Request of new variant subtag for kichwa (inside qu)

Anthony Aristar aristar at linguistlist.org
Wed Jun 8 21:34:13 CEST 2011


John is absolutely right... though I think in this case even SIL would 
admit that they may have split a little too much.  I hear they intend to 
merge some of the Quechua codes as soon as someone hits them with the 
requisite bibliography.

Anthony

On 6/8/2011 1:46 PM, John Cowan wrote:
> Caoimhin O Donnaile scripsit:
>
>> The Linguistlist Composite Tree:
>>
>>    http://multitree.org/trees/Quechuan%3A%20Composite
>>
>> seems to divide things up less finely than does SIL.
> "Infinite are the arguments of mages."
>
> Here are the SIL/ISO standard criteria for defining languages:
>
> * Two related varieties are normally considered varieties of the same
>    language if speakers of each variety have inherent understanding of
>    the other variety at a functional level (that is, can understand based
>    on knowledge of their own variety without needing to learn the other
>    variety).
>
> * Where spoken intelligibility between varieties is marginal, the
>    existence of a common literature or of a common ethnolinguistic identity
>    with a central variety that both understand can be a strong indicator
>    that they should nevertheless be considered varieties of the same
>    language.
>
> * Where there is enough intelligibility between varieties to
>    enable communication, the existence of well-established distinct
>    ethnolinguistic identities can be a strong indicator that they should
>    nevertheless be considered to be different languages.
>
> I think it's uncontroversial that SIL tends to recognize more languages
> than other individuals or organizations (though specialists in
> particular languages often think their splits are not fine enough!)
>

-- 
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Anthony Aristar, Director, Institute for Language information&
                            Technology
Professor of Linguistics            Moderator, LINGUIST
Linguistics Program
Dept. of English                    aristar at linguistlist.org
Eastern Michigan University         2000 Huron River Dr, Suite 104
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
U.S.A.

URL: http://linguistlist.org/aristar/

  



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