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 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages |  | |
| frenkeld Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 6943 days ago 2042 posts - 2719 votes  Speaks: Russian*, English Studies: German | Message 33 of 99 10 October 2006 at 10:54am | IP Logged | ||||||||
Why should English speakers respect the pronouncement of Persian language academy on English usage? The usual norm is that each language academy takes care of its own language.
So, are we to assume that Persians who left Iran are all language-illiterate? Is there some sort of political issue you want us to take sides in? In any case, as you yourself point out the word "Farsi" has become commonplace in English-speaking countries, so it is part of English now. That's just the way languages are: foreign words get adopted and become part of the language. And I don't think that calling a language "Farsi" will in any way diminish people's awareness of Persian culture. We can handle two words. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Alijsh Tetraglot Senior Member Iran jahanshiri.ir/ Joined 6622 days ago 149 posts - 167 votes 1 sounds Speaks: Persian*, Spanish, French, English Studies: German, Italian | Message 34 of 99 10 October 2006 at 11:03am | IP Logged | ||||||||
You didn't read it correctly. It says how Farsi came to English. It came when Iranians migrated to Western countries. It has nothing to do with political games. At least, from our side. We are not politicians. We deal with languages. You can call it Farsi if you like. I don't care. I just wanted to tell what is correct and what is incorrect. But be sure that linguists never call it Farsi. All language-literate Iranians calls it Persian, no matter where they live. Please don't mix up things. Does the Academy of English language call it Farsi or Persian? I doubt they say other than Persian. Edited by Alijsh on 10 October 2006 at 11:16am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| lady_skywalker Triglot Senior Member Netherlands aspiringpolyglotblog Joined 6890 days ago 909 posts - 942 votes Speaks: Spanish, English*, Mandarin Studies: Japanese, French, Dutch, Italian | Message 35 of 99 10 October 2006 at 11:08am | IP Logged | ||||||||
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My...I knew the Farsi/Persian debate is nothing new but this really has turned into a heated discussion! To be honest, I don't think we should be telling people how to speak their own language or else we could just as fairly insist that Persian-speakers refer to English as 'English' and not be the recognised Persian word for English (inglisi?). Persian language academies can only determine the linguistic standards within Persian-speaking communities. They hold no sway over what people from other linguistic backgrounds call the language and this DOES vary across the world (not all languages refer to Persian as 'Persian', do they?).
While I can understand both sides of the debate, does it REALLY matter what us English-speakers refer to it so long as people are aware of such a language as Persian (or Farsi, if you prefer)? Would you now rather see people genuinely interested in the language itself or people who are just interested in arguing over whether it should be 'Farsi' or 'Persian'? Would you rather we classified the language as 'just another of those Middle Eastern languages'? At least people are showing an interest in the language, regardless of what they call the language. Might as well agree to disagree as you can never satisfy everyone. :) 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Alijsh Tetraglot Senior Member Iran jahanshiri.ir/ Joined 6622 days ago 149 posts - 167 votes 1 sounds Speaks: Persian*, Spanish, French, English Studies: German, Italian | Message 36 of 99 10 October 2006 at 11:13am | IP Logged | ||||||||
Does the Academy of English language call it Farsi or Persian? I doubt they say other than Persian. Can you say something? Edited by Alijsh on 10 October 2006 at 11:15am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| lady_skywalker Triglot Senior Member Netherlands aspiringpolyglotblog Joined 6890 days ago 909 posts - 942 votes Speaks: Spanish, English*, Mandarin Studies: Japanese, French, Dutch, Italian | Message 37 of 99 10 October 2006 at 11:17am | IP Logged | ||||||||
I don't know if there is an 'Academy of English Language' (someone correct me if there is) but the Oxford Dictionary states that Farsi = Persian. They are thus synonyms and equally valid, in my humble opinion. I've personally always called the language 'Persian' (I'd never heard of 'Farsi' till not long ago) but I can't see why there should be such a problem over a very minor issue as this. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| frenkeld Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 6943 days ago 2042 posts - 2719 votes Speaks: Russian*, English Studies: German | Message 38 of 99 10 October 2006 at 11:20am | IP Logged | ||||||||
As far as I can tell, there is no politics on the Western side either when it comes to how your language is called in English, so I really don't see any conceivable reason why Persian academy should concern itself with what people call the Persian language in English-speaking countries. Besides, for English there is no language academy to rule on such matters, so once a word sticks, it may or may not go away any time soon.
I am hard-pressed to understand what "incorrect" may mean in this case. If Farsi was a different language from Persian, it would indeed be incorrect to call Persian Farsi. Otherwise, it's just a label attached to a concept by a community of speakers, like any other word. It can't be correct or incorrect, so long as the "label" is in wide enough use and it means the same thing to different speakers. The only reason for being in such a strong disagreement with this usage in English that I can detect in your arguments is that you feel it somehow takes away from the appreciation of Persian culture. It doesn't.
I learned it from my wife, but she is from India, so even when speaking English her choice between "Persian" and "Farsi" may well be influenced by other languages she knows. P.S. Come to think of it, my former coworker, who was from Iran, used to call it Farsi too. Edited by frenkeld on 10 October 2006 at 2:01pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| patuco Diglot Moderator Gibraltar Joined 7015 days ago 3795 posts - 4268 votes Speaks: Spanish, English* Personal Language Map | Message 39 of 99 10 October 2006 at 1:52pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
Me neither.
Wow! I'm amazed that there's a five page discussion on whether to call a language "Persian" or "Farsi". I wouldn't have thought that it would elicit such responses. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| frenkeld Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 6943 days ago 2042 posts - 2719 votes Speaks: Russian*, English Studies: German | Message 40 of 99 10 October 2006 at 1:56pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
I don't recall ever seeing a long discussion over definitions in this forum. :) Edited by frenkeld on 10 October 2006 at 1:59pm 1 person has voted this message useful |
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