#language and identity

[linguist-breakaribecca]

Today, in “I’ll take any good news I can find”:

A production of Romeo and Juliet with Deaf actors signing their lines has been referred to as bilingual! Not just “accessible” or “diverse” but also BILINGUAL!

This makes me happy because the general idea of ASL (and other signed languages) is that they’re just a manual version of the spoken language. By that logic, Norwegian is just a higher-latitude version of German. Signed languages are languages of their own! With unique vocabulary, grammar, and dialects!

[polysprachig]

Both Not Half: How language shapes identity | Jassa Ahluwalia | TEDxChan...

Looking for a good read/listen this holiday break?

I can’t recommend Jassa Ahluwalia’s book Both Not Half: A Radical New Approach to Mixed Heritage Identity enough. I’m on chapter 4 of the audiobook now and plan to purchase the print edition later on. If Ahluwalia’s TED Talk (linked above) tracks with you in any way, it’s definitely worth your consideration. 

[vmantras]

The Vanishing Languages of the World: A Race Against Time

Introduction Language is one of the most powerful aspects of human culture, shaping identity, thought, and communication. Yet, with globalization and modernization, many indigenous and minority languages are disappearing at an alarming rate. Experts estimate that one language dies every two weeks, leading to an irreversible loss of cultural knowledge, traditions, and unique ways of understanding…

[livethrushit]

libyan arabic is a Very niche dialect of maghrebi arabic. we have influence from the smaller imazighen populations, turkish from the ottoman empire, and italian from the occupation. it's easier to learn moroccan darija since they share french influence with mauritania, algeria, and tunisia. libya is the only one with italian influence.

it breaks my heart that i cant just Learn It since im heavily estranged from that side of my family.

but a comforting linguistic bright spot is that i get to create my own hyper-niche dialect in the diaspora. my friends from algeria and tunisia helping me with my arabic questions, the words and phrases ive learned from my palestinian, lebanese, and syrian friends, my dad with what he can recall from the 60s-70s - which is very dated compared to the slang and language now, and my midwestern accent. all these things formed the tapestey of this dialect spoken by one.

this niche influenced, struggling-to-hang-in-there, mix and matched libyan arabic dialect in the diaspora lives with me. i felt so cut off from my heritage for the longest time & it's a devastating, lonely feeling. it's like youre unmoored with no map or understanding of how you got to where you are now. i used to think my inability to speak libyan arabic was a failing and pushing me further away.

but arabic speaking friends, who share a swana heritage, have helped me to realize im not failing, im preserving in the best way i can!

an example would be like trying to learn english as spoken in the US with no access to your extended english speaking family. the only bits of english you know is your parent's like 1960s groovy slang in a chicago accent. your friends in edinburgh, london, melbourne, new orleans, and toronto all pitch in to teach you things. that's so fun imo.

[jamaicahomescom]

Exploring Jamaican Patois, Also Known as Patwa, Through the Lens of Real Estate, History, and Culture: A New Resource at Jamaica Homes

Jamaican Patois, or Patwa, is a dynamic and evolving language that tells the story of Jamaica’s past, shapes its present, and inspires its future. Rooted in history, deeply embedded in culture, and influential in politics, Patwa transcends its role as a means of communication to become a symbol of resilience, creativity, and identity. Now, Jamaica Homes is proud to present a new resource that…

[captaingimpy]

Thoughts on Media: Why I Can’t Do Anything Else

Hey everyone, originally I had a review of grotesquerie planned for today. But I ran across a YouTube video that really hit on something for me personally. And, with that, I had a very intimate realization about myself. And it was something that for a long time I could never articulate to myself nor anyone else, so I kind of wanted to take the opportunity to share the video itself with you, allow…

[xoxrevkitty]

Understanding the Term "People of Color": Context and Usage

Navigating the language around racial and ethnic identities can be complex and fraught with misunderstanding. A recent interaction highlighted the discomfort some individuals feel with the term “People of Color,” prompting a discussion on its appropriateness and historical context. The Term “People of Color” Explained: Historical Context: The term “People of Color” is not just a casual phrase…

[bookwyrminspiration]

[wellhealthhub]

What If you had to give up one word that you use regularly what would it be?: What Would You Give Up?

If you had to give up one word that you use regularly, what would it be? Discover the power and peril of one word as we delve into the influence of language on personal identity and societal dynamics. Introduction Language is not just a tool for communication; it’s a lens through which we see the world. It shapes our thoughts, influences our identity, and even dictates our actions to a…

[linguist-breakaribecca]

“Socrates said, ‘The misuse of language induces evil in the soul.’ He wasn't talking about grammar.

To misuse language is to use it the way politicians and advertisers do, for profit, without taking responsibility for what the words mean.

Language used as a means to get power or make money goes wrong: it lies. Language used as an end in itself, to sing a poem or tell a story, goes right, goes towards the truth.

A writer is a person who cares what words mean, what they say, how they say it. Writers know words are their way towards truth and freedom, and so they use them with care, with thought, with fear, with delight. By using words well they strengthen their souls.

Story-tellers and poets spend their lives learning that skill and art of using words well. And their words make the souls of their readers stronger, brighter, deeper.”

- Ursula K. Le Guin, A Few Words to a Young Writer

[autiebiographical]

Whether someone prefers being called autistic or a person with autism, others shouldn't need us to remind them that we are, IN FACT, people.

Kindly cease your neurosplaining.

[fixing-bad-posts]

It's super sexist to define "women" by having a vagina

[loumandivorce]

"maitre is a coven endearment. armand for you." has so many insane levels ik im preaching to the choir here but saying that to finish a conversation where armand was undoubtably dominating like haha i am not your master. but the word endearment...a benefit given only to those who conform and join the coven. you do not get the privelege of calling me that name w affection and deference. but here's something else: armand for you. more or less intimate? both names given by other people. both roles he falls into with ease. armand for you. a gift and a courtesy but MOST IMPORTANTLY an order. not "you can call me armand" armand. for you. i am bestowing this order upon you. but at the same time he's saying you don't get the privelege of calling me master. which is it. you freak.

[dukeofthomas]

Here's my controversial opinion; if you're trying to write Bruce as a non-abusive, good parent, you should also write him respecting his kids' privacy, boundaries, and not stalking&surveying them.

[my-smial]

Hello hello. I have come with random The Sunshine Court language headcanons for Jean Moreau, because I cannot stop thinking about him.

Neil picks up on Jean's discomfort with speaking French at higher than a whisper and eventually decides to use Nicky's desensitization tactics about it. He ropes in Kevin, and the two of them will not stop yelling at him in French until Jean stops flinching whenever he hears it.

Neil lived in Montreal for 8 months; when he wants to get under Jean's skin, he switches to a strong Québécois accent and Jean acts like his ears are getting burned off.

Jeremy and a little Cat and Laila start learning French, mostly "picked up a tourist phrasebook at the library" level. It's 2008, they don't even have Duolingo. It's years and years before Jean deigns to actually speak French to him, but Jeremy eventually figures out that if he pronounces a phrase badly enough, Jean will correct him out of shear pain. Jean probably picks up that Jeremy knows more than he's letting on when he makes a comment in one of Jean and Kevin's conversations.

The most unlikely, but I find it fun: Jean's family is old money enough that they actually still speak the local Provençal language of southeast France. Jean mostly speaks standard French, but his parents ensured that he can carry a conversation in Provençal out of some twisted disdain for Paris as a power center. Evidence: this is also the kind of person who would name their child Jean-Yves, lmao, a name that was most popular in the 1960s.

Matching with 4, growing up speaking French, Provençal, and English in a massive port city means that Jean can get through a few phrases in most western Mediterranean languages. In addition, being raised as the theoretical heir to a smuggling empire meant he had to learn enough languages to "not get ripped off," as his father would say. He says he speaks 3 languages, because he's fluent in 3 (and it's common to consider Provençal just a backwards dialect, not a full language). But he can also understand random bits of Italian, Spanish, and Algerian Arabic. Some he learned formally, some he picked up from other kids while playing little league exy.

When he gets comfortable on the Trojan's court, he starts yelling back sometimes when little multilingual groups form and chatter, and every time he demonstrates a new language the Trojans lose their shit. Jean has his typical disdain for their excitement; his childhood exy court sounded exactly like this and he doesn't get why they're so impressed.

They keep pulling the "sorry, he doesn't speak English" trick to get annoying fans and reporters off their back for a long time after it should have stopped working. He's given full interviews, come on. Use your brain.

[dragon-in-a-fez]

it really says so much that we have data showing people aged 6-12 prefer being called "kids" over "children" by a ratio of about 30 to 1 yet there's a pervasive campaign behind the scenes in education to stamp out teachers' usage of the word "kids" entirely