2009/10/24 amachu <[email protected]> > On Sat, 2009-10-24 at 21:44 +0530, Prem Kurian Philip wrote: > > I see your point. However, the reality is that those who are going to > > be > > using a computer will at some point or the other have to invent new > > words > > for disk, internet and so on because there are no words for this in > > Tamil/any other indian language. The other reality is that people are > > actually far more flexible than we think and are quite willing to use > > terms which are not native to the language - a crude example: we don't > > have equivalent terms in Tamil for "Tandoori Chicken" but pretty much > > anyone will understand what it means.. other examples: how many > > tamilians > > actually use the Tamil equivalent for bus, cycle, computer etc? > > these are arguments like how many users use linux etc., > > despite the reality that many/ most computer users are windozed we work > towards proliferation of free software.. > > we do not accept the reality, rather we work for a change.. >
If the "change" you are working for is to make the common man understand and appreciate pure tamil, and hence use tamil the way purists use, then I am afraid the way you are trying to bring about the change has some problems! It is also totally unnecessary and meaningless to impose such difficulties all of a sudden on the common man in the name of developing pure tamil, given the current scenario in the tamil-speaking community. Pure tamil is primarily for purists, poets and tamil enthusiasts, just as pure mathematics is for mathematicians and math enthusiasts! I don't mean to say that work on purifying tamil itself is a waste! Of course it should be done, and new tamil words for english words that currently don't have a tamil equivalent should be coined based on the rules provided, but all these should not be imposed on someone who is already comfortable with a modified/colloquial/dialect-of tamil, and who will definitely struggle if presented with a text on pure tamil. Language is something that is best grasped by a human being when he/she is a child. Today, the situation is such that, even some tamil medium students don't understand many words in pure tamil after their schooling. And what about people who have their mother tongue as tamil, but have had an english medium education? The reality of the situation today is that there are very few people who are purists, and a vast majority who just cannot care less! As far as tamil web pages are concerned, a web page can give options such as whether a user would like a pure tamil version or a tamil version that the common man of today can understand. Developing a community of tamil-speaking people who understand and/or use pure tamil, if at all it is possible, can only be done very gradually, and depends on a lot of factors! Many aspects in a person's life affects the kind of language he/she comfortably speaks, and most of the important aspects are based on the cultural/social environment in which the person grows up as a child, and things like changing the way a tamil web page is presented to the reader are not of much help if the major factors remain unchanged! And, of course, a similar argument holds for linux also! Vinod. > the same hold good for languages too.. > > -- > > ஆமாச்சு > > > _______________________________________________ > To unsubscribe, email [email protected] with > "unsubscribe <password> <address>" > in the subject or body of the message. > http://www.ae.iitm.ac.in/mailman/listinfo/ilugc > _______________________________________________ To unsubscribe, email [email protected] with "unsubscribe <password> <address>" in the subject or body of the message. http://www.ae.iitm.ac.in/mailman/listinfo/ilugc
