3 ms·
If you haven't read it, "don't sleep, there are snakes" is a wonderful read, half travel report, half grammar tutorial. Everett was even converted by them: aft
by estaseuropano 5y ago
If you haven't read it, "don't sleep, there are snakes" is a wonderful read, half travel report, half grammar tutorial.
Everett was even converted by them: after learning language basics he tried to tell them bible stories, but they just asked whether he knew Jesus, and when he said No they asked whether he knew anyone that knew him, which he also denied. At that point they did not have any more interest in the stories. So they do have terms for the past, but they simply don't consider any 'far' past. Wiki summary on this:
> As far as the Pirahã have related to researchers, their culture is concerned solely with matters that fall within direct personal experience, and thus there is no history beyond living memory.
- mwattsun 5y agoAwesome! Thanks, I'll look for it. I forgot that delicious detail that he's the one that lost his religion, which destroyed his marriage of 35 years over religion. Score one for the uncontacted tribes of the world. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Everet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Everet Someone earlier asked why people make comments on Hacker News with no expectation of getting a response (far down in a thread for example.) This is why. Edit: Since my religious sensibility is getting downvoted I might as well throw in this Eskimo: 'If I did not know about God and sin, would I go to hell?' Priest: 'No, not if you did not know.' Eskimo: 'Then why did you tell me?' Annie Dillard