The Relationship Between Language and Ethnic Identity : a Focus on Tibetan
Name: Garfield
The Relationship between Language and Ethnic Identity in China: A focus on the Tibetan Language
To begin with, according to the background history of the Tibetan language, it is not mere a language like modern English with a wide extend of speakers who can comprehend each other easily depending on familiar vocabulary, grammar. As an old linguistic proverb states: “a dialect is a language without an army and a language is a dialect with an army, and Tibetan can be considered as a set of languages instead of dialects” (Congressional-Executive Commission on China, 2003, p.5). In tradition, language represents the culture of each ethnic, and has a great effect on ethnic identity. If a language of one ethnic group is well-developed, it can strengthen its ethnic identity. On the contrary, the ethnic identity can be destroyed with the extinction of its language. Furthermore, “Languages are not neutral. They convey very specific social and cultural behaviors and ways of thinking. The extinction of the Tibetan language will have tremendous consequences for the Tibetan Culture. The culture cannot be preserved without language” (C.E.C.C, 2003, p.2). As a result, language is like a symbol within each ethnic group, which can represent a visible soul according to the way of talking, and the history of language.
The retention and development of the culture of a nation is based on language, especially the Tibetan language. For this reason the Tibetan Language is the pedestal of Tibet’s culture identity besides religion. ( Simon, 2002; Nima, 2001) Additionally, Tibetan language has a great influence in religion because the Buddhist scripture in Lamaism is written in Tibetan, which demonstrates the close relation of religion and language. Moreover, people communicate with each other in the Tibetan language in some remote places, especially among the old and young. Besides, the Tibetan language is the best choice for presenting Tibetan culture, because
The Relationship between Language and Ethnic Identity in China: A focus on the Tibetan Language
To begin with, according to the background history of the Tibetan language, it is not mere a language like modern English with a wide extend of speakers who can comprehend each other easily depending on familiar vocabulary, grammar. As an old linguistic proverb states: “a dialect is a language without an army and a language is a dialect with an army, and Tibetan can be considered as a set of languages instead of dialects” (Congressional-Executive Commission on China, 2003, p.5). In tradition, language represents the culture of each ethnic, and has a great effect on ethnic identity. If a language of one ethnic group is well-developed, it can strengthen its ethnic identity. On the contrary, the ethnic identity can be destroyed with the extinction of its language. Furthermore, “Languages are not neutral. They convey very specific social and cultural behaviors and ways of thinking. The extinction of the Tibetan language will have tremendous consequences for the Tibetan Culture. The culture cannot be preserved without language” (C.E.C.C, 2003, p.2). As a result, language is like a symbol within each ethnic group, which can represent a visible soul according to the way of talking, and the history of language.
The retention and development of the culture of a nation is based on language, especially the Tibetan language. For this reason the Tibetan Language is the pedestal of Tibet’s culture identity besides religion. ( Simon, 2002; Nima, 2001) Additionally, Tibetan language has a great influence in religion because the Buddhist scripture in Lamaism is written in Tibetan, which demonstrates the close relation of religion and language. Moreover, people communicate with each other in the Tibetan language in some remote places, especially among the old and young. Besides, the Tibetan language is the best choice for presenting Tibetan culture, because