Omar Beas
Mon, 19 Feb 2001 12:22:48 -0800
Hola amigos de Aymara Uta: Algunos comentarios rapidos sobre lo ultimo que nos plantean, Jorge y Laura: Ustedes consideran factible el paralelismo de los analfabetismos de la mayoria de los griegos y sanscritos y el pueblo aymara? <<Una pregunta dificil de responder, sobre todo si no hay una posicion ideologica de por medio. En todo caso aunque es interesante hacer comparaciones, creo que ellas no deben llevarnos a mayores conclusiones (a una "explicacion" o algo misterioso como ello en este caso) que la descripcion misma de los hechos. Quiza en este contexto sea igual de importante poner de relieve las diferencias>. I'm a little surprised that when the language is so tremendously sophisticate, I don't see anything about a literature or a writing system. <<I do not understand what you mean by "sophisticate". Is it in the sense of the grammar? Which aspects? If so, what about another languages?> Of course, the literature can be oral, Greek literature was transmitted orally for a long time, and even when the great tragedians, etc., came along, I never researched it because I never before was interested in the issue, but I bet most of the Greeks were still illiterate and knew the literature orally. <<I agree with your intuitions and the comparison that you establish. In case of Quechua and Aymara cultures (that are closely related), we could suppose that there was a kind of "literature" (in the western sense)that was transmitted orally (Comentarios Reales and Cronicas could give a clue to make such conjecture). Since literature and education have always been related, we could say that Inka family and relatives had some access to oral traditions in the "standard version". Peruvian history, however, has been extremely violent to our native cultures and Spanish Conquest is a proof. Another important difference could be the diversity of cultures during the Inka Empire, which is stronger than in the case of Greeks (we had different "kingdoms" with different customs and languages/dialects (!!)Cuzco Quechua, Quiteño Quechua, Mochica language, Culle language, Puquina language, Mochica language, Quingnam language, etc)the tendency was, however, to a functional multiculturalism / multilinguism where a dialect of quechua worked as a koine. I guess, come to think of it, that having a good grammar would be one way to preserve the purity of a language so it would not degenerate as the vernacular changed, already with koine Greek, the Greek language is linguistically declining <<You are right in a prescriptive sense when you say that "having a good grammar..." and definitively Bertonio was a genius. I say that because he could make an excelent and accurate description of Aymara despite of the limitations fo this period. He has not comparison in the Aymara world and perhaps Domingo de Santo Tomas/Gonzales Holguin are only comparable in the Quechua side. So, Bertonio's grammar is not only important because of its prescriptive role (that is how "to speak correctly"), but -I think- because of its descriptive power (how Aymara is spoken in...). I think we could say that there was a koine here but -which is obvious- with different functions and roles. During the Spanish Conquer and colony, Quechua, Aymara, Mochica, Puquina (in a first stage) were taken as a way to spread the Catholic religion. They were "lenguas generales", that is, languages that had a wide range of influence. Perhaps it is interesting to point out the well known case of Quechua. Along the lines you mention, Quechua "koine" of Domingo de Santo Tomas (1583)(DST)was not the same of Gonzales Holguin (1610?)'s. The first one was based on Quechua dialect which was spoken, mainly, in the Peruvian coast; while the second one is a true koine, based on aspects both from Cuzco Quechua and DST Quechua, a "construct" to be used to functional purposes. The former as a tool of Catholic religion dissapeared because of the latter. It is a complex picture... definitively, and that is why it is more interesting!! Take care, Omar P.S. Tengo la mala costumbre de escribir "discursos", pero es lo mejor que puedo hacer por ahora, amigos. Cuidense mucho. _______________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Envía mensajes instantáneos y recibe alertas de correo con Yahoo! Messenger - http://messenger.yahoo.es