Salishan Languages

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Massimiliano B
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Re: Salishan Languages

Postby Massimiliano B » 2012-04-30, 13:35

Here are some videos in the Nuxalk language, incredibly difficult to pronounce!

księżycowy

Re: Salishan Languages

Postby księżycowy » 2012-04-30, 15:29

All I can say after watching 1/2 of one video is: HOLY SHIT!
That has to be on of the most insane languages I have ever heard! But cool as crap too! 8-)

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Massimiliano B
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Re: Salishan Languages

Postby Massimiliano B » 2012-05-01, 14:25

Unfortunately I 've never found good resources for this language.

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Re: Salishan Languages

Postby księżycowy » 2012-05-01, 14:37

That's good for me, as I don't need to chase down anymore NAILs. :lol:

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Re: Salishan Languages

Postby sasquatch » 2012-06-19, 4:50

Formiko wrote:Salishan languages always scared the stuffing out of me. How are you getting along?


I have been studying Halkomelem, in particular the Downriver (Musqueam) dialect, because praise be to Wayne Suttles' Musqueam Reference Grammar.

The biggest challenges are the billions of types of reduplication used to modify verbs and nouns and adjectives in many different ways, and in terms of phonology, glottalised resonants - in fact glottalised everything - are unusual distinction to get used to.

However, the language is amazing and I think when I try to say things I'm doing it correctly. Admittedly my sentences are fairly simple but what I've got is decent, IMHO.

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Re: Salishan Languages

Postby księżycowy » 2012-06-19, 12:39

sasquatch wrote:
Formiko wrote:Salishan languages always scared the stuffing out of me. How are you getting along?


I have been studying Halkomelem, in particular the Downriver (Musqueam) dialect, because praise be to Wayne Suttles' Musqueam Reference Grammar.

The biggest challenges are the billions of types of reduplication used to modify verbs and nouns and adjectives in many different ways, and in terms of phonology, glottalised resonants - in fact glottalised everything - are unusual distinction to get used to.

However, the language is amazing and I think when I try to say things I'm doing it correctly. Admittedly my sentences are fairly simple but what I've got is decent, IMHO.

Cool, another Salish learner!

Welcome to Unilang! :D

I have to add that from what I've looked at from Lushootseed, the grammar doesn't look that intimidating. Though I have also looked a little bit at Coeur d'Alene and though I can't speak for the grammar (as the book I have doesn't have any grammar explinations), but the phonology of that language is quite out there at times!

Though I have to point out I haven't really begone to study either of these languages yet.

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Re: Salishan Languages

Postby sasquatch » 2012-06-23, 3:17

księżycowy wrote:I have to add that from what I've looked at from Lushootseed, the grammar doesn't look that intimidating. Though I have also looked a little bit at Coeur d'Alene and though I can't speak for the grammar (as the book I have doesn't have any grammar explinations), but the phonology of that language is quite out there at times!

Though I have to point out I haven't really begone to study either of these languages yet.


Yes, lovely to meet you! I think the biggest problem is that I have noone to speak with! >.< I reckon we ought to form a larger internet group somehow! But without other speakers or people to at least talk about Salish languages with I'm alone and look like a crazy person glottalising everything alone in my room.

But yes, the phonology can be difficult. Ultimately with practice and if you learn as much as possible about IPA and phonetic it shouldn't be too difficult, at least not for slow speech.

I just thought of another strange problem I have, which is that for some reason I have incredible trouble wrapping my mind around morphosyntactic alignment. Halkomelem seems to be both very logical and it all makes sense, but somehow it takes a lot of thought to produce the correct alignment. It seems to be a thing with me, active/passive in foreign languages cause me a lot of trouble!!

Apart from that, I think once you get used to the diversity of grammar in human languages you tend to find the amazing concepts in Salish fairly normal. Then if you go back to French, you are bored to sleep, but also you find such languages a LOT easier. Salish grammar is often irregular and quite complex, but these irregularities are usually minor enough to move past. At least for fairly simple or even beginner-intermediate speech, you should have no trouble with grammatical ideas.

To me, Musqueam looked particularly daunting because Suttles was incredibly meticulous and pedantic, and went the extra length to explain absolutely everything possible to the smallest detail and note every irregularity and difference. After reading through things more and more you get used to it :)

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Re: Salishan Languages

Postby Lauren » 2012-09-21, 2:28

Yep, I'm definitely going to learn Lushootseed. It's amazing. 8-)

Bai, benetan luxutzidera ikasiko dut, izugarria da. 8-)
Native:            (en-US)
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Re: Salishan Languages

Postby księżycowy » 2012-09-21, 11:24

Cool! It's an awesome language! 8-)

Palya! Nyara wangka palya! 8-)


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