Linguistics Final Project

This is my final project on Colonization and Its Effects on Language.

Summary of Chinua Achebe's Interview with BBC

In this interview with BBC news, Chinua Achebe, discusses his childhood and the affects colonization has had on the Igbo culture and community.  In the beginning of the interview, Achebe talks about his life in Nigeria and the influence Christian missionaries and colonization had on the culture, especially regarding the oral traditions and the idea of how people communicate.  He states that the Igbo language is dying out and experiencing, what some linguists have called "language dispossession" (a term which was seen earlier in another article by David Nieto as well).
Furthermore, Achebe goes on to discuss that part of the reason the Igbo language is becoming extinct is due to the fact that younger generations have stopped speaking the language and performing the cultural rituals for fear of being seen as different, which is one of the reasons as to why colonialism has such a strong hold on the culture of the natives and the traditions that the indigenous people were born with.  As an author and advocate for the preservation of heritage and traditions, Achebe is starting a "literary movement" to combat the long lasting effects of colonization, by re-writing all of his books in the Igbo language, hoping too that other publishers and authors might go the same route and in essence catalyze a cultural movement.

Summary of David Nieto's Article

David Gonzalez Nieto's article entitled, "The Emperor's New Words: Language and Colonization" is a compelling and innovative article concerning colonialism and its effects on native populations, more specifically how it alters their identities and ways of communicating.  In a similar fashion to Mufwene's article, Nieto starts off by describing language as a living organism which is part of one's soul and in many ways is intrinsically linked to our identities. He goes on to discuss the fact that colonizers understood the essential role language plays in a community and how they would wield language as a type of weapon by forcing the natives to learn the "new", imposed language.
Furthermore, Nieto goes into detail discussing the concept of "re-naming" which is also known as "linguistic dispossession".  This type of communicative displacement leaves the indigenous population feeling dependent and inadequate compared to the colonizers, who in many ways seemed more advanced and elite in comparison.  In addition, Nieto gives examples of "linguistic dispossession" and how it was utilized by explorers when they started mapping out their "new" found land and giving new names to already established towns.  Overall, Nieto's article provides a multitude of examples concerning the metamorphosis of  everyday words and places and how colonialism affected not only one's communication skills, but also the culture as well.

Nieto, David Gonzalez (2007) "The Emperor’s New Words: Language and Colonization," Human Architecture: Journal of the Sociology of Self-Knowledge: Vol. 5: Iss. 3, Article 21. 

Summary of Salikoko Mufwene's Article

Salikoko Mufwene's article entitled, "Colonization, Globalization, and the Future of Languages in the Twenty-first Century", depicts language as a living organism which is affected by multiple factors like the socio-economic structure of the environment, the diversity of the population, and its overall use within society.  Mufwene argues that if these elements are not conducive, the language could evolve to reflect the more dominant form of communication or could become totally extinct.  Furthermore, Mufwene makes the argument that these alterations, known as "language shifts"are directly linked to colonization and the globalization of our society.  Within his article, Mufwene first begins by defining the concept of language and the fact that when two languages converge, a type of Darwinism takes over and the ultimate endurance of a language depends on a type of survival of the fittest.  In addition, Mufwene makes the distinction between a language shift and language loss, with one meaning adaption while the other means extinction, an act which Mufwene refers to as a type of "linguicide".

The article then goes on to describe the three types of colonization: trade, settlement, and exploitation.  Each one has their own various affects on the native language and population, beginning with gradual changes and then leading to a complete domination of the indigenous culture and a total shift in the way people communicate, ultimately transitioning to a type of "monolingualism".  Overall, Mufwene's article conveys the transition of language and how our current economic and trade shifts have lead to a transition from English being the dominant language to Chinese (Mandarin), which substantiates his claims concerning language and the fact that a particular language's "vitality depends on the communicative behaviors of their speakers, who in turn respond adaptively to changes in their socio-economic ecologies" (2002).

Project Proposal

For my final linguistics project I would like to combine the two topics concerning "English and Empire" and "American English", to focus on my main argument regarding Colonization and Its Effects on Language.  I might also explore the concept of dead languages and how colonization played a role in the extinction of native tongues.  The medium in which I wish to present my project would be in the form of a Prezi, where I could convey any supplemental elements including images or short video clips to assist in explaining my findings.

Here are some of the sources I have looked into using:

Scholaraly Articles & Interviews:

"British Colonialism and Its Linguistc Consequences" by Walid M. Rihane
"I'm a Victim of Linguistc Colonialism" by Chinua Ahcebe
"Colonization, Globalization, and the Future of Languages in the Twenty First Century" by Salikoko Mufwene

Episode 33 Missionaries and Manuscripts

This podcast was very informational and provided a multitude of excellent facts which highlights not only the spread of Christianity, but also the evolution of both the spoken word and written texts.

https://prezi.com/wtbbgmlk_kwj/missionaries-and-manuscripts/

Biography of a Word Project

Symone McCoy

Linguistics

Dr. Walts

March 16, 2015

Biography of a Word

            For my biography of a word project, I chose to examine the word “porcelain”.  As an English major and one time biology major, I had heard “porcelain” utilized in a multitude of ways and in many texts/literature.  Whether it’s being used to describe a person’s features or carved into a particular shape/structure, the word porcelain is very captivating due to its multiple purposes and duality as both an adjective and a noun.  Furthermore, porcelain has a long history and played a vital role in some of the economic and social structures of developing countries, allowing them to thrive and expand within the trade systems during much of the 1600’s B.C. and beyond.

            When initially starting my project, I chose the word porcelain because I loved the way it sounded and by just saying the word, I was able to picture in my mind the idea of porcelain dinnerware and other fancy things which porcelain is used to make.  However, once I began dissecting the word and learning more about its origins, the concept and idea of porcelain is more complex and dynamic than I originally imagined.  Concerning porcelain’s origin, the word derives from the Italian word porcellana, which is used to describe egg shells.  Porcelain evolved out of that word because of its natural look and structure, which resembles both the whiteness and fragility of an egg shell.  Furthermore, in my initial search I had found that porcelain also had other origins in both the French and Chinese language as well, and no one was really able to tell which culture first discovered porcelain, but many assume it was the Chinese due to their overwhelming monopoly and utilization of the material within both their art work and trade. 

            According to the Oxford English Dictionary, one of the first known records of the word porcelain was documented within one of the log books of Peter Martyr d’ Anghiera, an Italian historian who traveled around the world during the Age of Exploration.  During his trip, he documented that in 1555 B.C. he came across “two vessels made of the fine earth called Porcellana” (Oxford English Dictionary).  Concerning, this particular trip, historians are unsure as to where Anghiera was at the time when he came across these porcelain figures.  Although it can be estimated that since Anghiera was doing most of his writing and travels during a time when Europe was fascinated with Asia and Chinese culture, due to the increasing popularity of the spice trade, many believe that he was one of the first historians to come across and document porcelain art coming from China. 

            Concerning the other variation of the word porcelain, in which people use it to describe someone’s appearance as either being fair or fragile, one of the first known pieces of documented literature comes from Richard Brome’s The Sparagus Garden, in which he describes one of the women within his play as having skin “of the purest piece of Purslane” (The Sparagus Garden, 1640).  This use of the word had become popular during later years and is featured again in other literary works such as Lord Byron’s Don Juan, William Faulkner’s Sanctuary, and most recently featured in the New Yorker in an article by Daniel Raft on the night life of New York City.

            Regarding the word porcelain in terms of art, the material has been used by many and is a type of ceramic substance which can be formed by heating the materials at a very high temperature within a kiln.  An interesting misconception and misuse of the word porcelain comes in when people utilize the word to describe something as being fragile, because in reality porcelain is very durable and has a particularly strong resistance to breaking.  According to the Dictionary of Anthropology, porcelain might have been mistaken for china or bone china, which are materials also used in the arts which look very similar to porcelain, but they are more fragile and tend to break easier. 

            Over the years the word porcelain has stayed pretty stagnant and isn't heard of much in general conversation, but there are a few key phrases still used in popular culture which apply the word.  Some of these are the porcelain throne, which refers to a toilet, and a popular Chinese comic strip entitled The Porcelain Princess.  Overall, I have discovered that the word porcelain has a rich and dynamic history which makes this particular word very interesting. 

Works Cited

“Porcelain, n. and adj.” Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web.

“Porcelain, n. and adj.” OED Online. Oxford University Press, December 2014. Web. 8 March                              2015.

Seymour-Smith, Charlotte. “Porcelain.” Dictionary of Anthropology. Boston, MA: G.K. Hall, 1986.                               205-06. Print.