It sounds like my language 16 April, 2013 – Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea – Written by Tim Scott "This sounds like my language but why do you call it my language? I don't really understand it." Languages that are related but have some differences are referred to as "dialects". Dialects have varying degrees of commonality. Some languages have several dialects. This creates challenges for linguists. In the past, there has been a tendency to do work in the dominant dialect with the expectation that the other dialects in the language group would be willing to use it. The reality is that the differences are often insurmountable for a related dialect to overcome. In some cases, a specific letter may be interchanged. The first dialect may use the letter "F" where the neighbouring dialect may use the letter "V". While the sound may be minimally different and recognised in hearing, reading becomes nearly impossible. Another challenge linguists face is when a word may have a related but different meaning in a neighbouring dialect. One PNG language group has three dialects, one near the ocean, one deep in the jungle and the third in the mountains. The word for flat means "level area near the ocean" and is used synonymously with "beach" by the coastal dialect. The dialect that lives in the jungle uses the same word for flat but it means "a place in the jungle that has so little contour change that it is unrecognisable and one can easily get lost". The third dialect, used primarily in the mountain, also uses the same word for flat but it means "the place on a steep path that is level enough to sit down and take a rest". When the word is used by one dialect while interacting with another, the word creates different understanding in each group and causes confusion. Computer software has helped translate subsequent dialects after an initial dialect has been translated. Using a technique referred to as "Adaptation", one translation is partially converted into a related dialect after the differences have been determined. SIL-PNG, BTA* and other linguistic organisations are working in many dialect projects throughout Papua New Guinea in order to bring the language development and the translated Bible to more communities. * SIL - Summer Institute of Linguistics (PNG Branch) and BTA - PNG Bible Translation Association
For more information on this release, contact ThePNGexperience, PO BOX 413, Ukarumpa, EHP 444, Papua New Guinea Phone: 011 + 675 + 537-3544 ext. 4431 or Email: thePNGexperience@gmail.com “Tok Save” is the PNG “Tok Pisin” term for announcement or “For your information”. The English spelling conforms to Commonwealth English spelling.