Language

IBAEM, TOK for Subject Teachers Workshop, Abu Dhabi 2013

Ice Breaker

Invent a new language for a specific type of country. Maximum 32 words or signs No word can come from English or any existing language! Perform a story that other teams must then understand.

Explain your story and how you created your language.

Lost in translation

As a French speaker, it is important for me to make a difference between savoir and connatre while English uses only one word know . In contrary, aimer is enough for me when English has got love and like . What do we lose in translations?

Are we sure that the others understand us?

Colours

Are you sure that the colours I see are the same as you see? In ancient Greek, there was no difference between green and blue: In Mandarin, the colour brown didnt exist until the XXth century when the word has been invented. Before, it was red, black or yellow.

In Inuit, you have 100 words to say snow ! http://ontology.buffalo.edu/smith/varia/snow.html

Spelling
Do we really write what we want to say?

How do you pronounce GHOTI ?

Homophones (ex: to-two-too) Various alphabets Semitic languages Ideogrammes

FISH

GH=F, like in enough O=I, like in women TI=SH, like in emotion

Characters and meanings

ho good

But why is the character like that?

= woman = child Then: Having a family

Chinese family

Peace

Family

King

What does it mean?

What does it mean?

has, in fact, 21 possible translations in English, such as: Way, course, manner, method Road, path Read, interpret

It is also an adjective, a verb and a noun

http://www.hku.hk/philodep/ch/Dao.html

Imagine the difficulty of translating Laozis first verse

The infinity that can be conceived is not the everlasting Infinity. (transl. By J. Worldpeace) The Way that can be experienced is not true. (transl. by Peter A. Merel) The Way that can be told of is not an unvarying Way. (transl. by Waley) The Flow of the universe is not one you can explain. (transl. by S.E. Kisen) The Tao that can be trodden is not the enduring and unchanging Tao. (transl. by J. Legge)

The tao that can be told is not the eternal tao. (transl. by S. Mitchell)
A tao that can be tao is not a complete tao. (transl. by D. Lindauer)

Any questions ?

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