4 ms·

For all the technical details given in the Wikipedia article, it doesn't really explain what this is or what function it serves, does it?

YPPH 4y ago
To be fair, it might not be possible for us to know why they did it with much certainty. My initial speculation was that it was a way of clearly avoiding any hint of flirtation or sexual interest (sort of like an extreme form of boundary-setting). This is suggested as a reason in relation to Australian Aboriginal languages the final paragraph of this article: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/09/world/what-in-the-world/avoidance-speech-mother-in-law-languages.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/09/world/what-in-the-world/a...
flir 4y ago
Is it possible this is an example? https://xkcd.com/2381/ https://xkcd.com/2381/ If so, "to name it is to call it" might be one possible "why".
perryizgr8 4y ago
Yeah I read the whole thing and still didn't quite get it. It's almost like the article was written by someone trying to be meta about avoidance speech, trying to avoid explaining it in any clear manner.
- nerdbert 4y ago
  Maybe their mother-in-law's name starts with a key linguistic or sociological term that it can't be explained without using.
  - meepmorp 4y ago
    I’m somewhat familiar with how the avoidance register works in Walpiri, and the switch is solely based on the social relationship, not the names involved. It’s a fairly complex sub-language - there’s a different set of words that get used only for the avoidance register or are very generic terms from standard speech, and the grammar is simplified. The pronunciation is also shifted a bit, iirc (I want to say it uses creaky voice, but I’m not sure).
nerdbert 4y ago
I had the same complaint. This NYT article - https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/09/world/what-in-the-world/avoidance-speech-mother-in-law-languages.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/09/world/what-in-the-world/a... - makes a stab at it in the last graf: "Why did the custom of avoidance speech arise? Some experts on its use in Africa and India see it as a way to reinforce the inferior status of daughters-in-law. In Australia, the prohibitions might have been intended to reduce the chance of sexual relations between in-laws." I also wonder if it reduces the marriage appeal for people whose parents' names start with particularly common letters/syllables.
- me_bx 4y ago
  bypassing the paywall: https://archive.is/U1Jsf https://archive.is/U1Jsf

YPPH 4y ago

To be fair, it might not be possible for us to know why they did it with much certainty. My initial speculation was that it was a way of clearly avoiding any hint of flirtation or sexual interest (sort of like an extreme form of boundary-setting). This is suggested as a reason in relation to Australian Aboriginal languages the final paragraph of this article: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/09/world/what-in-the-world/avoidance-speech-mother-in-law-languages.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/09/world/what-in-the-world/a...

flir 4y ago

Is it possible this is an example? https://xkcd.com/2381/ https://xkcd.com/2381/ If so, "to name it is to call it" might be one possible "why".

perryizgr8 4y ago

Yeah I read the whole thing and still didn't quite get it. It's almost like the article was written by someone trying to be meta about avoidance speech, trying to avoid explaining it in any clear manner.

nerdbert 4y ago
Maybe their mother-in-law's name starts with a key linguistic or sociological term that it can't be explained without using.
- meepmorp 4y ago
  I’m somewhat familiar with how the avoidance register works in Walpiri, and the switch is solely based on the social relationship, not the names involved. It’s a fairly complex sub-language - there’s a different set of words that get used only for the avoidance register or are very generic terms from standard speech, and the grammar is simplified. The pronunciation is also shifted a bit, iirc (I want to say it uses creaky voice, but I’m not sure).

nerdbert 4y ago

I had the same complaint. This NYT article - https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/09/world/what-in-the-world/avoidance-speech-mother-in-law-languages.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/09/world/what-in-the-world/a... - makes a stab at it in the last graf: "Why did the custom of avoidance speech arise? Some experts on its use in Africa and India see it as a way to reinforce the inferior status of daughters-in-law. In Australia, the prohibitions might have been intended to reduce the chance of sexual relations between in-laws." I also wonder if it reduces the marriage appeal for people whose parents' names start with particularly common letters/syllables.

me_bx 4y ago
bypassing the paywall: https://archive.is/U1Jsf https://archive.is/U1Jsf