e-prime - View Single Post - Do all Indigenous Languages lack the "to be" verb?

Wildway · 05-10-2006, 07:42 PM

Karen-
Thanks for continuing the dialogue! You've said some things that interest me and I'd like to hear more.

I consider any professional title ('carpenter', 'astronaut', 'street sweeper') an abstraction that has the power to mislead, to provide the illusion of 'summing up' a human animal with a certain label. Because of this, I continue to explore other options in how I write about people who do activities that fall under categories that do not accurately describe them. I think usually, if I swept the street in front of my house, no one would label me a "street sweeper", unless I made my living at it. But what if I made my living in many ways, including sweeping the street? Using any one label to describe me would misdirect, using many would just muddle the issue that I engage in many activities to make my living. I mean to say, I don't think you can observe a "street sweeper" (an abstraction), but you can observe the activity of someone sweeping the street.

I do want to know more about your term "categorical imperative language"...I don't recognize it. Could you explain more?

As for e-prime acting as a tool to "perfect" english, my goal with e-prime use differs...e-prime, to me, uncovers one set of aristotelian mythologies associated with our language toolbox, and may leverage the uncovering of additional "modern" mythologies, so that we may choose what mythologies we find most useful, and refine our language in this way. Regarding "perfecting" the english language..I see each language serving the needs of the culture it enables. It therefore remains to us to decide what manner of culture we want. This connects back, for me, to indigenous language, and the absence of "career titles", the verb "to be", and various surprising ways of addressing objects/subjects and relationships in the world. This served their cultural needs and lifestyle. I keep open the possibility that some needs of mine I share in common with indigneous peoples, and their language tools may assist in meeting these shared needs.

I don't feel I've said this as clearly as I'd prefer...please bear with me.

05-10-2006, 07:42 PM	#9 (permalink)
Wildway Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 18	Karen- Thanks for continuing the dialogue! You've said some things that interest me and I'd like to hear more. I consider any professional title ('carpenter', 'astronaut', 'street sweeper') an abstraction that has the power to mislead, to provide the illusion of 'summing up' a human animal with a certain label. Because of this, I continue to explore other options in how I write about people who do activities that fall under categories that do not accurately describe them. I think usually, if I swept the street in front of my house, no one would label me a "street sweeper", unless I made my living at it. But what if I made my living in many ways, including sweeping the street? Using any one label to describe me would misdirect, using many would just muddle the issue that I engage in many activities to make my living. I mean to say, I don't think you can observe a "street sweeper" (an abstraction), but you can observe the activity of someone sweeping the street. I do want to know more about your term "categorical imperative language"...I don't recognize it. Could you explain more? As for e-prime acting as a tool to "perfect" english, my goal with e-prime use differs...e-prime, to me, uncovers one set of aristotelian mythologies associated with our language toolbox, and may leverage the uncovering of additional "modern" mythologies, so that we may choose what mythologies we find most useful, and refine our language in this way. Regarding "perfecting" the english language..I see each language serving the needs of the culture it enables. It therefore remains to us to decide what manner of culture we want. This connects back, for me, to indigenous language, and the absence of "career titles", the verb "to be", and various surprising ways of addressing objects/subjects and relationships in the world. This served their cultural needs and lifestyle. I keep open the possibility that some needs of mine I share in common with indigneous peoples, and their language tools may assist in meeting these shared needs. I don't feel I've said this as clearly as I'd prefer...please bear with me. Last edited by Wildway : 05-11-2006 at 06:43 AM.