tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Mon Nov 28 14:21:59 1994
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Re: please pay some respect to lingual minorities
On Mon, 28 Nov 1994, Sami Laitala wrote:
> After subscribing THLINGAN-HOL, I received an interesting
> file. I'd like to comment on a few lines in it that annoyed
> me.
>
> > There are basically two kinds of postings that will <
> > appear on this list: <
> > <
> > - Messages about anything, written in Klingon <
> > - Messages about Klingon, written in English <
>
> This gives me an impression that only these languages are
> allowed. I would find that attitude rather awkward since I
> know that people who subscribe and contribute articles to
> thlingan-hol mailings also contribute to such lists as
> esperanto, welsh-l and conlang and I know several subscribers
> of thlingan-hol can read Finnish. It would be a FAIR REQUEST
> to include an English translation or abstract from those
> people, who would feel more confident expressing themselves in
> some other language than English. Non-native English speakers
> like myself can't necessary follow all the hair-splitting
> argumentation on Klingon grammar.
>
> Having said all this I realize that it wasn't meant that way,
> yet I feel offended by suggestion that my language isn't as
> good means of communication as English. Or if it's not that
> then learning Klingon is a privilege of English speakers only,
> and all the others should keep away.
>
> Sami,
I think that it would be a fair assumption that most of the people that
know Klingon do in fact speak English, since all the information (That I
know of -- and I admit I'm no expert) on Klingon is in English. And
that's perhaps why the list is in English. Whether or not that is true,
if more than one base language is used in a list like this would lead to
disscussions within each language group and probably not
inter-lingually. I beleive the result would be several lists within this
one list. Perhaps it would be better to have seperate lists for other
languages. I know that sounds Xenophobic, but it's better than having
your mailbox filled with discussions about Klingon in French...some of us
are having trouble with disscussions of Klingon in English. If seperate
lists were set up, you could have liasons between the lists just to keep
everybody up to speed on whats happening.
On the other hand, I think having other languages besides English and
Klingon on the list wouldn't be so bad at first. Just let it run its
course and it will either die off or some languages will become more
popular and graduate up to another list.
Something to think about...
Of course, ANYONE could post in Klingon regardless of you native language.
The trick is to learn Klingon :) maybe if we restrict the languages to
Klingon and Swahili????? ...yeah I know I spelled it wrong :)
johnny
ps. I'm fairly new to this list, so my comments are COMPLETELY my own and
do not neccessarily reflect the views of the originators or the majority of
this list.