originally posted by Technetus
I prefer to ask most questions of the author in the open, just in case the answers are of interest to others. 
In simplistic terms, language is a vehicle for transporting ideas and concepts from one mind to another. After reading through the extra material related to WoLaS, in particular the details about locational resonance and its effect on the people who live nearby (including perhaps explaining why townsmen, despite not knowing the language, often have names that have a Paravian derivation…) a curiousity arises:
To what extent does learning the Paravian language – by itself – change an individual's outlook on the world?
originally posted by Konran
I suspect that answer depends on how much you subscribe to the notion that language shapes thought processes. I know that scientists' outlook on this tends to range from "yes, absolutely" to "not at all" … there is also the matter of "untranslatable" concepts – if you're not a native speaker, there's always a level of subtlety there that you probably won't quite grasp. That said, I can tell you from my own experience trying to translate a bit that Paravian certainly makes you warp your brain in new and interesting (and sometimes slightly painful) ways.
originally posted by Annabelle Ang-Bok
I only just came across this post/thread.
Methinks the best people to answer Technetus' question are those who are multilingual, or at least bilingual.
I have been bilingual from childhood (English and Mandarin Chinese), with bits of other Chinese dialects and some Bahasa Melayu and Tamil thrown into the mix. I attempted to learn French in my teens, though I never got past the basics (I've since forgotten most of it). I'm now learning some Hawaiian because I dance hula.
One thing I've noticed is that when I code switch, my personality seems to change slightly. I think it's because the language I'm thinking in affects the way I interpret and express things. So yes, I would definitely say that learning Paravian would, in itself, change an individual's outlook on the world.
originally posted by Annabelle Ang-Bok
I only just came across this post/thread.
Methinks the best people to answer Technetus' question are those who are multilingual, or at least bilingual.
I have been bilingual from childhood (English and Mandarin Chinese), with bits of other Chinese dialects and some Bahasa Melayu and Tamil thrown into the mix. I attempted to learn French in my teens, though I never got past the basics (I've since forgotten most of it). I'm now learning some Hawaiian because I dance hula.
One thing I've noticed is that when I code switch, my personality seems to change slightly. I think it's because the language I'm thinking in affects the way I interpret and express things. So yes, I would definitely say that learning Paravian would, in itself, change an individual's outlook on the world.
originally posted by DarthJazy
holy cow I need more coffee to understand this thread at 7 in the morning