That's terrifically interesting, the concept of 緣分 - I'll re read and reflect. Where do you think that explanation goes astray?
As for pronouns - yes, as indicated, I think they're enormously important. The huge difference it makes, for example, when every "pronoun" is relational, as in "How is older-brother-type-person's health today?" or "Wow! Grandchild-type-younger-person is really hungry!" so that the mutual relationship is constantly reinforced, which might result (does it?) in a more cohesive society, or at least a society aware of the potential relationships binding everyone together.
The example you quote of upending a whole pronoun system for translation purposes is fascinating and a bit depressing, re women being then linguistically defined as not-as-human-as-men. I can see why translators would want to differentiate, but... that's why translation is such a hard game, I guess. (Working in reverse, translations which try to use relational words as pronouns always sound odd and over-formal in English, which is a different translation problem again.)
And honorifics! yes, whole interesting field in themselves - but people are very aware of them, and hence they can be subject to conscious (and sudden) change, as in "Your Majesty Marie Antoinette" becomes "Citoyenne" becomes "Widow Capet".
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2014-03-04 05:44 am (UTC)As for pronouns - yes, as indicated, I think they're enormously important. The huge difference it makes, for example, when every "pronoun" is relational, as in "How is older-brother-type-person's health today?" or "Wow! Grandchild-type-younger-person is really hungry!" so that the mutual relationship is constantly reinforced, which might result (does it?) in a more cohesive society, or at least a society aware of the potential relationships binding everyone together.
The example you quote of upending a whole pronoun system for translation purposes is fascinating and a bit depressing, re women being then linguistically defined as not-as-human-as-men. I can see why translators would want to differentiate, but... that's why translation is such a hard game, I guess. (Working in reverse, translations which try to use relational words as pronouns always sound odd and over-formal in English, which is a different translation problem again.)
And honorifics! yes, whole interesting field in themselves - but people are very aware of them, and hence they can be subject to conscious (and sudden) change, as in "Your Majesty Marie Antoinette" becomes "Citoyenne" becomes "Widow Capet".