Language; Romano-Greek
People and Culture;
Used as a secret language in public, the Romano-Greek language is a mixed language (that is, of multiple lexical origins) spoken by the Romani (or Gypsy) people in Greece. This language arose due to contact between Romani people in Greece and the Greek language and therefore the language has its structure and grammar in common with Greek with a heavy lexical borrowing from Romani, an Indo-Aryan language related to some languages in northern India. In 2000, this language had approximately 30 native speakers. This language is used among its native speakers (who most likely know Greek as well) so that others cannot understand what is being said.
Why save this language?
According to UNESCO, languages often reflect on the experiences of a people or culture and might often coincide with the region in which these people live; for example the Romano-Greek language developed in Greece as a result of contact between the Romani and Greek languages and therefore, may very well reflect the experiences of the Romani people in Greece. I know that the Romani are a heavily discriminated-against people in most parts of Europe, and the reason they might use this language as a 'secret language' is so that they can keep their conversations private from the general public. It also most likely reflects on their experiences in Greece and if this language is lost completely, they will have no language of their own to speak and a part of their culture and experience is lost. In addition it is probably one of the only remains of their original culture in Greece.
Reflection of the Language and Culture;
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/docroot/dulcinea/fd_images/news/international/2009/feb/Legal-Action-Offers-Roma-Gypsies-Hope-In-Greece/news/0/image.jpg
This language is most likely used in the workplace among adults, particularly men, as this language would have been used among Roma Gypsies in Greece largely in public, and most likely in the workplace.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Knowledge in Symbols, March 25, 2010
1. This symbol is extremely old and has been found to have meaning in many places from around the world for thousands of years. In early Chinese ideography it stood for the number 5, while as an Egyptian hieroglyph it meant to damage or divide. In traditional Nordic culture it represented a gift, particularly from a chief to a loyal warrior or subject. Since the beginning of the 17th century, this symbol has been used as a symbol of multiplication. Today, this diagonal cross has many meanings including cancellation, multiplication, crossbreed between different species (as in Punnett Squares), unknown, void, or road obstruction (a military use for this symbol).
2. This symbol conveys many meanings to me, and the knowledge that I receive when I see this symbol is varied, depending on the context of the situation. If I see it in a math problem I think either 'multiply' or 'variable' depending on what type of math problem it is, since 'x' is a common symbol in mathematics. If I see this symbol written very largely over a bunch of words I know it means 'void' or 'invalid' or basically, whatever was crossed out has no use anymore and is no good. Since this symbol can mean many things in different contexts, my knowledge varies, but seeing the symbol by itself, I simply see the letter 'x'.
3. This is an ambiguous symbol, due to the fact that it has so many meanings. It can mean completely different things from multiplication to void or invalid. It can be emotive as well, as some of its uses (such as void, no good, invalid) are definitely negative, while other uses such as multiplication or unknown are neutral, while the old Nordic use for it (gift) is positive. If I took a test and saw a big X over my writing, I would get a definite negative feeling from this, as none of what I would have written was worth anything, however if I see it as a multiplication sign in a math problem, to me it is more neutral and doesn't evoke positive or negative emotions.
4. The ambiguity of this symbol can present some problems of knowledge, mainly for people who are not aware of its various meanings. Someone may not know that an X can mean so many different things and may interpret it incorrectly. For example if I was looking at Egyptian hieroglyphics, I would not already know that to them it meant break or divide unless I looked it up, because in my own life I have never seen an X represent either of those things. Since this symbol is used in many different regions and cultures and has been for many years, it has taken on so many meanings that it is not likely that someone would be familiar with them all, which makes misinterpretation all that much more likely.
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