Comments on: Quick hit: Aboriginal languages are like Deafness, and condoning either is “criminally insane”

By: Matthew Fowler

Matthew Fowler — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 22:30:04 +0000

mmm wiru! good one! Kulini means to understand then I’ve forgotten what the associated words may be as a computer. IAD Dictionaries http://www/iad.edu.au would help. Computernya would be worthy too of consideration as in Pitjantjatjara the suffix -nya is used when a vowel sound is at the end of a name eg Matthew becomes Maatjunya (as there is no sort “a” sound as in “at” or “hat”).

By: SunlessNick

SunlessNick — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:51:55 +0000

Perhaps Eric Brodrick would be suprised to find that the Pitjantjatjara word for computer is, in fact, “computer”.

Late to this thread, but I would presume that the Pitjantjatjara language has a verb meaning something like “compute” or “calculate” – and presumably it has a way to make an agent noun out of it, much like the way English adds “er” or “or” – after all, where did the word computer come from?

By: Matthew Fowler

Matthew Fowler — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 00:35:33 +0000

Definition of Pinna

Pinna: The ear or, to be more precise, the part of the ear that projects like a little wing from the head. In Latin, pinna means wing.

By: Matthew Fowler

Matthew Fowler — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 00:31:00 +0000

Wai palya? (Hey good?) Ngayulu kulini tjukutjuku (I understand little).
How many people do you know actually speak any Australian apart from Australian English, a living language dialect that has been picking up or as has been said above importing words like “google” or verbs “to google” or “googled”? Having lived at Yulara working daily with ngayuku malpatjuta (my friends) and listened and learned some Yanguntjatjara-Pitjantjatjara-Lurita-Ngaatjatjara-Nyaatjatjara-Kukatja then when in Mperntwe (Alice Springs) I started learning Arrernte dialects and Warlpirri especially when I Co-ordinated & Lectured the 1st Indigenous Tour Guides Course then ironically perhaps taught NOS (National Office Skills accredited) computer modules for 3years to the 12x Combined Aboriginal Organisations (CAO) at IAD the Institute for Aboriginal Development http://www.iad.edu.au and was awarded a NAIDOC Non-Indigenous Person of the Year, my favourite experience being a >60yo elder Arrernte woman who did not even have English as a 6th or 7th language [ie ESL!!] who within 30mins of me putting her in front of a Mac paint program had a dot painting done without much guidance from me at all because Macs are more graphic or iconic than abstract Latin letters! So horses for courses in this case one of the key descriptors for humans is that we are tool users and computers like a pen or fingerpainting ochre is just a tool ….

For those Latin lovers … the same word for “ear” in Pitjantjatjara is “pina” – I hope then all those non-deaf non-Auslan speakers are listening – as 1st Australians say with “deep listening”! ;)

By: Deus Ex Macintosh

Deus Ex Macintosh — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:23:27 +0000

Anna, the really insidious thing is when they get minorities to police themselves. In Wales, english-only schools had ‘the welsh knot’. A knotted necklace of rope was put on a child when the teacher caught him/her using Welsh. This child could only remove the knot by passing it on to another student he/she had heard using welsh whether that was in the classroom or in the playground. Whoever was wearing the knot at the end of the day got the beating. Nasty.

By: Anna

Anna — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 07:49:11 +0000

I’m reading a book right now (I cannot wait until my Literature Review is done) that describes “the numerous strategies used to enforce Oralism included hands being tied behind backs, taped to desks, beaten or simply sat upon. These were among the less severe detterents practices right through from the 1880s to the present day”. Ladd, Paddy Understanding Deaf Culture: In Search of Deafhood.

Which of course ends up with children with a hatred towards the “required” language, less understanding and success in school, and an ingrained attitude of looking down on their own culture, because that’s what they’ve been taught to do.

Gosh, I wonder if this would have any long-term consequences on people. Do you think? /sarcasm.

By: Margaret

Margaret — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 03:47:04 +0000

I just want to say that ancient Babylonian is terribly relevant today: How many people today believe in the OT? Ancient Babylonian = practically Hebrew (esp. the current resurrection of Hebrew used today)

So his “useless language example”? Massively Fails. But beyond that? Multiple languages and methods of language grammar encourages children to be smarter. Therefore such a dumb man is clearly against intelligence. And on top of that? Who cares if it is relevant to his stupid little world: why does he care if he can talk to them if he so clearly thinks they’re second class anyway?

By: Lauredhel

Lauredhel — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 03:01:22 +0000

the way “well meaning” hearing people keep trying to make sure deaf children learn lip-reading instead of sign language, since they’ll be “able to fit in better”, and the horrible social /psychological effects this has on them. (nb I don’t actually think the two situations are that similar one the whole)

There are definite historic parallels – talk to Anna about enforcing oralism! Both signing kids and kids speaking indigenous languages have had schools attempt to ban them from their own language, had their hands hit for signing, signing kids have been made to sit on their hands (or worse), all in the name of “it’s for your own good”, because oral language/English is thought to be so clearly superior. Some of the issues are clearly different, but some of the linguistic oppression issues are very similar.

And the comparison is all made a bit more poignant by the rampant sight- and hearing-threatening ear and eye infection issues in some Aboriginal communities, issues which could so easily be ameliorated or even completely eliminated (trachoma) with appropriate funding and effort. Hard-of-hearing kids are obviously going to find it doubly hard to learn in a second language that they can barely even access.

By: Danny

Danny — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:16:43 +0000

Many’s the time I’ve heard, and used, the word “Boomerang” wrt the conditions of a loan of, for example, a tool: that it will be returned promptly and with no need for further input from the lender. Everyone, in my experience, which has been in the main with non-speakers of the Dharuk aboriginal language, understands the meaning of this very useful word. Can anyone offer another single word, from Teh English, that fully conveys it’s meaning?
I wonder what the Pitjinjara word for ’smartarse dickhead’ is: Ericbroderick perhaps?

By: Anna

Anna — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 23:01:42 +0000

Part of my thesis topic involved the devaluation of Deaf culture by enforcing Oralism to the point of beating Deaf children for Signing to each other. Alexander Graham Bell was quite concerned about the need to eradicate the Deaf menace, IIRC.

No parallels here!

*sigh*