Due by 5pm on Sunday, March 3: Discussion Post #6 on the Ning
Reflect on the history of your target language. To what language family does it belong? What sounds, words, and structures exemplify periods of contact with other cultures? How do these considerations enhance your understanding of the target language and culture in terms of their associated historical origin, development, and contemporary realization? and pragmatic questions of usage? How do languages change over time? How do linguists track, predict, and extrapolate these changes?
Replies
Korean was made by King Sejong as he realized how people faced difficulties using Chinese character. Therefore, while there are those stating Korean belongs to its own language family, while others say it belongs to Altaic family. Some of the Korean words are using same words as some of the Chinese words and there is a chance where Korean name has meaning based on the Chinese character. I believe it started from when Korea interacted and traded with China in the past. This enhance my understanding on Korea and culture as it explains the historical relationship Korean had with other surrounding countries and how they got influenced by it. However, Korean changed over time as it got colonized by Japan and new generations form new words. I personally believe details in these changes cannot be predicted; however, linguists can track that it will gradually change as the time passes.
The Korean language belongs to the Koreanic language family, which is a member of the larger language group known as the Altaic language family. Throughout its history, Korean has experienced significant contact with other cultures, particularly with China and Japan. These periods of contact have influenced the language in terms of vocabulary, phonology, and syntax. For example, Chinese loanwords have been integrated into Korean vocabulary, while the Japanese occupation of Korea in the early 20th century also left its mark on the language, particularly in terms of administrative and technical terms.
Understanding the historical origins and development of Korean enhances our appreciation of the language and its associated culture. By tracing the linguistic influences from neighboring cultures, we gain insights into the historical interactions and exchanges between Korea and its neighbors. This historical context enriches our understanding of contemporary Korean society and culture, as language reflects societal values, customs, and historical experiences. Additionally, recognizing these influences can help learners of Korean grasp certain linguistic nuances and cultural references embedded within the language.
Languages evolve over time due to various factors such as cultural changes, migrations, and technological advancements. Linguists track these changes through historical records, comparative linguistics, and sociolinguistic studies. By examining written texts, oral traditions, and language corpora, linguists can identify patterns of linguistic change and predict future developments. They also use computational methods and statistical models to extrapolate linguistic trends. Understanding how languages change over time provides valuable insights into human communication, cultural evolution, and the dynamic nature of language itself.
Portuguese is an Indo-European language, that like Spanish and Gallego are considered Romance languages, with a similar grammar and vocabulary to Latin. The early history of the language is a story of slow evolution, as the relative geographic isolation of Western Iberia and waves of invasion became the medieval Portuguese-Gallician language. Germanic tribes left some words, while the Arab conquest also had an impact on vocabulary and pronunciations. Cultural influence from Southern France affected some of the written language, introducing nh (ñ in Spanish) and lh (ll in Spanish).
As a Spanish speaker, I can definitely see the strong connections and similarities between Portuguese and Spanish. Not only are they both Indo-European languages, but also Romance languages as well, making them even more alike. Common experiences and influences such as the ones from Arab conquest of the Iberian Peninsula make for two distinct, yet fascinating offshoots of common denominators that have blossomed into today's languages.
After doing some research I found that Korean language belongs to the Koreanic language family, which is a small language family consisting solely of Korean and its dialects. However, there have been significant periods of contact and influence from other cultures that have shaped the Korean language throughout its history. One of the most notable periods of contact was with China, particularly during the Three Kingdoms period (57 BC – 668 AD) and the subsequent Unified Silla period (668–935 AD). During this time, Chinese culture, including language, literature, and Confucianism, greatly influenced Korean society. As a result, many Chinese words, known as Sino-Korean words, entered the Korean language, especially in formal and academic contexts. These words are characterized by their use of Chinese characters, known as Hanja in Korea,Another significant period of contact was during the Mongol invasions of Korea in the 13th century. While the Mongol rule was relatively short-lived, lasting only about a century, it still left a lasting impact on Korean culture and language. Some Mongolian words were incorporated into the Korean language, particularly related to military and administrative terms.
In more recent history, Korea has been influenced by Western cultures, especially since the late 19th century with the opening of Korea to the outside world. English loanwords, as well as concepts and technologies from the West, have become increasingly common in the Korean language and society understanding these historical influences on the Korean language enhances my appreciation of Korean culture by providing insights into its historical origin, development, and contemporary realization. It allows me to see how Korea has interacted with neighboring cultures and adapted foreign influences while maintaining its unique linguistic and cultural identity. From a pragmatic perspective, awareness of the historical origins of words and structures in Korean can help learners understand their usage and nuances better. For example, knowing whether a word is of native Korean origin or borrowed from Chinese can provide insights into its formality and appropriateness in different contexts. Languages change over time through various processes such as phonological change, semantic shift, and borrowing from other languages. Linguists track, predict, and extrapolate these changes through historical linguistics, comparative linguistics, and corpus analysis.
People have had mixed feelings about what language family Korean belongs to, many linguists believe that it is classified as an Altic family that blossomed in North Asia. To go a bit further linguists also put Korean in the domain of the “Koreanic family” which is paired with the “Jeju” language. Reflecting on the history of Korea you can see a lot of influence from the Chinese language this can be seen in things such as Sino-Korean which is a numbering system derived from the Chinese language. Linguists can use many forms of tracking in order to predict and view languages, by looking at interaction with other languages, innovation, and the ability to adapt all plays into how languages may change over time in relation to shifts in cultural trends and overall lifestyles. Korean is an SOV which is different from the classical SVO that I know from English, this is a large adjustment when learning the target language, and although Korean can be viewed in the Altic family, it makes it interesting to know that it is a very unique language. In some senses, it makes it harder to learn because there is not as much overlap between Korean and other languages I know but it also is a reset and makes you build from the base up in order to master the language.
Korean's language family is a debated topic. The most obvious choice is the Koreanic family, which includes Korean as well as languages spoken in Jeju. Others suggest Korean is part of the Altaic family, of which many north-East Asian languages are a part of, like Mongolian or Tungusic. The Korean language reflects the many different influences it has from neighboring cultures, particularly China and Japan. Specifically, Koreans used to communicate with Chinese characters, called Hanja, for hundreds of years up until King Sejong created the Korean alphabet, called Hangeul, in the 15th century. As a result, many Korean words are similar to their Chinese counterparts. However, during the next hundreds of years that followed the Korean language took words and even grammatical rules from Japanese, as a result of Japanese occupation. One particular aspect of Korean that could be a reflection of Japanese influence could be the use of fixed suffixes in formal speech (for example, when talking to a superior).
These nuances and their acknowledgment make for a better understanding of the contexts in which the Korean language is used, and has been used throughout history. By recognizing how the phonology, grammar, and meanings have evolved in the last centuries and decades as a result of these influences, I can see myself grasping at least some of the finer details that make Korean what it is today, something that will greatly enhance my learning experience in the next months and years.
Languages change over time as the cultures they represent evolve, and when they interact with other languages and cultures. For example, Korea got some words from the western world as a result of American influence after the Korean war with words like "Computer" or "Shower." As Korean society moves towards certain directions as a result of globalization or other phenomena, the language is sure to change with it. Linguists can track these changes by knowing the context in which these languages evolved under, and they can predict how a language could change by knowing the societal changes that will precede the linguistical shifts.