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by Fox News is reporting that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has ordered government and cultural bodies to use modified Persian words to replace foreign words that have crept into the language, such as 'pizzas' which will now be known as 'elastic loaves.' All governmental agencies, newspapers and publications are to use words deemed more appropriate by the official language watchdog, the Farhangestan Zaban e Farsi, or Persian Academy.
The academy has introduced more than 2,000 words as alternatives for mostly Western language words, being less sensitive about Arabic words because the Koran is written in Arabic. Among the changes, a 'chat' will become a 'short talk,' a 'cabin' will be renamed a 'small room,' and 'firewall' will be 'baroo,' or firewall in the building sense (although some are reporting the 'pizza' change to be a joke).
The idea of such a 'language academy' is not new, with France's being probably the most famous. Some are also glad to have a direct translation tool, now being able to explain that 'telecommuting' to work is nothing more 'distance working' ('door-karee') where there was no Farsi word for the act previously.
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- reposting b/c it posted my comment as anonymous and I don't know why b/c I did sign in....
A restaurant opened around the corner from where I work and they really do have "freedom fries" on the menu. Of course, for us, we order them because we think it's funny and ridiculous. "I'd like the freedom fries with my hamburger, please." It's ironic considering that they didn't rename the hamburger too, considering its origins. "I'd like my freedom fries with my Ghenghis meat patty sandwich." Of course, the word sandwich is still acceptable due to the fact that it's British and was thus named(sandwich) before the Revolutionary War and kept its name because our memories are short.
If anything however, from a business perspective, refusing to use a word that has become universally known because of its origin, will merely hinder a person when they have to leave the "safety" of their home country. Of course, currently, an Iranian person would know the equivalent "western" word to use when in a business meeting with foreign counterparts because they would have been forced to change their verbage. However, 10 years from now, if the laws of language really did adhere, an Iranian business person would be handicapped per se, amongst his/her foreign counterparts. It's not as if these are slang words or swear words that would be rude to use. Or maybe the business people, those being the ones who would bring foreign revenue into the country, will be exempt due to their benefit to society. $$$$$$$$$
As westerners, we would suffer horribly if we had to trade in parts of our language because of its origin. We don't have an original language to fall back on.
The language academy's been at this for years. They didn't "replace" English words that were already in Farsi. They came up with a set of standard Farsi translations in about 40 different fields, including cinematography, geology, and technology.
For instance, my brother didn't used to know much English, but he knew "dub", "frame", "pan", "zoom", etc..., because of he was a camera man there.
I don't see a problem with introducing Farsi translations for those. I don't believe "frame" is a universally known word. In fact, the academy specifically accepts words of Latin origin if they have universal use, like "cinema" and "pizza".
If you look at the list of 2000 words, over 20 different reports by some 10 to 20 experts per each report, you'd probably agree that there should be a translation for them.
I really didn't like FOX's (and others') spin on the story. In fact, they reported the "pizza" translation inaccurately. There is not now nor was there ever a translation for "pizza". But without that little gimick, the story would have seemed fine, and FOX wasn't having that.
A comedian made a joke on a sitcom, where jokes belong, and FOX used it to trivialize the work of hundreds of serious people.
If I led a campaign in America to do away with Mexican words (don't you go saying nacho, its corn or flour chips with cheese, meat and onions) or Asian words (don't call it sushi, its just raw fish) I'd be labeled a bigot. The reason we say sushi and nacho is because those foods originated in those countries and those are culturally accepted names. Its a bit of diversity that makes America what it is. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but firewalls, dubbing, panning, zooming and chat are all products of American society. If they weren't invented in the States, they were certainly made famous there. Ahmadinejad's hatred of the West is beyond obvious - diversity is not something that will be allowed in "his" culture.
The reason that it was spun in a negative light was not so much that they translated all these words, but that all governmental agencies, newspapers and publications will have to cease the use of foreign words. Its not the translating thats the issue here, its the loss of freedom of speech and isolationist xenophobia. Having an official language is one thing, not being able to use commonly accepted foreign words mixed into the language is an entirely different story.
For sushi and nachos, yes, it would seem silly ... but not for "to zoom" ... in French it's "bourdonner", in Spanish "enfocar" ... there is no prevailing international acceptance of this word, so it would be better to translate it to ........ I wouldn't know a good replacement, but I bet a field of expert photographers and linguists could come up with one.
They didn't spend 2 years finding good translations to "pizza" ... they translated "telecommute" to "distant-work". This was serious work, for serious people.
I'm not sure I follow your point about who coins it. Why do you think the country that advances or develops a concept should get to put two of it's own words together like "tele" (distance) and "commute" (travel, usually to work) and then not expect other countries from doing the same but with their own word parts? I kind of think that's what translation is all about.
And it had nothing to do with hating the West because Arabic words also get translated (again incorrectly reported). Believe it or not, they don't call God "Allah" in Iran ... it's "khoda" or "khodavand" (more formally).
The language academy has been at this for 50+ years, trying to offer good translations based in Persian.
This story, however, was a jab at the Irani "President". And that's fine by me, but he's said and done plenty of things crazy enough to poke at ... there was no need to trivialize the work of lots of serious linguists ... and worse, when the story wasn't enough on its merits, to emblish.
It wasn't bigotry, but it got spun that way. Just because a bad person likes some thing, it doesn't make that thing bad too.
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anti-progress by Anonymous :: NR0 :: on 02 August 2006
A restaurant opened around the corner from where I work and they really do have "freedom fries" on the menu. Of course, for us, we order them because we think it's funny and ridiculous. "I'd like the freedom fries with my hamburger, please." It's ironic considering that they didn't rename the hamburger too, considering its origins. "I'd like my freedom fries with my Ghenghis meat patty sandwich." Of course, the word sandwich is still acceptable due to the fact that it's British and was thus named(sandwich) before the Revolutionary War and kept its name because our memories are short.
If anything however, from a business perspective, refusing to use a word that has become universally known because of its origin, will merely hinder a person when they have to leave the "safety" of their home country. Of course, currently, an Iranian person would know the equivalent "western" word to use when in a business meeting with foreign counterparts because they would have been forced to change their verbage. However, 10 years from now, if the laws of language really did adhere, an Iranian business person would be handicapped per se, amongst his/her foreign counterparts. It's not as if these are slang words or swear words that would be rude to use. Or maybe the business people, those being the ones who would bring foreign revenue into the country, will be exempt due to their benefit to society. $$$$$$$$$
As westerners, we would suffer horribly if we had to trade in parts of our language because of its origin. We don't have an original language to fall back on.