I have been doing localization of software to Bangla for several years.
I work with the Bangla Academy (note the work Bangla in the English name
of the academy), the Ministry of information Teachnology, the Office of
the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Education. Among other things we
are working on the standardization of computer language in Bangla.
I only speak English with them... and they will never say Bengalí,
always refer to their language as Bangla (in English), and insist that
that is the name in English.
The process of moving names back to the original from the colonial
English is not new to South Asia. In India for example, nowadays in
English, you still have to say Mumbai or Chennai, in spite of the old
English names of Bombay or Madras. These are official English language
used in those countries.
Standards are standards, and should not change, so it will probably
remain as bengalí in 369.
Local language names do not have to agree with the English names. Khmer
in Cambodia would sound Khmae when speaking Khmer. What is the main
language of Myanmar in English, Burmese or Myanmar?... officially
Myanmar, but still burmese in the standard. Which one is correct?
Which leads to one more complex question? What is English? Is it what
you speak in England? or is it the version of English spoken of each
country? Can each country determine the English names of its language,
country and places?
Javier
William J Poser wrote:
Actually, Bengali is called "Bangla" in Bengali but "Bengali" has been and
still is the usual English name, both in common usage and in sources
such as the Ethnolog. There is no disrespect in the English
name for a language or country not being the same as that used in that
language or country, as one can see from the fact that the English name
is almost always different from the self-designation. This is true of every
other language with which I am familiar, which of course is to be expected
since different languages have different sound systems. If you know
Bengali, you will know that "English" is not called "English" in Bengali.
Bill
