Language

Sociology 341

Language Learning
- First Language
- Second Language Acquisition
  - Language School
  - LAMP Method
Semantics (Meaning)
- Words have a range of meaning
- Words change meaning
- Synonyms overlap meaning, but not exactly same range
- Sentences have a range of meaning
Translation Theory
- Formal Equivalence (word for word)
  - Literal
  - Idiomatic
- Dynamic Equivalence
  - Mistranslations
    - Among the Zanaki thieves knock to see if someone is home; honest people call
    - Among the Marshallese "under the law" means "illegal"
    - Among the Chol in Mexico "close up his bowels" (1 John 3:17) means "to be constipated" and "close up his heart" means "to have epileptic fits"
    - Translator in Africa had "clean breath" for "Holy Spirit"
  - Borrowed Words
    - church, bishop
    - Zapotecs use Spanish domingo "Sunday" to mean "dance"
    - Aztecs use Spanish gloria "glory" to mean "drunken fiesta and brawl"
    - Quechuas use Spanish santo "saint" to mean "a child's doll"
    - Aztecs use Spanish virgen "virgin" for the moon
  - Missing Word
    - Navajos have no word for kingdom
    - No word in English for paidagogos
    - Some places do not have sheep (e.g. New Guinea)-- use pigs or deer?
- Paraphrase

http://www.bterry.com/anthropology/language.htm hosted at http://bible.ovu.edu/terry/anthropology/language.htm