tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Jan 20 12:23:34 1996
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Re: chu' mu'mey nuqDaq vItu'laH'a'
- From: [email protected]
- Subject: Re: chu' mu'mey nuqDaq vItu'laH'a'
- Date: Sat, 20 Jan 1996 15:23:03 -0500
In a message dated 96-01-18 09:49:31 EST, you write:
>The fact that the grammar of a language has or has
>not been "studied" doesn't dictate whether there *are* rules of
>grammar.
>
>You indicate that Atayal "had no pre-set rules", but I would argue
>that that could not possibly be the case. The rules may not have
>been formalized, but they *must* have existed or no one could
>communicate.
>
>On the other hand, the existence of a set of formalized rules does
>not actually control the use of a given language. We know from
>experience that grammatical rules get violated in day to day speech
>all the time, without materially dimishing understanding.
Yes, quite apparently, every language does have grammar rules. I really
meant to say that Atayal had not yet been recorded. The structure of the
language is there, I just could not refer to any grammar books or other
sources, not even the people, because they did not even understand the word
"grammar." I mean to say that, I needed to memorize phrases as used by the
native speakers for each occasion. It is quite true that I then began to
deduce grammar rules for Atayal. I even published a 74-page book in 1967, U.
ov Wisconsin, 3000 copies on Atayal grammar. Rev. Claire McGill began a
writing system shortly after arriving in Ulai, Taiwan, one of four major
concetrations of Atayal persons, in 1954. It was based on the
bwo-pwo-mwo-fwo of Mandarin. The people could not read it. He set up
church-schools in Yi-lan and Ulai and began teaching them to read it, the
literature mainly being Bible stories, of course.
The main student of Atayal is Erin Asai, Waseda University, Japan. He has
recorded numerous campfire stories of the ancients. When I was in Ulai for
4-1/2 years I was only the eleventh person outside the tribe to study Atayal.
There was little else to do in Ulai. There were zero television sets, one
movie per month, and only one telephone (at the police station). People
still told stories.
Well, back to the issue at hand. I had to memorize what the native speakers
said for each situation. Having TKD and discussion amongst the users of this
listserv is a real advantage over not having any reference sources. On the
other hand, I was immersed with native speakers. Unfortunately, I have not
yet had ANY practice of tlhIngan Hol with Qo'noS nganpu'.
peHruS