Re: Linguistic Nationalism [was: Re: Multi-Lingos]

On Mon, 21 Aug 2000, Thomas R. Wier wrote:

> ObConlang:  Phaleran, incidentally, is treated similarly to French by the various
> regimes where it is the predominant language of government.  Other speech
[snip]

Sure sounds like French, all right.

Interestingly, one would think Korean would be resistant to outside
vocabulary, but I see people happily using American borrowings (terebi =
TV, oraenchi = orange, rachio = radio, kompyuteo = computer), etc.,
mainly technological terms.  OTOH English has high prestige in Korea, so
you see notebooks, pens, t-shirts, and who knows what else with
incomprehensible quasi-English slogans on them.  I wonder what determines
whether a small, obscure language will embrace outside terms or reject
them (though French IMHO hardly qualifies as small and obscure)?

YHL