By: Magnus Lindkvist

Magnus Lindkvist — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I cannot help but feel that posts like these represent TED at its most conservative. Why do we insist on romanticizing ancient languages that arguably noone wants to speak anymore? What about the hundreds of new programming languages that have sprung up in the past decades? Or the infinite variations of English that people are adopting and “remixing” to make their own around the world? These are real languages and show a lot more vitality than Manx and Tirahi.

By: Allan Paterson

Allan Paterson — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Amongst the embers, there are flickers. Where there is real value, there is real hope for survival. A culture of inspiration and innovation doesn’t lose core behaviours without a fight. Yes, 52% of Manx inhabitants may, like me, not be native to the Isle of Man, but rather than wiping out the culture and the language, we contribute to its organic growth – which is not a conservative behaviour, instead it is exciting to see and to be part of this small island jurisdiction, with the world’s oldest continuous parliament, as it fights strongly and proudly to hold its place on the global playing field. And as such, I can assure you that there is still a pride in the Manx language – it is still taught as part of the education on the island – it is still present in street names – it is still part of the regular business of the Parliament. If TED can take a message from this, it has to be about looking at what brings pride and cohesion to a community, to a programme, to a team – and that the old things can have just as much value as the new things. It is one thing that is a particular issue in a community like this – when the new guy comes along to join the team and says “Your ideas – old hat! My ideas – absoluitely the only ones that count!”

Comments on: UNESCO's endangered language report: We've lost Manx

By: Magnus Lindkvist

By: Allan Paterson