is anyone interested in learning an "exotic" language?

Started by Mech, July 26, 2018, 03:45:00 PM

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Mech

I don't remember if I have mentined it elsewhere, but in Na'vi I had found an opportunity to exercise my interest in "exotic" languages, both aesthetically and structurally. The whole mythology of Avatar is an allegory of the history of humanity, and I consider the Na'vi to be a pastiche of African/Oceanian/Native American peoples; i have read somewhere that Cameron loved the sound of Maori and wished for the language of his aliens to have an "exotic" flavor and Mr. Frommer did an excellent job.

Outside the relationship between Na'vi and "exotic" languages, I would like to ask fellow learners if anyone has an interest in such a language. Of course by "exotic" I dont mean Japanese, Chinese or Arabic, but rather aboriginal, native, and rare languages. I have tried to learn what I can (=not much) of Swahili, Quechua, Samoan, Tahitian and Hawaiian but I am far from having even a small discussion in any of them.

I'd like to see if anyone else shares such an interest, perhaps by ancestry or by plain curiosity, and if we could form a team to exchange study ideas and resources?

Toliman

Yeah, I am a bit. I like Polynesian languages.

I sometimes study Hawaiian (currently not extra intensive but I would like change it) and I am also a bit interested in Maorian.

Mech

that's nice to hear Toliman. What is your motivation? Ancestry? Academic interest/curiosity? or aesthetic pleasure?

Toliman

Quote from: Mech on July 27, 2018, 05:54:22 AM
What is your motivation? Ancestry? Academic interest/curiosity? or aesthetic pleasure?
Curiosity + polynesian languages sounds really nice for me :)
I am interested in polynesian star lore (and a bit Polynesian culture generally too) so my interest started here.

Quote from: Mech on July 26, 2018, 03:45:00 PM
i have read somewhere that Cameron loved the sound of Maori and wished for the language of his aliens to have an "exotic" flavor and Mr. Frommer did an excellent job.
Yeah, and it one of reasons why I love Na'vi language - Na'vi words sounds such nice!




And what is your motivation? Just linguistic or also some other reasons?

Mech

I am with you here. It's a combination of my attraction to uncommon/exotic things, esthetic appeal, and curiosity about languages. Polynesian languages seem very different from Old World languages (even non-Indoeuropean ones), and they make me even more curious about the way that thoughts are expressed.

Toliman

Nice :)

Quote from: Mech on July 26, 2018, 03:45:00 PM
I have tried to learn what I can (=not much) of Swahili, Quechua, Samoan, Tahitian and Hawaiian but I am far from having even a small discussion in any of them.
Ang how long time you are interested in these languages?

Mech

Since before Avatar I guess, but it was a background interest back in my mind. I think Na'vi helped me to realize and define it, and enabled me to start searching for resources; and it's not very easy to find.

Do you have any free/online resources in your studies, including about polynesian astronomy, which you could share here?

Toliman

Quote from: Mech on July 27, 2018, 08:26:18 AM
Do you have any free/online resources in your studies, including about polynesian astronomy, which you could share here?
Sure :)

Hawaiian grammar:
http://ulukau.org/elib/collect/hawaiiangrammar/index/assoc/D0.dir/book.pdf

Hawaiian dictionary:
http://ulukau.org/elib/collect/ped/index/assoc/D0.dir/book.pdf

On-line Hawaiian dictionary:
http://wehewehe.org/?l=en

Hawaiian - elementary grammar:
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Hawaiian

Maori: elementary vocabulary + basic grammar + any links:
https://kupu.maori.nz/about/links

Excellent on-line Maori dictionary:
http://maoridictionary.co.nz/


Links about polynesian astronomy + few other links: I will give you it later, I have to colect it. I have terrible chaos in my computer ;D :-[


Toliman

Quote from: Toliman on July 27, 2018, 09:05:35 AM
Links about polynesian astronomy + few other links: I will give you it later, I have to colect it. I have terrible chaos in my computer ;D :-[
And there it is:

Hawaiian + Maori language:

Polynesian astronomy:




And what about your resources?

Mech

mahalo nui loa 8)

Like you I have been reading from Wikipedia, omniglot and such articles. There are also some wordlist for memorizing in tinycards.duoingo, but since there is no grammatical information or context, it's difficult or me to remember them.

I also have found some coursebooks but they are for Tahitian and Samoan.

Toliman

Quote from: Mech on July 28, 2018, 03:05:29 AM
mahalo nui loa 8)
Noʻu ka hauʻoli :)

Quote from: Mech on July 28, 2018, 03:05:29 AM
I also have found some coursebooks but they are for Tahitian and Samoan.
Tahitian ... have you any free/online resources for it?

Mech

Unfortunately not, and the information is scarcier than about hawaiian or maorian. Actually Tahitian is an endangered language :/

You can look for the coursebooks by Darrell Tryon.

In the meantime, enjoy the Moana's "Where you are" in Tahitian dub :)
http://youtu.be/XAmrg5YxM5E

Toliman

Quote from: Mech on July 28, 2018, 03:00:04 PM
and the information is scarcier than about hawaiian or maorian. Actually Tahitian is an endangered language :/
Sadly, it's true. Many polynesian languages are endangered :(

Quote from: Mech on July 28, 2018, 03:00:04 PM
In the meantime, enjoy the Moana's "Where you are" in Tahitian dub :)
Good :)

Toliman

Looks that post from two days before forum outage disappeared, so I give here again that mine two last links:

Making Māori Sentences:
http://tereomaori.tki.org.nz/Teacher-tools/Te-Whakaipurangi-Rauemi/Using-Making-Maori-Sentences

1000 frequent words of Māori:
http://tereomaori.tki.org.nz/Teacher-tools/Te-Whakaipurangi-Rauemi/High-frequency-word-lists




@Mech: Can you give here again your last links (that for Samoan)? :)


Toliman


Toliman


Toliman


Mech

Hmmm I had seen this "Polynesian language pack" as well as others, in torrent lists. Most of them are commercial and copyrighted documents that are distributed illegally. Not sure about this specific one though. Perhaps we should be careful with such links.

Toliman

Hmm, perhaps true. We really should be more careful.