Re: Names for Languages/Dialects
Steven Boozer 
Tue, 26 Jan 1999 12:56:33 -0600

Saul Epstein wrote:

: Since we now have dialects of more than one language to deal with, it
: may be that we should put some effort towards naming them more
: precisely. I mean, in the dialects themselves, the name of the
: language can just be a word meaning "Vulcan" or "Vulcan Language" or
: whatever. But we already have the English or "Standard" label of "Old
: High Vulcan" for one dialect of one language, and we have "Modern
: Vulcan" emerging for another.
: 
: I'd like to suggest that we get more specific with our English label
: for ZC Vulcan, because "Modern" by itself suggests that it is Vulcan
: in perhaps too broad a sense. Perhaps it could be the "Modern" form of
: something called Common, Trade, Exchange, Union, or Federal Vulcan.

Agreed.  How about "Modern Standard Vulcan" (MSV) on the model of Modern
Standard Arabic (the standardized literary dialect taught throughout the
Arabic-speaking world) vs. Classical Arabic and the various modern colloquial
dialects.  It would be "standard" in the sense that it is a somewhat artificial
literary dialect -- perhaps based on the dialect of ShiKahr -- used by educated
Vulcans (i,e. every Vulcan!) throughout all the Vulcan worlds of the 23rd-24th
century but still leaves open the option of using the occasional dialectical,
regional or social grammatical variant and vocabulary that appear in pro- and
fan-fiction (not to mention television) which fandom will continue to use
regardless of what we do on this list.

Thus, whenever Vulcans meet Vulcans from other colony worlds or regions (or
offworlders, for that matter) they speak Modern Standard Vulcan, but when they
go home they might revert to some regional dialect, such as that of Raal.  Old
High Vulcan (OHV) would be mastered by academics, historians and kolinahru
while aliens would, of course, study MSV thinking it is the only variety of
Vulcan extant or, at least, the only one that still matters.


_______________________________________________________________ 
 Steven Boozer   The University of Chicago Library   s-boozer*uchicago,edu