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Identity Issues in Mongolia – or The Meaning of Surnames

Published on October 23, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, Asia, culture traditions, language

Los Angeles Times / Yahoo

ULAN BATOR, Mongolia — School principal Baast chose the name “Nomad” in keeping with his wandering spirit. Defense Minister Gurragchaa — the only Mongolian to venture into space — settled on “Cosmos.” And anthropology student Vanchigdash picked the Mongolian word for wisdom. “It makes me feel rather wise,” he said. “I’m very proud of my new name.”

Mongolians, long used to using only first names, are reshaping their identities under a government-led initiative to add surnames. First names worked reasonably well in an isolated, nomadic culture. But officials say surnames are now needed to avoid confusion in a more modern society, to help uncover long-buried roots as people delve into their clan histories and to prevent the inbreeding that occurs when you’re not sure to whom you’re related.

Choosing second names — including the mad dash to name themselves after Genghis — is also helping Mongolians reconnect with their history and rekindle national pride after decades of relative isolation. “A man who doesn’t know his ancestors is like a monk lost in the woods” is a popular proverb here. >> continue

Los Angeles Times / Yahoo

ULAN BATOR, Mongolia — School principal Baast chose the name "Nomad" in keeping with his wandering spirit. Defense Minister Gurragchaa — the only Mongolian to venture into space — settled on "Cosmos." And anthropology student Vanchigdash…

A secret writing system used only by women in China’s Hunan province

Published on October 15, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, Asia, culture traditions, gender, language

The Straits Times Asia

MADAM Yang Huanyi, 98, died in a remote part of China’s Hunan province last month. There was nothing unusual about her death, except that she was the last person on Earth who had mastered a secret writing system used only by women in that region.

Today, the number of people who understand nushu well comes to less than 50 worldwide. Most of them live in Madam Yang’s Jiangyong county. The residents there want to exploit its potential as an attraction for tourists. This has alarmed linguists, anthropologists and other experts, who are worried that the ancient writing system will be defiled through such commercial exploitation.

Nushu, believed to have been invented almost 2,000 years ago, was used exclusively by women in western Hunan and parts of adjoining Guangxi region. (article no longer online)

MORE INFORMATION
A language by women, for women. Scholars try to save unique Chinese script (MSNBC / Washington Post)
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The Straits Times Asia

MADAM Yang Huanyi, 98, died in a remote part of China's Hunan province last month. There was nothing unusual about her death, except that she was the last person on Earth who had mastered a secret writing…

Universal children’s sign language gives new insights into how languages evolve

Published on September 20, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, language, persons and theories, youth

BBC

A new sign language created over the last 30 years by deaf children in Nicaragua has given experts a unique insight into how languages evolve. The language follows many basic rules common to all tongues, even though the children were not taught them.

It indicates some language traits are not passed on by culture, but instead arise due to the innate way human beings process language, experts claim.

The development of language has long been the focus of debate. Some people in the extreme “nature” camp believe that grammar is essentially hard-wired in the brain, while those in the extreme “nurture” camp think language has no innate basis and is just culturally transmitted. >> continue

(via Sybille Ambers Blog)

BBC

Researchers claim to have solved the mystery of the people who don’t count

Published on August 20, 2004 by lorenz Posted in anthropology in the news, language, Latin- and Central America, Native American, persons and theories

The Guardian

The Piraha of the Amazon have almost legendary status in language research. They have no words at all for number. They use only only three words to count: one, two, many. To make things confusing, the words for one and two, in Piraha, are the same syllable, pronounced with a falling or rising inflection.

And to make things really difficult, the word for one can sometimes mean “roughly one”, and the word for two can sometimes mean “not many”. The Piraha have puzzled anthropologists for decades.

Peter Gordon, a behavioural scientist at Columbia University in New York, reports in Science today that the Piraha may may not be very good at counting because because they do not have the words for it. >> continue

The Guardian

Music and Socitiety in South Africa – Interview with Jonny Clegg

Published on July 22, 2004 by lorenz Posted in Africa, anthropology in the news, culture traditions, language, music, Us and Them

allAfrica.com

“I came from a country that forbade the mixing of culture, through cultural segregation and other enforced laws, so I was immediately attracted to the other side. Anthropology was a natural continuation of an interest I developed at the age of 14, hanging out with street musicians.

“We are at a fascinating moment and different South Africans have different ideas of what it is to be a South African. In all of that, I find myself at a very interesting time in South Africa where there is so much flux, change and movement. Languages are breaking down; languages are bleeding into each other. Indian words are coming into Africa. Afrikaans is coming in and a new hip urban kind of verbal style. All of these things for me as an anthropologist are fascinating. >>continue

allAfrica.com

"I came from a country that forbade the mixing of culture, through cultural segregation and other enforced laws, so I was immediately attracted to the other side. Anthropology was a natural continuation of an interest I developed at the age…