Yo Matt,
on Sat, 29 Jan 2000 22:51:42 -0600, you wrote:
>Volkhart wrote:
>>>. . . most or all languages tend to develop towards more simplicity, with
>the simplifications
>usually first being regarded as wrong until more and more common usage
>finally leads to their acceptance.<<
>
>This is, of course, nonsense. Just because grammatical or spelling forms,
>which seem complex, become simplified, certainly doesn't mean that
>complexities elsewhere don't arise. How could German have evolved so many
>various dialects if it is "moving towards simplicity"?
>Perhaps there is some equivocation on this word simplicity.
>m.e. bachofen
May be I should have said "existing elements of languages". Of course,
there's no question that, as our world develops, languages also adopt new
elements which make them more complex - I did not think that needed
mentioning. The existence of various dialects is no contradiction to that -
it merely means that language with some common roots developed vastly
independently and in different directions in areas which before the advent
of modern motorized traffic were much more separated from each other than
they are nowadays, and in which different influences affected the
development of the language. With respect to that, also consider that up
into the 19th century there wasn't one Germany but quite a few independent
German states. You don't find a comparable variety of dialects in countries
that have been very centralistic long before these independent states became
Germany; France, for instance. If you compare some south German dialects to
some north German ones you will find that they are as different from each
other as standard German is from English. _Within_ those dialects you will
find the same tendency towards simplicity as in other languages, though
probably not as pronounced. This is no contradiction to the effect of new
elements being introduced; both effects coexist, with the newly introduced
elements also tending toward simplicity (as far as they have a potential for
simplification) as soon as they come into existence.
Of course, this is an extremely complex topic which has filled quite a
number of books, so if we were to discuss it extensively we'd probably have
to start an extra newsgroup or mailing list. :-)
However, as my time barely allows me to read all the postings on the Oly
list and occasionally post something myself.... :-(
MtFbwy,
Volkhart
--
Volkhart Baumgaertner email: kyu@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
MausNet: @MGN
< This message was delivered via the Olympus Mailing List >
< For questions, mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >
< Web Page: http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright/olympuslist.html >
|