Language Blathering

I posit that language acquisition is driven less by intellectualism than daily utility. A recent post over at Greg Laden's Blog got me to wondering why Anglophones remain so stubbornly monolingual when so much of the world speaks a couple different languages fluently. Upon ponderation, I believe that Anglophones don't learn second or third languages because we don't need to, not really anyway. This isn't to say that this attitude is right, nor that I condone it, but from England on outward to the United States of America to Austrailia, English-speakers have been very successful at ensconcing themselves in geographical isolation, cultural imperialism, and economic massiveness underwritten by strategic military stubbornness. These three conditions having combined to make English the predominant formal language in the world despite its sillinesses.

We dumb Americans don't learn French, Spanish, Hindi, or other non-English languages because we have no daily use for them. We may take a few semesters of a foreign European language in high school, but because we don't have a need to use them, nor a community, space, or occasion to trot them out, we largely forget them. And when we go to other countries we have the privilege borne out of economic massiveness that leads us to expect, and even demand, that our hosts speak our language even as we remain entirely ignorant of theirs.

This isn't necessarily a good thing, but maybe this is why it is the way it is.

For the record, I speak and read German fluently enough to also make out written Dutch and Swedish and can stammer out just enough Spanish to keep myself fed and housed. I intend to learn French if I ever find time because I think it sounds funny, and Mandarin if I can.

Blurf

The English language is occasionally wonderous.

Not because its syntax allows for easy eloquence.

Not because it makes sense.

Not because of all of the contradictory pronunciations and bastardy homonyms.

But because it is user-editable. If you need a word, make one up. If you find a word in another language that makes better sense here than a word we've got already, then add it on in. English is like pudding: normally it's gelatinous and silly, but once you add chocolate or something else interesting to it it becomes delicious.

Anyway, today I announce my newest addition to the English language:

BLARF
1) noun; dry vomiting in which one tastes bile at the back of their throat but manages to contain it.
2) noun; a knobby club or cudgel used expressly for hitting douchebags in the gonads.

You're welcome, English language!

(Sometimes I feel it is only a matter of time before the English language disowns me because I keep using words like "happity", "joyness", "beautigent", "intelliful", etc. whenever I get excited and forget that Webster is always watching.)

Sprachliche Herrschaft (Lingual Dominance)

Manchmal muss ich bedenken, die Herrschaft von der englischen Sprache ueber Wissenschaft. Und nicht nur Wissenschaft, sondern ueber die Weltwirtschaft und Weltpolitik auch. Warum ist die herrschenden Sprache Englisch anstatt einer anderen Sprache? Ja, stimmt, dass Grossbritannien fast die ganzen Welt erorberte, und sie sprachen ja Englisch.

Aber ich will nicht die Geschichte der Herrschaft nicht untersuchen, sondern die Erfolgen. Gibt es eine eigenen Beschraenkung, wenn eine Sprache alle andere Sprachen uebernimmt? In Wissenschaft? Waeren wir alle besser mitteilen, wenn es eine Sprache fuer Wissenschaft gaebe? Wie Esperanto? Waere das eigentlich besser, oder haben wir solche Umstaende schon mit die Herrschaft der englischen Sprache?

Und ich koennte noch weitere Fragen nach diesem Problem werfen, aber ich kann keine davon antworten, nur retten...

Sometimes I have to ponder the dominance of the English language over science. And not only science, but all of the world-wide economy and world-politics as well. Why is it that the ruling language is English instead of another language? Yes, it is true, though, that Great Britain conquered almost the whole world and that they spoke English.

But I don't want to examine the history of this dominance, but the consequences. Is there an inherent limitation when one language overtakes all other languages? In science? Would we all communicate better if there was a single language for science? Such as Esperanto? Would it be actually better, or do we already have such a situation already with the dominance of the English langauge?

And I could throw further questions at this problem, but I can't answer any of them, only guess...

Und ja, ich weiss schon gut, dass meines Deutsch sehr schlecht ist, aber ich will mich nicht nur zu einer Sprache einschraenken. Und hier muss ich mich wundern, ob es eines wirklichen Ziel dazu gibt. Fast die ganzen Welt spricht Englisch schon, so warum soll ich mich besorgen, um eine anderen Sprache zu lernen? Aber ich glaube mir, dass solch einen Blickwinkel nichtwissentlich ist und die Welt gar nicht und wird nie helfen. Und das, dort, kehrt mich sehr oft. Wie koennen wir, als Menschheit, zur Frieden arbeiten, wenn wir auf allen Linien und Massstaben verteilt sind, und dort sturr bleiben wollen?

And yes, I know very well, that my German is very bad, but I don't want to limit myself to one language. And here I have to wonder, whether or not there is a real goal in doing so. Almost the entire world already speaks English, so why should I go to the trouble to learn another language? But I believe that such a viewpoint is ignorant and does not and will not help the world. And that, there, bothers me very often. How can we, as humanity, work towards peace when we are divided on all lines and measurements and want to stay as such stubbornly?

Und dort steht es, klar und dunkel, eine die haupten philosophischen Problemen, mit denen ich strafen:
Wie kann ich, persoenlich, Wissenschaft nuetzen, die Welt zu verbessern? Wie kann ich anderen beeinfluessen, ihre Wissenschaft fuer Weltverbesserung zu nuetzen?

And there is stands, clear and dark, one of the primary philosophical problems with which I fight:
How can I, personally, use science to better the world? How can I influence others to use their science for world-improvement?

Es ist wahrscheinlich nicht viel, aber ich glaube mir, dass es, am wenigstens, ein bisschen helfen kann. Jeder soll eine anderen Sprache lernen, sprechen, und nuetzen. Dadurch koennen wir als Menschheit vielleicht sich einanderen besser verstehen, und durch diese Verstehung kann eine groessere Zufriedenheit entstehen...

It probably isn't much, but I believe that it could at least help a little bit. Everyone should learn, speak, and use another language. Through this it is possible that we as mankind could understand each other better, and through this understanding a greater happiness could come into existence...

(note: this post was written piecemeal extemporaneously in German and translated freestyle, but accurately)