signed up for one) and to learn German would become a partner to a Ger- search among the potential partners. Below that is man woman wanting to learn French. They could a list ofrecently added members as well as mem- then work together to help the other person with bers that are online at the moment, ifany. their own native language. Of course, finding a partner is the hard part, Creating a Profile and that is where the language exchange programs When a member creates a are used. Essentially, a person signs up for one, new profile, some basic in- telling what their native or fluent languages are as formation is copied from well as what language or languages they want to their existing site profile. learn. Along with their name and languages, they These include a few oftheir might give more personal data, like age, gender native or fluent languages, a and location along with some description of them- few of the languages they selves, their lives and their interests. Each per- are studying, birthdate, son’s information becomes part of a large gender, country and loca- searchable database so that anyone can find a po- tion. Any information that is tential partner easily and contact the person. changed here will not be altered in the site profile, Entire web sites are devoted to this method of since this profile is meant to be just for finding an language study, and they vary greatly in the meth- exchange partner. od of communication between partners. There is also a place for a member to put in Everything from simply giving out email addresses something about themselves. This can be anything to creating elaborate discussion areas and ex- they want to share and helps a potential partner change formats is possible. see how much they might have in common with each other. For example, ifa member likes Bolly-

Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 49 Sections - Language Exchange

wood movies, they might mention that, in the hopes offinding a partner that also likes them. Having similar likes can help create a closer bond between partners as well as giving them something to discuss while practising their languages. A member can also select the prefer- ences they would like for communicating. Since the main purpose of the exchange system is to help people find others, how those people actually communicate and practise together is completely for them to decide. These options are to help further refine a search. Ifa member wants to only communicate via email, they should se- lect that, and when they search for a partner, they can search for those that also want to use email. There is an option to have this profile in the search or not as well. This might seem odd, since why would someone cre- ate a profile that they didn’t want listed? The purpose ofthis is so once a person finds a partner (or partners), they can re- move themselves from the search without A language exchange will help you find someone among the millions of people deleting their profile. Then when they are who are online everyday. ready for a new partner, they can change this so they are listed again. It’s like changing a should put “Japanese” in the “Knows” box and status from “single” to “married”. “Spanish” in studying. The information in the The member should then save or delete their search should be about the potential partner, not profile. Deleting a profile here is permanent, but it the searcher. only deletes the exchange profile. The site profile The language selections are the most vital, will remain unchanged. since that is the purpose ofthe exchange. Other information that can be used to filter through po- Finding the One tential partners are age, gender, country, and Once the new or edited keywords. The keywords are used to search the profile is saved, the person personal interests information, and a match can can then search for a part- be found on either all the words or any ofthem. ner. It isn’t necessary to join the exchange to search for a There are people from all over the partner. Joining just makes world on the internet daily and poten- it possible for others to know tially millions of them wanting to learn a member is interested. a new language. The search contains blanks for various parts ofthe profile. By filling in the appropriate blanks or selecting certain boxes, That is, ifkeywords “dog” and “cat” are given and the search becomes refined to people matching the “any” option is selected, then people that have those selections. For example, if a member wants either “dog” and “cat” in their profiles are listed. If to find a partner that knows Japanese, they would “all” is selected, then only those that have both will select “Japanese” in the “Knows” box. Since the be found. optimal exchange is finding a partner who is a nat- To limit a selection based on the preferred ive speaker in the language for the language being communication methods (email, voice chat, etc), studied and also studying the a language the checkboxes are given for those options. Note that searcher knows, a language should also be put in the more ofthese that are selected, the more lim- the “Studying” box which the searcher is native or ited the results will be. Ifsomeone selects just the fluent in. That is, ifthe searcher is a native Span- email option, only those that want to use email will ish speaker and wants to learn Japanese, they be listed. Ifemail and voice chat are selected, then

50 Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 Sections - Language Exchange

When the searcher finds someone they would like to connect with, they can select one ofthe options that are dis- played as icons. They can see the mem- bers site profile, email the person using the site email system (personal emails are not displayed. Partners can exchange those privately ifthey wish), or send them a private message (PM). Viewing their site profile will give more details about the person as well as several other ways to contact the person, such as Facebook, email, Skype, etc., depending on what that person has added. Finally, there is a way to report a profile to an administrator if the viewer Meeting people in a language exchange is a bit like a party, only online. thinks someone is abusing the system. only those that want to use both of those options Such an abuse might be posting something ob- will be listed. They might want to use other meth- scene in the personal information or using the ex- ods as well, but anyone that only has one ofthose change system as a dating service. Selecting this in their profile options will not be listed in the res- option will give the viewer a report form to fill out ults. and submit. This reporting system should not it- Lastly, to limit results to more active mem- selfbe abused. People should not report someone bers, a search can performed on just those that they are angry about just to get them into trouble. are online. The results can also be sorted based upon when a member was last logged in, last ed- Statistics ited their profile, or the date they joined the ex- For those obsessed with numbers, there is a stat- change. This can be critical, since a person that istics section that lists countries, languages has not been on in over a year will probably not be known and languages studied, sorted from most to available for the exchange, having signed up at least, of the exchange members. Age range and one time and forgotten about it. average is also given, along with the number of males and females. Results Once all the information for the search is submit- We hope that the language exchange section is ted, the matches are listed. Each entry shows the beneficial for members. We are always looking for basic details of the profile, including their avatar ways to improve our members experience, so let us and whether they are online at the moment or not. know anytime ofsuggestions on how we can make If they have provided further information about things better. PT themselves in a language the searcher doesn’t un- derstand, there is an option to translate it.

Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 51 Credits Letter From the Editor Writer: Erik Zidowecki Images: Petey: Mayan Stela

Voynich Manuscipt - Cryptic Codex Writer: Lucille Martin Images: Stefan Bauer: Prague Castle today Estec sarl.: Panoramatic view to Charles Bridge and the Prague Castle Obankston: Enochian alphabet Petey: Wilfrid Voynich, Rudolph II, Johannes Marcus Marci, Roger Bacon, Edward Kelley, Villa Mondragone, all images of the Voynich Manuscript Sources: • "Voynich Manuscript" World Mysteries • "The Voynich Manuscript" Crystallinks • "Voynich Manuscript" Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library • "The Voynich Manuscript" John Baez, University of California, Riverside • "Voynich manuscript" Wikipedia • "Enochian" Wikipedia • "Zipf's Law" Wikipedia • "Georg Baresch" Wikipedia • "Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor" Wikipedia

Benjamin Whorf - Relativity of Language Writer: Sofia Ozols Images: WestportWiki: Yale Old Campus Courtyard Daderot: Stela 10, Mayan artifact from Seibal, Guatemala (AD 849) Petey: Benjamin Whorf, Edward Sapir, Chaco Canyon Indian dwellings, Stone house ofthe Hopi village ofOraibi, Hopi woman dressing hair of unmarried girl Sources: • "Benjamin Lee Whorf" Wikipedia • "Benjamin Lee Whorf" Citizendium • "Benjamin Lee Whorf" princeton.edu • "Benjamin Lee Whorf" Encyclopedia of World Biography

At The Cinema - Lost in Translation Writer: Erik Zidowecki Sources: • "Lost in Translation" Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB) All images are copyright Focus Features, Tohokashinsha Film Company Ltd., American Zoetrope, Elemental Films

Languages in Peril - The Polish Connection Writer: Lucille Martin Images: Zygmunt Put Zetpe0202: Zasanska Pass (title) West Carpathian Mountains, Poland Tomasz Sienicki: Bilingual Polish-Kashubian road sign in Poland Russianname: Rusyn farmsted (from the village of Lyuta, Beliko-Bereznyanski region) Silar: Rusyn woman's costume from Presov Lajsikonik: Banner Pro Loquela Silesiana the fourth Palestinian march Sources: • "Kashubian language" Wikipedia • "Kashubian" Omniglot • "Kashubian language: Meaning" explanationGuide • "Rusyn language" Wikipedia • "Pannonian Rusyn language" Wikipedia • "Ruthenian" Omniglot • "What is a Rusyn?" slovakia.org • "Silesian language" Wikipedia • "Silesian" Omniglot • "Silesian language and the Polish language" Claritaslux.com

Word on the Streets - Romanian Poets Writer: Sofia Ozols Images: Petey: Romanian street, Eminescu, Alecsandri

52 Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 Credits

Sources: • "Mihai Eminescu" Wikipedia • "Mihai Eminescu" NNDB • "Mihai Eminescu" Polymer Notes • "Vasile Alecsandri" Wikipedia • "Vasile Alecsandri" Encyclopedia of 1848 Revolutions

Where Are You? Writer: Sonja Krüger

Celebrations - Holi Writer: Sonja Krüger Images: Diganta Talukdar: Holi celebration at Nagaon (title) FaceMePLS: Holi Feest 2008 Ronaldo Lazzari: Bonfire on Holi Dahan Karen Sandhu: Holi party in Delhi, with crowd and a tree decorated in coloured fabrics gkrishna38: Braj Lath mar Holi at Barasana, India Biswarup Ganguly: Holi Colors at a street shop at Deanesh Skeikh lane, Howrah Charles Haynes: Papads; Papri Chaat Md. Saiful Aziz Shamseer: Man playing Ektara Eliza Raschke: Shop selling colours for Holi, Old Delhi wonker: Women preparing the Holika Dahan bonfire at Thapathali, Kathmandu. Nepal judepics: Holi celebrations, Pushkar, Rajasthan Chris Willis: Girl in colors Ingo Mehling: Holi Bonfire in front ofJagdish Temple / Udaipur (flash page) Petey: Arajah and his wife celebrating holi; Mathri Sources: • "Holi" Wikipedia • "Holi Festival" Holifestival.org • "Hinduism" About.com • "Holi - the festival of colours" Indiaexpress.com • "Indian Holidays : Holi" Calendarlabs

A Language Dream Writer: Hidson Guimarães Images: Petey: Building

Revisited - Words From National Character Writer: Elizabeth O'Neill Images: CristianChirita: Statue of barbarian king imprisoned Petey: "Barbarians from the South" (title); Painting of a Bohemian woman; "Arabs Drinking Coffee in Front of a Tent"; Depiction of a Turk in the 16th century; Statue ofa Japanese ogre Sources: • "Words From National Character" Stories That Words Tell Us Elizabeth O'Neill, M.A. London: T. C. & E. C. Jack, Ltd. 35 Paternoster Row, E.C. And Edinburgh 1918

Language Learning Methods - Classes Writer: Erik Zidowecki Images: Vmenkov: Lnxia Foreign Languages School Kubaru: English Language Lab The LEAF Project: FLCC Classes @ Canandaigua Campus Shane Global: General English Class Rbok: Japanese High school Language Lab HBS1908: Inside a classroom Dragfyre: The University of Da Nang's Foreign Languages School. Subhashish Panigrahi: School of languages, Jawaharlal Nehru University Niepr: State-of-the-art Collaborative Classroom

Sections - Language Exchange Writer: Erik Zidowecki Images: Karoly Czifra: people gathering kris krüg: women meeting All images are Copyright - CC BY-SA (Creative Commons Share Alike) by their respective owners, except for Petey, which is Public Domain (PD) or unless otherwise noted.

Parrot Time | Issue#3 | May/June2013 53 German Learn it. Live it. Love it.