Monday, March 5, 2012

Black Elk

1)Names are descriptive "Moon of the Popping Trees [December]"
The language is literal "…the yellow metal … that makes them go crazy…"
2) He means the crescent moon. His language is very simple and practical and reflects the way things actual appear rather than abstract ideas reflected in english.
3) Language communicates perception by the words and phrases one uses to describe what one is trying to say. Black Elk
4) Black Elk uses a simple range of vocabulary, there seems to be a word that means something and that is the word rather than English where there are untold number of ways in which one can say something. The names for things are descriptive and events are named after the memorable happenings that took place. English is more abstract with events being named after the location and dates being based on systems decided long ago. October has no meaning in English though came from Latin when it was for the eighth month of the Roman calendar though now it is the 10th.
This differences could mean that they are more interested in the practical rather than abstract categorical systems. I blame the Greeks.

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