Week 10 Lab: Language

I chose this lab for this week because I feel like my writing skills have been somewhat lacking as far as grammar is concerned. So I am going to make notes on all 8 videos and put what I learned from each one so I can have a reference later.

Video 1: How languages evolve by Alex Gendler

I know this one! This is why there are different dialects, and why languages are categorized as "Latin" and "Germanic." I've heard that my dialect of Cherokee takes influence from Spanish, which probably explains why the pronunciation for Spanish is intuitive to me. 

Video 2: How did English evolve? by Kate Gardoqui

I know a bit about this too! I use a lot of Old Norse in my campaigns (usually to name towns). English is a delightful Frankenstein language. In D&D there is a language called "Common" that I use as an analogue to English, explaining that it is a trade language, cobbled together using the languages of the elves, dwarves, humans, etc.. It makes sense, since every playable character in the game knows Common as well as one race-specific language. 

Video 3: How many verb tenses are there in English? by Anna Ananichuk

There are subcategories for tense to describe what is happening within the tense. There are 12 aspects of verb tense in English. This reminds me, in a psychology class I took during a previous semester, I learned that speakers of languages with different descriptive words tended to think about those things differently. For example, a language with more words to describe the color blue, usually values it more, if that makes sense.

Video 4: Are Elvish, Klingon, Dothraki and Na'vi real languages? by John McWhorter

Conlangs! I love conlangs. I don't think I could make a full one, but I make a few words in my D&D writings. Tolkien was a linguist, I am not.

Video 5: Where do new words come from? by Marcel Danesi

See, this goes back to my idea for Common. The language develops as needed for trade and diplomatic negotiations. I also write that elven and gnomish languages have a common root language of sylvan, the language of the fae. Common has a separate dialect for the underground races, called Undercommon, which has far more dwarvish words. The elven spoken by dark elves is harsher than the elven spoken by surface elves or sea elves. 

Video 6: How to use a semicolon by Emma Bryce

I actually know how to use a semicolon. I learned in my freshman year when I took an expository writing class. Of course, that doesn't mean I always use them properly. I am sure I've messed up once or twice.

Video 7: When to use apostrophes by Laura McClure

This one is also one I already know about. I am southern; I know contractions. I'll never forget the look on my Spanish teacher's face when I told her about "y'all'd've" (you all would have). 

Video 8: Does grammar matter? by Andreea S. Calude

Yeah, this one is tricky for me. In my opinion, if it isn't obscuring the information, it should not matter. As a lower class southerner, grammar really does feel like an elitist notion at times, especially when it is a rule that does not affect comprehension. I guess that makes me a descriptivist. Grammar is important up to where it is needed to convey your ideas to your intended audience. Sure, using the wrong "your" or "there" will bother me, but if I know what you mean, I will not bring it up. 

(Image Information: Language Learning Cloud from Pixabay)

-A.