the worlds most unique language
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Stumble ThisI wanted to find something about the Piraha language, a language that can be sung, whistled and includes rasberry noises. It has no numbers higher than two, the only time (tense?) is the present, and it has no names for colors.. among a ton of other things that sets it apart from every other language on the planet, so much in fact that the first linguist studying it, was afraid of presenting his finding.
"Linguist Daniel Everett thinks that the language of the Pirahã - an indigenous tribe from Brazil - contradicts the theory that all languages share a single, innate grammar"
absolutely fascinating stuff!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirahã_language
"Linguist Daniel Everett thinks that the language of the Pirahã - an indigenous tribe from Brazil - contradicts the theory that all languages share a single, innate grammar"
absolutely fascinating stuff!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirahã_language
your comment was in the past and was infact invalid in Piraha language, and thus removed
By the way... for a present ONLY language.. did you catch the subtitles used..
"Afterwards, he fell down"
I'm no grammar expert, but it appears there is a time based narrative in their language.
"Afterwards, he fell down""
yes, i spotted that as well... but maybe thats just translated that way to make us understand it better? i also see that that "feature" isnt mentioned in the wikipedia entry (any longer) but it is desribed in the science magazine where i first read about it.
maybe i should switch it out with a different factoid? like for example that the women use one sound less in their language compared to the men
The New Yorker article is infinitely more facinating than this brief clip.
Amazing language. Boring video.
i agree, even though i posted it. the other video i found was a slide show set to a bbc radio report... but it is such an exciting topic!! i am hoping something better visually will be produced.
This is a question: Do you think the Piraha culture is ignorant?
Amazing language. Boring video.
How is it amazing? Seems like a pretty crappy language to me.
something can be amazing and shit ore impractical at the same time like say that frog that when pissed off brakes its leg bone inorder to have a claw.
i dont think the word amazing is ethor posative ore negaive its merly anoher way of describing wonderment ore something that is abnormaly intresting compared to other things of intrest.
the language doesn't improve the racional quality of communication to those who speak it, which is the purpose of a language (unlike the claw that all frogs so desperately want to mutate on their legs, forcing nature to "give" them one lol). the tribe well... will be a tribe as long as it keeps with this kind of highly flawed grammaire. ignorants yes; stupid? there's no such thing, only social failure.
About the existence of a past tense, numbers, etc. in this language, it's possible that the past, memories, "history", myths, etc. have intricate ways to be addressed to.
does this mean there is a universal grammaire? maybe, just as much as pandas mean that mammals are a doomed, failing branch of life.
anyWay, somE people write way worSe Than our "unYversal" grammaire permits...
the intrest from this comes from the fact that its a culture that has sucsedded for a length of time without the use of language structures that you would exspect. and as a result may help exsplain other facets of comunicatoin and how we might think anchent man may of comunicated, ore what actualy is required in comunicatoin. ( as well as how limited comunicatoin can be) to be able to do daily activitys and live fairly well.