Wiradjuri > English

Good Evening fellow blog readers!

I know what you're thinking, two blog posts in a row! I must've lost my mind; remain at ease keen readers for I am still sane (well the same as I used to be, which may not be sane).

Everyone's favourite segment, it's time for the WOW word of this post. The word "tantamount" is an adjective that ascribes one event/idea to be the equivalent or virtually the same as another. Inspired by SAT studying, that employ and demand the learning of thousands of urbane words that by no means are relevant are even appropriate to everyday speech. However, this word does sound cool and when used in a sentence is sure to wow prospective acquaintances. An example of this would be, the brilliance of Joshua's blog is tantamount to the revolutionary findings of Stephen Hawking.

Recently in class we were tasked with the creative roles of being lawyers, creating arguments for dying languages as well as convincing rebuttals for arguments made in favour of the English language being the dominant language of human beings. Continuing on from the post, the language I chose was Wiradjuri, as I feel educated enough to create and establish a solid argument in its favour.

Wiradjuri

Intrinsic Argument: 

• The language of wiradjuri is an intrinsic part of Aboriginal culture and heritage
• It is also the basis of dream time stories, a tradition unique to the indigenous people and a trait integral to their lifestyle 

Extrinsic Argument: 

• Has helped restore the unity between the non indigenous and indigenous people
• Used in political campaigns to rebuild bridges once burned after the colonisation
• A resurgence that is tantamount to a peace offering 

Functional Argument: 

• The language itself if highly esoteric, with words specialised to the features and qualities of Australia 

Against English

Intrinsic Argument:

• The definition of rich is subjective
• Forced Imperialism dovetailed with inherent hegemony is antithetical to the idea of nobility 

Extrinsic Argument: 

• Teachers, employed by such Western organisations are one of the means through which the language is promoted. Therefore it is not through natural selection that English is the most commonly taught, but through preplanned decisions, decision that can easily be replicated and applied to any other language. 

Back to the Brink

Hello once again audience, courtesy of our new unit, comes a new innovative medium through which I can reflect what I have learned. Through the means of a podcast I have finally been able to transcend the medium that is text and evolve into the far preferred medium of speech. This also involved a collaboration with fellow blogger Benjamin Thompson and the final product in my opinion is a CLASSIC! I hope you enjoy, and in advance I would like to apologise for the poor editing.

Most Meaningful Takeaway

Salve Amicis!

The preceding statement written in the now, dead language of latin, I felt it apt to do so as it is a themed intro for themed post, in addition to the fact I have run out of ways to say "hello" in english.

Starting with the WOW word of the post, the word "impetus," delineates something that makes a process or activity happen, or happen more quickly. A word so snazzy, correct use of the word will lead to you becoming a social pariah, but a well educated one that could one day find themselves as apart of the upper echelon of society. An examples of this would be, "the use of the word 'impetus' gave new impetus to his social isolation." 

Now, the theme of this post, a derivative of David Malouf's short story, "The Only Speaker of his Tongue," was rife with beautiful, vivid imagery, that is cleverly employed in a way I have never seen before. Rather than the use of succinct imagery, with content making up a bulk of the writing. Malouf delves into extreme detail to create this image within the mind of the reader, that itself says a 1000 words, and sets a tacit tone that further supplement his actual writing. The most meaningful takeaway from the passage for me, was the bit in which Malouf writes:

He is, they tell me, the only surviving speaker of his tongue ... The language, one of hundreds dies with them. Only not quite. For all his lifetime this man has spoken it, if only to himself.

The fragment of the text particularly resonated with me, as it questioned an ideal of mine. I have always felt that the function of a language is communication, and should that function be unfulfilled, the regarding language is thereby extraneous. The death of a language's speakers, especially if it is an indigenous one, give an impetus to its transition from a living to a dead language. This speaker on the other hand, opposed to this apparent essentialism, continues to practice his language, refusing to marginalised to this modern majority or subaltern groups, deprived of their indigenous languages. This text allowed me to fully grasp and realise the identity people derive from their indigenous languages. An expat myself, who doesn't know his own language, I have never had an issue with hegemony but after reading this passage I have been enlightened, an epiphany if you will. But in all honesty, I now understand the importance of language to culture. However I still maintain the belief that it is an accessory of a culture and not an intrinsic part of it. 

The Preservation of Indigenous Languages

Welcome back fellow language enthusiasts!

I just realized. I haven’t posted anything since last year! ba dum tss. Since I wrote last, my understanding of the English language has furthered progressed, as in my figurative, linguistic pilgrimage, I travelled through the darkest regions of the Internet to discover the appropriate and correct ways to use a comma. Upon stumbling the cleverly titled “Comma Sutra,” I have become well acquainted with the grammatical tool and am now as well equipped with it in the same way Indiana Jones is with a whip.

Remembering the traditions of this hallowed archive. It is time for the first WOW word of the year, which in my opinion is quite a fun one to say. The word, “ubiquitous” describes something that is present everywhere. An example of this would be, Joshua’s ubiquitous writings were celebrated around the world! 

Now this task was prefaced with a formal tone, therefore from this word on the tone of this post will have transitioned from colloquial to proper.

Recently in class, we read an article published by Times magazine titled, Back to Babel. A coherent theme throughout the article was the precedence language takes in defining a culture as well as the detrimental effects that can, and have occurred when one has “died.” The question posed to us in regards to this was: What is the value of preserving indigenous languages? An equivocal question, my thoughts in regards to this matter are ambivalent, as I both recognize the positive virtues brought forth from the preservation of indigenous languages while maintaining the belief of their preservation being not entirely obligatory. 

Indigenous languages are very esoteric. In the case of aboriginal languages, the rich vocabulary is centric to describing the natural world. Many of these words, which may be considered idioms in the English language, are specialized. So in this way the value of preserving these indigenous dialects are rooted in their arcane applications that though extraneous to much of the modern world, are intrinsic to that people’s way of life, and an inherent part of their culture. Additionally, indigenous languages provide increased diversity, promoting rich cultural diversity, being ubiquitous in traditions, art and other autonomous-routine activities. A loss of this would surely affect a culture’s rich heritage but in my opinion an innocuous effect.

Indigenous languages in my opinion are not a quintessential part of a culture but instead an accessory of it. A supplement, that as mentioned, provides further depth and allows for a greater heritage. A loss of this would not mark the end of a culture or even a people but instead a facet of which was no longer relevant. Progression is an intrinsic part of society, Latin, a now dead language inspired many other languages, but the end of it did not have detrimental affects on the respective cultures it was apart of. Relating back to the concept of cultures, cultures are multifaceted and are composed of many aspects, with each being pertinent to the other but at the same not inextricable. Traditions and ways of life can continue without the integrity of their heritage being impinged upon, but instead developed and progressed in a way that is sustainable for the future.