TIL that some languages apparently have words inherently differentiating one's status as a citizen or resident of the entity versus a member of a particular ethnic or cultural group? I don't quite grasp the whole thing, although I heard the point being made. What's interesting to me is a) that there is such a thing, which seems very revealing of something about a culture that would need such concepts built into the language, and b) that there seem to be people who think it's inaccurate to interpret the word choice as meaningful. Firstly, since languages have all sorts of concepts built into them, many very specific to their primary culture of use, it seems reasonable that such a thing could exist. Not that I would have thought of it before, since I'm not from a culture where that sort of subtlety functions. Secondly, if that is, indeed, the subtlety of the word choices, where one essentially and inherently includes people, and the other excludes, then I'd kind o...
Colbert can hang with the tippy-top of Tolkien scholars. It is known!
ReplyDeleteI totally officially worship the man, now.
ReplyDeleteStephen Fry was on a week or so ago and was telling the story about when Colbert and his family came to visit the set of the Hobbit last year. The got their resident Tolkien expert who's entire job was to advise the staff on all things Tolkien to sit down at a table with Colbert and have a Tolkien trivia contest. Colbert won.
ReplyDeleteNow I am sad he is married.
ReplyDeletePhilippa Boyen was the one he won against, iirc. You know, one of the three people (along with Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson himself) credited with writing the screenplays for the hexology.
ReplyDeleteHm, I was not under the impression that she was an academic expert, which was what I inferred from the comments. That's ok, that question still makes me want to marry him, because he's So Right!
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