LINGUIST List 14.287

Mon Jan 27 2003

Qs: History of Lang, Throwing Voice

Editor for this issue: Renee Galvis <reneelinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Andrzej Pisowicz, Idea for book
2. Carol L. Tenny, questions

WHO WILL WRITE "A LINGUISTIC HISTORY OF THE WORLD" ?

There is a lack of a comprehensive work which gives a historical
picture (including the contemporary era) of the use of individual
languages by the most varied "non-native speakers". International
languages are meant here (nowadays: English, French and
others). Another question is that of choosing one of the local
languages, e.g. in which language communicate the German speaking
Swiss with their fellow-citizens (compatriots) whose mother tongue is
French or Italian? There are sometimes typical models, e.g. Romanies
(Gypsies) who usually speak the dominating language of the country
where they live, but it happens also that a lingusitic situation has a
mixed character (probably the case of Swedes in Finland ?). For
example, little is known (outside the region itself) what language
(languages ?) are used in Israel between Jews and Palestinians.

Another general problem to be studied: where can people speaking
related languages communicate (to some extent, of course) using their
own language (Scandinavians, Western Slavs)? All such situations need
a description. Is one of the two languages in contact used or a third
one? And there are other similar problems. 

Even a work limited to a synchronic presentation of contact languages
of modern times and covering only a certain territory (e.g. Europe
with its variegated linguistic landscape) would have some value, not
only theoretical but also practical (e.g. tourists coming to Geneva
are often disappointed by having troubles with finding German speaking
people in that Swiss town). 


My name is Andrzej Pisowicz. I am a specialist in Iranian and Armenian
linguistics (Jagellonian University of Cracow, Poland), aged 62, with
many other plans to work on, so I am not able to organize the above
presented project. I just propose and ask: perhaps there is/are (a)
linguist(s) from any country ready to co-ordinate a possible
cooperation of scholars from all over the world and to encourage them
to write a book entitled "A Linguistic History of the World" or
something like that, e.g. only contemporary linguistic situation of a
particular region (Europe, Near and Middle East and so on). If so, I
would be happy to give him/her/them more suggestions which, of course,
could be developped and enlarged in various directions by the
author(s) and to find my name in a preface to such a book as the man
who had conceived the idea. 

Anyone interested should please write to my e-mail address:
pisowiczvela.filg.uj.edu.pl

A student in my intro class asked me, how do you throw your voice? Can
anyone tell me what that means and how it is done?

Carol Tenny