Comments on: Linguistic answers to theological questions http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/02/linguistic-answers-to-theological-questions/ Truth Will Prevail Thu, 24 May 2012 19:37:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Hans http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/02/linguistic-answers-to-theological-questions/#comment-218421 Hans Thu, 22 Feb 2007 21:22:45 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3724#comment-218421 The Norwegians run into the Hellige Ã…nd/Hellige And (Holy Ghost/Holy Duck) thing just like the Danes. I was in a movie theatre in Oslo with some other missionaries and our companions left to get some refreshments, leaving me with a greenie. We had "saved" the seats and when some people tried to sit down, the greenie told them that the seats were "frelst" (saved, as in salvation, rather than "opptatt" (occupied). He sure got some weird looks! The Norwegians run into the Hellige Ã…nd/Hellige And (Holy Ghost/Holy Duck) thing just like the Danes.

I was in a movie theatre in Oslo with some other missionaries and our companions left to get some refreshments, leaving me with a greenie. We had “saved” the seats and when some people tried to sit down, the greenie told them that the seats were “frelst” (saved, as in salvation, rather than “opptatt” (occupied). He sure got some weird looks!

]]> By: Jonathan Green http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/02/linguistic-answers-to-theological-questions/#comment-218381 Jonathan Green Wed, 21 Feb 2007 22:09:26 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3724#comment-218381 Rich, there ought to be a rule in the missionary handbook about Americans attempting to replicate the local dialect. Bad things happen. I'm glad you came away relatively unscathed. And Floyd, you were just lucky you were in Dresden and not Cologne or Düsseldorf. That could have gotten ugly. Rich, there ought to be a rule in the missionary handbook about Americans attempting to replicate the local dialect. Bad things happen. I’m glad you came away relatively unscathed. And Floyd, you were just lucky you were in Dresden and not Cologne or Düsseldorf. That could have gotten ugly.

]]> By: Ardis Parshall http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/02/linguistic-answers-to-theological-questions/#comment-218376 Ardis Parshall Wed, 21 Feb 2007 21:25:12 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3724#comment-218376 Veering from the original post but sparked by what Floyd just wrote, I loved the film of Les Miserables that came out in 1982. When Javert comes to release Valjean from prison early in the story, he sneers at Valjean, "Tu es libre." At the end, when his ghost greets the dying Valjean, he says, "Maintenant, vous etes libre." Veering from the original post but sparked by what Floyd just wrote, I loved the film of Les Miserables that came out in 1982. When Javert comes to release Valjean from prison early in the story, he sneers at Valjean, “Tu es libre.” At the end, when his ghost greets the dying Valjean, he says, “Maintenant, vous etes libre.”

]]> By: Floyd the Wonderdog http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/02/linguistic-answers-to-theological-questions/#comment-218373 Floyd the Wonderdog Wed, 21 Feb 2007 21:03:29 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3724#comment-218373 Fox sunsangnim, I love the way the individuals' use of honorifics change during the Korean temple ceremony. The same individuals use more and less honorific forms when speaking to the same people depending on the commission they are given. Korean is such a beautiful language! I can understand that Koreans might be offended if you were to use verb endings that are only suitable to be used by God and Jesus. I picked up Grüß Gott while in Bavaria. I consider it the linguistic equivalent of HOWDY since it serves as a greeting that warns the hearer that the speaker is a hick. At least, that's the way it struck me when I went to Dresden. One lady told me that she had thought that I was Bavarian. She didn't mean it in a nice way either. Fox sunsangnim, I love the way the individuals’ use of honorifics change during the Korean temple ceremony. The same individuals use more and less honorific forms when speaking to the same people depending on the commission they are given. Korean is such a beautiful language! I can understand that Koreans might be offended if you were to use verb endings that are only suitable to be used by God and Jesus.

I picked up Grüß Gott while in Bavaria. I consider it the linguistic equivalent of HOWDY since it serves as a greeting that warns the hearer that the speaker is a hick. At least, that’s the way it struck me when I went to Dresden. One lady told me that she had thought that I was Bavarian. She didn’t mean it in a nice way either.

]]> By: Rich http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/02/linguistic-answers-to-theological-questions/#comment-218339 Rich Wed, 21 Feb 2007 04:52:10 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3724#comment-218339 My first door approach in Mannheim, trying hard to imitate the local dialekt that added more of an "s" to the usual "ch" sounds, was to introduce ourselves as representatives of the "Kirsche Jesu Kristi". Of course it was met with a hearty laugh from the woman to whom I said we were from the Cherry of Jesus Christ... My first door approach in Mannheim, trying hard to imitate the local dialekt that added more of an “s” to the usual “ch” sounds, was to introduce ourselves as representatives of the “Kirsche Jesu Kristi”. Of course it was met with a hearty laugh from the woman to whom I said we were from the Cherry of Jesus Christ…

]]> By: Pam W. http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/02/linguistic-answers-to-theological-questions/#comment-218319 Pam W. Tue, 20 Feb 2007 23:18:37 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3724#comment-218319 Jonathan, thanks for answering my question. And no, I certainly don't wish to get into the middle of intra-Teutonic linguo-theological squabbles! Jonathan, thanks for answering my question. And no, I certainly don’t wish to get into the middle of intra-Teutonic linguo-theological squabbles!

]]> By: Jonathan Green http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/02/linguistic-answers-to-theological-questions/#comment-218286 Jonathan Green Tue, 20 Feb 2007 16:52:15 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3724#comment-218286 Russell, you should have been in priesthood meeting a couple weeks back, where a discussion of honorofic forms of address ate up half the hour, right before my lesson. I ducked and covered until it was safe to come out. Russell, you should have been in priesthood meeting a couple weeks back, where a discussion of honorofic forms of address ate up half the hour, right before my lesson. I ducked and covered until it was safe to come out.

]]> By: Kristine Haglund Harris http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/02/linguistic-answers-to-theological-questions/#comment-218274 Kristine Haglund Harris Tue, 20 Feb 2007 14:19:47 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3724#comment-218274 Russell, why do you think there are so many lapsed Germanists hanging around the blogs? Some of us just couldn't stomach the boxing matches that were our required linguistics seminars... Russell, why do you think there are so many lapsed Germanists hanging around the blogs? Some of us just couldn’t stomach the boxing matches that were our required linguistics seminars…

]]> By: Russell Arben Fox http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/02/linguistic-answers-to-theological-questions/#comment-218272 Russell Arben Fox Tue, 20 Feb 2007 13:35:39 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3724#comment-218272 "intra-Teutonic linguo-theological squabbles" Just how many of those are there, Jonathan? Do they ever turn violent? “intra-Teutonic linguo-theological squabbles”

Just how many of those are there, Jonathan? Do they ever turn violent?

]]> By: Jonathan Green http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2007/02/linguistic-answers-to-theological-questions/#comment-218269 Jonathan Green Tue, 20 Feb 2007 07:47:50 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3724#comment-218269 Pam, I don't think it is blasphemous, and I know local members who don't think so, either. But other members do find it blasphemous. I don't have to consciously avoid it at church because it doesn't come naturally to me anyway; I learned German in an area that used the easily pronounceable and theologically unproblematic <i>guten Tag</i>. Also, Americans should probably avoid getting into the middle of intra-Teutonic linguo-theological squabbles. Pam, I don’t think it is blasphemous, and I know local members who don’t think so, either. But other members do find it blasphemous. I don’t have to consciously avoid it at church because it doesn’t come naturally to me anyway; I learned German in an area that used the easily pronounceable and theologically unproblematic guten Tag. Also, Americans should probably avoid getting into the middle of intra-Teutonic linguo-theological squabbles.

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