ピダハン文化のキーワードが、「直接体験の原則(IEP= The immediacy of experience principle、体験の直接性原則)」(P.326)です。自分、あるいは生きている仲間が直接体験したものを大切にします。むしろ、それ以外は認めません。その、直接経験と非経験の境目が著者が「経験識閾」と名づけた「イビピーオ」です。
I learned about this book from Youtube's " Yuru Linguistic Radio " (I checked today Wikipedia ). This is very interesting. Once you start watching it, it's so interesting that you can't stop watching it. This is one of the many books introduced there.
There is an episode I want to write in "Yuru Linguistic Radio". I happened to find "Yuru Linguistic Radio", so I didn't think it was such a famous channel, but when I talked to a child who happened to be home, he said, "I'm watching too." It wasn't until I learned that it was a channel that won the "YouTube Creator Awards".
"It's interesting, isn't it? But I can't keep up with it because it's uploaded a lot," said the child, "That's just about once every few weeks." That was the end of the day, but a few days after my child returned, I got a call. "It looks like it's been uploaded about twice a week," said the child.
The reason I wrote this is that the words have their backs. In addition to the superficial meaning, my words mean "I'm not trying so hard to watch everything quickly", and my child's words mean "I don't have the desire to watch them properly". Do you know that it is in? However, even if
can be translated almost exactly word by word, it is quite difficult to grasp the story. Because our story has a world that is not expressed in words, and that world is created by our culture. (P.175)
.
The background of Japanese is Japanese culture. Haiku and tanka are based on that background. That's why it's difficult to translate into another language.
The problem is the child's words a few days later. Certainly, if you know the frequency of uploads and the time of one playback, you can calculate how many episodes you should watch each day and how many days you should catch up. But did the child understand the meaning behind him and teach him with "kindness"? It may be so. I haven't confirmed it. At that time, I just said, "Yes, thank you." If you say, "You don't have to bother to tell me, because I'm not watching so hard," it's going to be a fight. The concern is that the cultural background of the Japanese language may have changed (lost).
Linguist missionaries
Pidahan lives in the upper Amazon River and is an ethnic group of about 400 people who speak Pidahan. The author, Everett, is a missionary who came to the village for missionary work. Despite being hit by the life threat of his wife and children (malaria, etc.), he tries to spread while living with Pidahan for about 30 years. This book is the record.
The meaning of the word "ethnicity" is not exact. I don't know.
The first part, which occupies more than half, depicts the life of Pidahan. I love writings from other cultures like this. That is why I am interested in cultural anthropology. Recently, I think that the number of TV programs and video works that visit such villages is decreasing. It may be difficult to produce because of the issues of racial discrimination and human rights violations. Just seeing a woman's breasts can be a problem. You can intentionally draw discriminatory. I think Western anthropology and natural history started out as "a freak show wearing a scholarly mask," and I think that is still the case for commercial things. However, not drawing another culture has the same hypocritical smell as "word hunting". If you put the lid on, it seems that you think that "the smell will disappear". It seems that they have forgotten that "(Western) democracy" based on "freedom and equality" cannot be realized by "covering odors".
The second part is the linguistic study of Pirahã. This is a little difficult, but you can read the first part to understand what you mean. I think there is something that can be conveyed rather than "words."
I criticize Chomsky's theory almost entirely, so I think it's easy to understand if you read Chomsky (I haven't).
The third part is the result of missionary work (?). The author seems to have gotten a great price for missionary work. By seeing the life of Pidahan, the author abandoned his faith and became an atheist.
Life of Pidahan
For more information, please read this book. Here are some of the things that people from the outside "see" and feel.
From this experience, I learned that Pidahan does not easily incorporate the knowledge and customs of the outside world. No matter how useful the knowledge may be. (P.109)
One pattern can be seen. There is no way to store food in Pidahan, disregarding tools and making only disposable baskets. It seems to be a cultural value not to worry about the future. That doesn't mean it's lazy. This is because Pidahan works really well. (P.113)
In order to value the present more than the future, Pidahan does not devote more energy than the minimum required to do anything. (Same as above)
We can only see things through the "culture / language filter" when we understand things, or even when we see them. The life and language of Pidahan that can be seen through the filter may be "incomprehensible."
However, as taught by Pidahan, how to perceive the environment by one's preconceptions, culture, and experience cannot be simply compared between different cultures. It can be different. (P.5)
Cognition is what is learned. We see, hear, and feel the world from two perspectives. From the perspective of a theorist and the perspective of a resident of the universe. We are looking at it in the light of our experience and expectations, and we rarely see the world as it is, almost at all. (P.314)
We learn "how to see things" together with language from the time we are born. Originally I am not good at remembering human faces, but Western faces are more difficult to distinguish than Eastern ones. As Westerners find it difficult to distinguish Orientals. I can't tell the difference between crocodile and alligator. It will be difficult for Westerners to distinguish between "brother and brother". I don't even feel the need to distinguish. We have no choice but to recognize through culture or language.
Clothing, food, shelter and labor
One of the reasons why I found Pidahan's view of food interesting is that food is as important as our culture. I felt that I wasn't there. (P.110)
Harvesting and collecting is a woman's job. About twelve hours a week are devoted to this work to feed a family of four, which is common in Pidahan. This means that the time spent fishing and collecting is 42 hours per week, which is shared by fathers, mothers and children (sometimes grandparents), and everyone spends about 15 to 20 hours a week. You just have to "work". However, fishing and collecting are fun activities for Pidahan, which is incompatible with the concept of labor in Western culture. (P.112)
We are worried about tomorrow's food. Far from tomorrow, some people are stockpiling emergency food in case of future disasters that may come. I know I'm worried about what I'm eating now, but why am I worried about what I'm eating tomorrow? Far from tomorrow's food, I don't even know if I'm alive tomorrow.
I think the reason is, "Even if you find that you don't have food tomorrow, you may not always be able to find it tomorrow." Especially in agricultural culture, by putting up with eating today and burying and growing it, you can get "more fruit" days and months later.
Worrying about the future is the same as being a "rational person." Reason demands "worry". In Socrates's dialogue, there is a comparison of "today's pleasure and future pleasure" and "today's comfort and future pleasure". This is similar to the question of whether to eat from "what you like, what you think is delicious" or leave it behind. It seems to be different for each person. I am the latter. Somehow, it's better to eat delicious food at the end, isn't it? But reasonably? If you think about it, you may get full on the way and you may not be able to eat delicious food. Besides, it tastes better when you're hungry, so even if you leave it alone, you may not feel full and delicious when you eat it. Maybe it's because I haven't come across something that says, "It's delicious. You can die because you ate it."
But even those who choose the former will not think, "I ate today, so I don't have to eat tomorrow." I think there is still a "cultural bias" there.
The area where Pidahan lives is the rainforest. A treasure trove of plants and animals. Tomorrow's food should be procured tomorrow. It's tropical, so you don't need clothes or a house to protect yourself from the cold. But what about areas north or south of the temperate zone? I don't know the details. Probably, the place where it is colder than a certain level is not suitable for agriculture. Arid areas such as deserts are also impossible. Even if it is not a desert, areas where livestock farming is mainly carried out are not suitable for farming. Agricultural culture, and the culture of preserving food for tomorrow, may be surprisingly few.
But culture isn't a majority vote, and it's not really clear if what we think this is a trend on a daily basis is really numerically superior. (P.389, Translator's Postscript)
Children
Children have been "rediscovered" in Western Europe as "small and underdeveloped others." It wasn't until modern times. In Japan, it seems that it remained until before the war, and it turned out that the "children's group" and "wakashugumi" drawn in Akamatsu folklore were an independent part of the society (community). (" Folk culture of the non-citizens ”).
"Human" itself was rediscovered in modern times, but the "human" there was only adult males, and females and children were not included in "humans". To summarize briefly, "human rights" are "the right of a man as a rational being to have an ego." In order to make that happen, it was necessary to eliminate "irrational things": women, children, madmen, people with disabilities, barbarians, and so on.
In other words, claiming "women's human rights" means "acknowledge that women are also egoists." Let me tell you. " Recently, "human rights of children" have been called out, and there may be a child agency (children's family agency), but is it "acknowledge the selfishness of children"? "Animal rights" (animal rights?) Are also said. It looks like "animal welfare" for chickens and pigs to "eat happily".
Of course, wearing a dress is a proof that children and adults are not treated exactly the same, but some of the non-same treatments are Western. Does not include prohibiting acts that are normally adult's. (P.140)
The lack of baby talk in Pidahan means that all Pidahan adults, members of society, are equal and children should not be treated differently than adults. It seems to be based on the belief. Everyone is responsible for the community and everyone is taken care of by the community. (P.384)
This is what it looks like from a Western (and now Japanese) way of thinking. Conversely, think about why Western "adults" are seen as "equal as humans." Is "rational", which is the standard, self-evident?
Social authority / power
Interestingly, despite the strong collective consciousness, the villagers are forced as a group. It is unlikely to work. It is rare for a Pidahan to order another Pidahan to do something, even between parents and children. (P.143)
But coercion does exist. As far as I can see, the main forms are Murahachibu and the spirits. When a person's actions become so erratic that they are harmful to the majority, the person is more or less expelled from society. (P.159)
This is also "projecting the values and mechanisms of our own society and how to proceed when looking at other societies" (P.158). The result is clear. The author clearly writes whether such a "view" was necessary.
(...) For Western societies, it would be convenient for indigenous societies to have leaders to negotiate with. For example, whether to acquire or transfer indigenous land, negotiations are almost impossible without a representative to proceed legally. So what to do, as it happens in Brazil's Singh and everywhere in the Americas, is puppet-headed, dominated by man-made authority to be "their" legal leaders, and owned by indigenous peoples. Commercial transactions are proceeding with respect to goods.
Behind the idea that every tribe should have a chief is the fact that society needs control and control. And for many, centralized rule is easier to understand as a form than the decentralized rule commonly found in Native American populations. (P.158)
Number / Direct Experience
We casually use "number". Five fingers or three apples. Is there an ethnic group that needs a number other than the ethnic group (merchant) who takes it for granted to do business with an accurate number? For example, if you have three siblings, what does the number "3" stand for? Are "three brothers" and "three apples" the same? I feel that "Taro," "Jiro," and "Hanako" can be called by name. One house is enough, and one apple is (usually) eaten at a time. No matter how many cars you have, you can only ride one. "1" is "whether or not there is", not a number.
Numbers and calculations are abstract by definition. Because the object is generalized and classified. But this means that it is forbidden to appear in language, as abstraction goes beyond real experience and violates the cultural value of experience directness. (P.187)
The keyword of Pidahan culture is "IEP = The immediacy of experience principle" (P.326). We value what we or our living companions have directly experienced. Rather, I do not admit anything else. The boundary between direct experience and non-experience is "Ibipio", which the author named "Experience Threshold".
The utterance of the descriptive Pirahã language is directly linked to the time of the utterance and is directly linked to the speaker himself or a third party who was alive at the same time as the speaker. Only affirmations about what was experienced are included. (P.187-188)
Numbers are a category that generalizes things beyond directness, and when used brings about further generalization and often undermines the directness of the experience. Thing. (P.274)
You can talk to "Taro", "Jiro", and "Hanako", but you cannot talk to "brothers". Of course, you can't even talk to "3". "Japanese people" is also a generalized concept, but if you add the number "120 million people", it seems that there is something "reality", but in reality, politicians talk about "people". I can't even talk to "120 million". Fumio Kishida can talk to Yuko, but not to his "wife" or "spouse."
It seems that there are no words "left" and "right" in Pirahã. "Left and right" means to see the world centered on one's body, but Pidahan puts "the origin in the outside world independent of the speaker" (P.302) such as "river".
But in English and many other languages, unlike Pirahã, there is a way of directing based on your body. (P.302)
In other words, the language of Pirahã requires the user to have a different perspective on the world than we do. (P.303)
The author does not write clearly, but to me this seems to be a difference from "Indo-European main customer structure". The difference is whether you think about yourself or you are a part of nature and you see that nature (whole) as it is.
Verbs / Nouns / Meanings / Grammars
Looking more at the role of verbs in sentence patterns, the formation of sentences is almost always simple. It turns out that it only copies the meaning of the verb (there are some linguistic theories that make this the pillar of the theory). (P.275)
In "Indo-European", which puts "subject = predicate structure" at the center of the language, it is the subject of action rather than the predicate or object. Focus on the subject. Western grammar is based on this, so the author's idea overturns it. Efforts to match non-Indo-European Japanese with Indo-European grammar do not seem to be successful. Then, "predicate-based linguistic theory" comes out, but in the book I happened to read in the bathroom, "I think it's okay to be a little ironic about the subject" subject "as well as the object and the object. "?" (Niche "Beyond Good and Evil" Chikuma Gakugei Bunko Edition, p.73). Nietzsche as a philologist may have been ahead of Yoshinobu Kusakabe's argument.
This is a contrast between a culture in which the bearer of movement is at the center of the story as a hero, and a culture in which the bearer of movement is less important, less central, and therefore less heroic. Corresponds to. (P.310)
This is exactly the "subject = predicate structure of Indo-European language", but at the same time it is a manifestation of the superiority of "subject", "subject", and "self".
Is there a bacillus?
Some people meet their biological needs in one way, others in a different way. If perhaps a healthier way to satisfy one's biological needs, why are there different ways? Such actions are not learned through language. Rather, it is acquired from the customs of individual families and groups. (P.295-296)
I ate natto this morning. It seems that many Westerners cannot eat natto. That smell is intense. But it's delicious. It is "culture" that you can eat natto deliciously. Similarly, what color food feels "delicious" is also a culture. If you take it the other way around, you can change the color of the food so that it feels delicious (Ai Kuno " Visualized taste ”).
This creates "cultural preferences, sexual orientation". Actors study what kind of facial expressions and voices can be used to make them feel "feel good" or "love". It can be an unrealistic expression or voice, but when it forms a "culture", the expression or voice creates a society in which "feelings can be understood".
We often think that what we value and how we put it into words is "spontaneous", but that's not the case. not. Rather, it is, so to speak, accidental because it happened to be born in a particular culture or society. (P.296)
The same applies to "comfort" and "hygiene ideas".
Bai fungus and the knowledge that it becomes a pathogen are the product of my culture. (I don't know if dogs will make humans sick, but the idea of sharing food with dogs is still horrifying to me, who has been instilled with fear of bacteria by culture). (P.296)
I have been "Zawazawa" for decades before the corona turmoil, from touching "money" to washing my hands. "To do.
Sapir and Wharf
The Sapir-Worf hypothesis seems to have a bad flag in Europe and the United States. After all, it's a story that "shake the grounds for the existence of the ego." The author is
In reality, the strong Wharf hypothesis is incompatible with science. After all, science is all about discovering concepts that don't have the vocabulary they express! (P.307)
, but according to
Sapia, language influences our perception of seeing and hearing things. Giving. (...) Sapia also feels that how we see the world is constructed by language, without the filter of a language that tells us what we are seeing and what it means. It even says that there is no such thing as a "real world" that can be done. (P.304)
LSA (Linguistic Society of America-citer) has guidelines that strictly warn against sexist expressions, but at least some of LSA members are Sapia-Wharf. Evidence that we consider the words we speak to influence our thinking, as the hypothesis says. (P.305)
and says, "You are the legitimacy (grounds) of word hunting because it is the Sapir-Worf hypothesis."
A language is not the sum of its constituent parts (words, sounds, sentences). Without knowledge of the culture that makes up the language, pure language alone is not sufficient for communication and understanding.
Culture means the various things we feel from the world around us. And language is also part of the world around us. (P.283)
The way you see and feel things is defined by the language. Humans have no choice but to come into contact with nature through language and culture.
Recurrence
"Recursion" is a "nested structure of language". Like "give", "give you", "give you" book "", "give you" book you bought yesterday "" (I wonder if this is an example sentence) In addition, you can make sentences more and more complicated by modifying and connecting (similar to the furoshiki-type structure of Tokieda grammar).
Chomsky seems to emphasize the importance of recurrence. You want to emphasize the infinity of human language, and even of human existence, as it enables infinite syntax.
Theory is similar to culture. Just as the numbers and colors are missing from the Pidahan culture, some theories are missing explanations of the parts that other theories explain in abundant language. In that sense, both theory and culture shape the eyes of our hearts to see the world, which can sometimes have good results, but sometimes not so good, and which one is the only one. It depends on what you are aiming for. (P.333)
First, the grammar is not infinite without recurrence-there is an upper limit to the number of sentences that can be grammatically generated. That doesn't mean that the language itself is finite. (Same as above)
Because grammar does not play a significant role in the infinite creativity of a language. (Same as above)
Of course, this is wrong in practice. I can't talk about everything. In the first place, we don't know much of what we can talk about. I don't even know that such a thing exists. On the contrary, it can be very difficult to speak in words, even what you do every day, what you meet-for example, the face of someone you meet or the way to your favorite restaurant. That is why visual information such as photographs and maps comes in handy. (P.337)
The author has "musical narration" and "whistling" in addition to the usual narration in Pidahan. We also display our intentions in various "speaking styles" such as "hisohiso voice", "speech tone", "announcer tone", and "baby talk".
And maybe even bigger than that is "facial expression" and "body language".
Conrad Lorenz in "Solomon's Ring" depicts animals sensitively receiving unintended "expressions" by humans, and Michael Polanyi in "The Dimension of Implicit Knowledge." It is experimentally theorized.
What is Linguistics?
Takao Suzuki's " The linguistic and ecological civilization theory that Japanese sensibility changes the world ”is well understood. However, it doesn't make sense for Westerners to speak Japanese in the West. Japanese makes sense in the context of Japanese culture. The reverse will also be true. Culture and language are not "different". No matter how much you study a culture-independent language, nothing is born.
Apart from Everett's criticism of Chomsky, linguistics and grammar that do not consider culture, and the ability to create language and grammar are illusions. Thinking that "if people all over the world speak the same language (whether in English or Esperanto), the world will be peaceful" or "computer (language) will replace humans" is a reflection of the superiority complex of Westerners. It's just that.
So why is linguistics established in Western Europe? It's just because they had a similar culture and a similar language (Indo-European) was spoken.
The hypothesis that grammar and language are universal instincts do not tell us anything about how culture and grammar interact. But that seems to be the decisive key to understanding the whole language now. (P.290)
Chomsky considered linguistics in the language of Indo-European and the "historical" culture of Western Europe. It is a "deductive method".
Inductively advancing linguistics research is to have each target language "speak by itself". (P.353)
On the other hand, the deductive method goes from theory-from a pre-named box-and puts various aspects of language in that box. (Same as above)
Western science repeats the cycle of "reality = hypothesis = verification = theory". And once the theory is made, we apply reality to the theory. At that time, we "forget" that the theory starts from various concrete realities. Of course, the theory is supposed to be modified by reality. However, the "general of theory" and the "concrete of reality" are always separated. I have recently begun to think that it is a "faith" that the cycle is the "unique way" to approach the "truth" far away.
The fact that each language has its own culture (there is a language for each culture) means that there can be as many "thinking forms" as there are cultures. French culture and German culture are probably different. Thoughts may be similar. Because the languages are similar. Western culture and oriental culture are different. The way of thinking will be different. Just because it is "different" does not mean "superiority" or "correctness". Japan has a Japanese culture, and there is only a culture and language that suits it. I don't think there is a need to extend Japanese culture or language to other cultures, nor does Japan need to embrace other cultures or languages.
Then, should we be "isolated"? That is "withdrawal", isn't it? As a withdrawal person, I think that is also good. However, no matter how withdrawn, being "alive" means "clearly and implicitly" having to relate (interact) with others. Culture cannot be "closed" either. You must always be in contact with the outside world.
What should I do at that time? I still don't understand.
The language will change. Words and pronunciations change quickly, and so do the meanings of words. New words are constantly being created, and the meaning and conjugation of existing words will change. The grammar is relatively stable, but it still changes. The way of thinking may change. I think the Japanese way of thinking has changed significantly since the Meiji era. In a shorter period of time, the concept of gender since the 1970s and the concept of power harassment since the 2000s have changed the society significantly (I feel that it has changed).
The way of thinking will be different between me, who was educated in postwar democracy and grew up in high economic growth, and children who grew up in neoliberalism after Pable. I have started to think democratically from the "clean" state, and my children are also wearing neo-liberal thinking from the "clean" state.
Suicide
The youth of Pidahan can tell us the anguish, melancholy and anxiety of youth. They don't seem to be looking for an answer. The answer is already there. Few new questions are asked.
Of course, when it is stable like this, the two important elements of creativity and individuality, which have important meanings in the West, tend to stagnate. (P.142-143)
When you are young (puberty), it is a "time to worry". I also had a lot of trouble (I'm still worried). But what are you worried about? And "why" are you worried?
Recently, entertainers have continued to "suicide". It is not reported as "suicide", but after that, "call of life"? Seems to be a promise to be advertised.
Did you kill yourself? Hahaha. It's stupid. Pirahã does not kill himself (P.367)
The culture of "having oneself" so much that one has to kill (or lose) oneself, What is it? I longed for Ryunosuke Akutagawa and longed for suicide, but was there any suicide before the Edo period?
Seppuku is not suicide. I don't think it's suicide without a "Western ego (self)".
At least I don't think a culture with suicide is a good culture. I think there is a culture where suicide is commonplace.
Faith
To convince a happy and satisfied person that you are a lost sheep and need Jesus the Savior. Dr. Curtis Mitchell, a evangelical teacher at Biola University, often said. He said, "We must get them lost before salvation." (P.369)
Faith is not limited to religions such as Christianity and Buddhism.
We do not know "everything". Therefore, we do not "convince everything" and act. When a baby drinks breasts, I don't think he thinks "why do he drink" or "how do he drink?", And when an adult eats rice, "why Japanese people eat with chopsticks?" I think that few people think. There are so many things that you act without thinking and feel without thinking. It is necessary to "believe" when you have no choice but to act even if you feel something is wrong with that behavior.
I have been taught that "freedom" and "equality" are "absolute truths." Therefore, I feel uncomfortable that the real world is "not so". The sense of incongruity is "confusion" and "anger". I don't think why "freedom and equality" is "correct" and not "evil". I just think, "That's it." I feel the same about "slavery" even after learning that "workers are being exploited." When you are worried about "suspicious" or "what should I do", you need religion, revolutionary thought, or "liberalism", "science", or "philosophy". Rather than
, I came to think that I was living under the illusion, that is, under the illusion of truth. God and truth are the front and back of a coin. Life and soul rest are hindered by God and truth-if Pidahan is right. The fact that Pidahan's spiritual life is very fulfilling and leads a happy and satisfying life is one example of how good their values are.
From the moment we are born, we try to simplify our surroundings as much as possible. The world is noisy, too much to see, too stimulating, and you can't even take a step without deciding what to pay attention to and what to ignore. In the field of knowledge, such simplification attempts are called "hypotheses" or "theories."
Recently, I have seen a drama about "mother's love for children". I don't use the word "maternal instinct", but it's a work that depicts it. It is a work that says, "The emotions of parents and children are eternal (universal)" without saying the word "mother." There are also some works that say, "So a child without a parent commits a crime." I think that's a prejudice, but it's the flip side of "absolutely looking at the love of parents and children." In a society where the love of parents and children is considered "truth", this kind of prejudice naturally arises.
God and the Truth
Think about it-afraid, looking up at the universe and believing that we can understand everything in the universe. Enjoy life as it is, understand the emptiness of seeking God and the truth, and who is the most intelligent. (P.379)
I agree with the author's idea. However, it is difficult to get rid of it. It does not mean that Pidahan is correct and Pidahan is closer to the truth. What I can say is that what we consider to be "right," "truth," and "justice" is not absolute. It means that there are different cultures and different ways of thinking.
Another thing to say is that if our culture is a "lost" culture, do we "just endure" it or "seek salvation in believing in something"? , "Give up" or have several options. And they also have the opportunity to rethink their way of thinking. At that time, other cultures, especially those with different "thinking methods" such as the culture of Pidahan, may be helpful.
Protecting Language and Culture
For many, losing their language is unique (Aiden), as are the people of Banawa. It is the loss of tees and communities, which can even lead to the loss of the spirit of tradition and the will to live. Saving thousands of languages around the world, including Banawa and Pirahã, will require enormous efforts not only by linguists and anthropologists, but also by a large number of interested people. The first thing you need to do is identify which language is in danger of disappearing in the world, learn the language to the extent that you can make dictionaries and grammar, orthography, educate the language user, and the language. To be a teacher or researcher of the language, and to establish administrative support that protects and respects the language and its users. It's a tremendous task, but it's essential.
The idea of this book is that every combination of culture and language has evolved in a way that one group of humankind has evolved in harmony with the world around them. It is a valuable set that shows. (P.383)
In order to study Ainu language, you must know Ainu culture. To put it the other way around, if language is lost, culture is lost. English should be the same, but I don't think learning English is thought of as knowing British or American culture. Perhaps traditional linguistics consisted of separating language from culture and making it the subject of analysis (research). Basically, sentences are divided into words and words are divided into phonemes, and the way the phonemes and words are connected is called "grammar". This "analysis" method is nothing but the "simplification" above. I think it is the international languages such as Esperanto and Chomsky's grammatical theory that assume a language independent of culture.
When you are in a "lost culture", you need the existence of another culture. Western cultures and Japan need other cultures. But does Pidahan need another culture? I don't think they feel that way. This is because "without hesitation" and "happiness". And they aren't trying to destroy other cultures.
I feel that knowing that there is such a culture has the potential to make people who live in a "lost culture" happy.
[著者等(プロフィール)]
ダニエル・L・エヴェレット 言語人類学者。 ベントレー大学Arts and Sciences部門長。1975年にムーディー聖書学院を卒業後、あらゆる言語への聖書の翻訳と伝道を趣旨とする夏期言語協会(現・国際SIL)に入会、1977年にピダハン族およびその周辺の部族への布教の任務を与えられ、伝道師兼言語学者としてブラジルに渡りピダハン族の調査を始める。以来30年以上のピダハン研究歴をもつ第一人者(その間、1985年ごろにキリスト教信仰を捨てている)。1983年にブラジルのカンピーナス大学でPhDを取得(博士論文のテーマは生成文法の理論にもとづくピダハン語の分析)。マンチェスター大学で教鞭をとり、ピッツバーグ大学の言語学部長、イリノイ州立大学言語学部長、教授を経て現職。 アメリカ、イギリスで刊行された本書の原著は日本語以外にもドイツ語、フランス語、韓国語、タイ語、中国語に翻訳されている。 ほかの著書に、Linguistic Fieldwork (共著、Cambridge University Press, 2011)がある。また、本書への反響の余波としては、著者の人生を描いたドキュメンタリー映画Grammar of Happinesが制作され、その作品が2012年のFIPA(TV番組の国際的なフェスティバル)でEuropean Jury Prizeを受賞している。