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<P>Just a short note on the "language difference" between the three Koreans (South, North, China) The difference is not on the language/lingustic level, it is still mainly cultural. In Pyongyang, and when talking to Chine-Koreans in Seoul, I had no other problem but cultural vocabiulary. And that problem is easily solved by asking what it means when s.th. is not understood (just like I also do when with my friends in S-Korea...) </P>
<P>Being from W-German my observation when travelling in E-Germany is, however, bad enough. The problem is not mutual un-intellibility, the problem is psychological. They immediately realize that I am a "Westerner", and all negative feelings between the "richer" and the "poorer" (in economical aspects, aspects of historical deprivation, a.s.o) come up. Precisely because the language remaind "the same", but the culture changed. (Once after drinking until midnight with some guys in an E-German pub, when we finally called it a day, one of them said:"You are from w-Germany, BUT you are o.k., neverthe less")</P>
<P>By the way, with "cultural vocabulary" differences and problems arising from there: living in Hamburg, a university man, middle class, lover of books, and the like, I experience utmost difficulty when I talk to a labourer in the harbour....</P>
<P>Finally: I know, that language is part of "culture", I just made the differnce between "language" and "culture" (meant to be understood below that general level) in order to stress my point.</P>
<P>Greetings to everyone, Werner Sasse</P>
<P>P.S. Who ever came up with 20 languages spoken in Korea at some time?<BR><BR></P><BR><BR><BR>>From: Cedar Bough Blomberg <umyang@gmail.com><BR>>Reply-To: Cedar Bough Blomberg <umyang@gmail.com>,Korean Studies Discussion List <Koreanstudies@koreaweb.ws><BR>>To: Korean Studies Discussion List <Koreanstudies@koreaweb.ws><BR>>Subject: Re: [KS] Languages in Korea<BR>>Date: Thu, 26 May 2005 07:52:25 +0900<BR>><BR>>A study released a few days ago said that only 56% of Chinese people<BR>>understand and can speak Putonghua, and of those 56% more than half<BR>>said they are more comfortable in another language. Apparently this<BR>>is frustrating to the Chinese gov't which has tried hard to get<BR>>everyone to learn Putonghua.<BR>><BR>>One thing that gets people confused, I think, and makes them more<BR>>likely to use
the word dialect in China, is the fact that most of<BR>>China uses the same written characters. However, there are (as we can<BR>>see on any piece of Chinese paper money) other writing systems,<BR>>including Uighr, Tibetan and Mongolian.<BR>><BR>>Arguably these three are the easiest to say "different language"<BR>>about, and Tibetans consider their language to be divided into three<BR>>major languages (which are mutually unintelligible, but use one<BR>>written system). One is for the Lhasa area, one is for Amdo, and one<BR>>for Kham. In addition even within Amdo many Tibetans from say Gannan<BR>>find it almost impossible to understand Tibetans from Golok. However<BR>>Tibetans themselves have characterized that as a dialectical<BR>>difference and generally stick to the "three languages of
Tibetan"<BR>>story. Incidentally, the Dalai Lama is from Amdo and before moving to<BR>>Lhasa he only spoke that language, so part of his early training was<BR>>in the language of the capital region. Almost all English language<BR>>"Tibetan" teaching materials focus on the Lhasa area, and most of the<BR>>refugee diaspora is made up of native speakers of that Tibetan<BR>>language.<BR>><BR>>Of course, many people would not even consider Uighrs, Tibetans or<BR>>Mongolians (from Inner Mongolia) Chinese, but well, Beijing does, and<BR>>these are languages spoken in political entity China. Other of the<BR>>"55 minorities" in China also have their own languages, including the<BR>>Hui, Naxi and I imagine, many more.<BR>><BR>>Many of the Joseonjok (ethnic Koreans from China) who I've met said<BR>>that they find many
differences between Korean there and Korean here<BR>>in Daehanminguk. I also believe that a lot of re-unification<BR>>specialists are given headaches by the language shift between the two<BR>>Koreas. DPRK being quite adamant in their prohibition of borrowed<BR>>words and the ROK borrowing esp. tech words without a moments<BR>>hesitation. These haven't become mutually unintelligible, but<BR>>especially in vocabulary I've heard there is a substantial shift.<BR>><BR></DIV></div></html>