Wednesday, December 18, 2024
OPINION ESSAY - THINKING ABOUT SOUNDS AND LANGUAGE AND PEOPLE
Oddly enough, it was sounds, not actual words, that made me begin to understand that thought itself could influenced by the "language" of the person.
In language school we were told that when a German dropped something, they did not say "oops", but, said "hoopla". It seemed strange to me that they would actually make that sound instead of the "natural", in English, of course, sound of "oops".
The first time I ate in the mess hall (dining facility) at my duty station in Germany, one of the German ladies who worked there dropped some dishes, and, sure enough, laughed and said, "Hoopla".
It was more of a revelation to me about the power of language than anything else I learned studying two languages and living in Europe for six years.
So, just for fun, what kinds of animals say wau-wau, kikeriki, and iaah in German?
Dog (bow wow), rooster (cockadoodle doo), mule or horse (hee haw).
Same animals, sounding different to different ears. Makes me wonder if the thoughts sound different too.
Labels: donovan baldwin, essay, German, hooplah, language, oops, opinion
