Re: new Klingon spelling

From:    Adam Walker <carrajena@...>
--- "Thomas R. Wier" <trwier@...> wrote:
> > (Personally, aside from these issues, I find it
> > disrespectful not to make an effort to pronounce the
> > latter category of terms as it would be in the source
> > language.  It's not "wrong", except insofar as it is
> > "wrong" not to take into consideration other people's
> > cultures as valid just as your own.  I find
> > anglophones to be very insular in this respect.)
>
> Then I want the Chinese to stop calling my country
> MeiGuo.  It's just unacceptable for them to mangle the
> name of my country like that.  And I'm tired of
> Spanish speakers translating the name of my country
> and inventing adjectives derived from that
> translation.  Chinese speakers and Spanish speakers
> are just so insular.  And while we're at it I want the
> Deaf to stop signing the name of my country and just
> say it like the rest of us.
It seems that absolutely everyone here interpreted me as suggesting
that there are "right" and "wrong" pronunciations, despite the fact
that I explicitly disavowed that stance. I also took into account
whether the speaker is capable without much effort of changing their
behavior (e.g., if they have to learn a wholly new phonology, that
takes a lot of effort). I also stressed that this was a matter of the
community involved;  if the community does not care, then the practical
effects are next to nil.  My point was all about the practical effects
of people's speech, not about the legal or ethical status thereof.
My point (see other posts for details) was that there are certain
communities that simply don't like being called by certain names,
which I exemplified by native American tribes being called in English
by names which mean "slave" or "vile dogs" or something else that
could reasonably cause offense.  Do Jews not like to be called "yid"s
or "kike"s? Most, I think it is safe to say, do not like to be called
thus.  These words which are very offensive to Jews are an example of
something at one end of a continuum;  other words, like the Meskwaki
example, are only mildly offensive; other words, at the other end
of the spectrum, only show ignorance of one's culture and thus will
cause offense to some people but perhaps not most.  My argument is
that if you have reason to believe that someone will be offended by
your speech, you should adjust your speech accordingly NOT as a matter
of principle, but as a practical matter to avoid conflict which will
distract you from the mutual enjoyment of your relationship, and from
getting whatever it is you want accomplished.

 =========================================================================
Thomas Wier            "I find it useful to meet my subjects personally,
Dept. of Linguistics    because our secret police don't get it right
University of Chicago   half the time." -- octogenarian Sheikh Zayed of
1010 E. 59th Street     Abu Dhabi, to a French reporter.
Chicago, IL 60637

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