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Interview of missionary in Papua New Guinea

 Language Learning Forum : Philological Room Post Reply


newyorkeric
Diglot
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 Message 1 of 5
26 February 2014 at 2:06am | IP Logged 
Thought some of you might be interested in this short interview of a missionary who devised a writing system for Nakui, a language in Papua New Guinea.

Link to interview.
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Cabaire
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 Message 2 of 5
26 February 2014 at 9:41am | IP Logged 
Quote:
They have six tenses (English has only three)

What does he mean? Which three?
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Iversen
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 Message 3 of 5
26 February 2014 at 3:38pm | IP Logged 
I also found the remark about three verbal tenses in English somewhat confusing, but taking in consideration that almost all young men and a third of the young women in the tribe have learned to write using the proposed new writing system for Nakui it can't be totally off the mark in the way things are written. And then it is less important whether its creators have taking all the fashionable trends in modern linguistics in consideration. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
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Volte
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 Message 4 of 5
28 February 2014 at 1:24am | IP Logged 
Cabaire wrote:
Quote:
They have six tenses (English has only three)

What does he mean? Which three?


Presumably past, present, and future; degree of remoteness isn't reflected in English grammar, unlike in some languages. See Comrie's book, "Tense".

I shan't comment further on the article itself, as it was risible.
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Iversen
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 Message 5 of 5
28 February 2014 at 10:01am | IP Logged 
There is no synthetic future in English, just an analytical circumlocution with a progressive variant - and if you take those into consideration you should also include the pluperfect and its progressive partner. But who cares? The point is that Nakui now can be written, and the main problem now is whether there is anything to read in that language.


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