[Foundation-l] Klassical Chinese

[Ziko van Dijk]

There is a major difference between Latin and other "ancient
languages": A neo Latin movement, Latinitas Viva, is actually using
Latin as a modern language. They have conventicula (meetings), Grex
latine loquentium (an internet forum) and modern literature and
dictionaries. I don't see that in the case of, for example, ancient
Greek.
All Wikipedias in ancient languages I know - with the exception of
Latin - are more or less dead.
For ancient languages usually a Wikisource project is more suitable,
though often the ancient forms of modern languages can be integrated
into an existing Wikisource - like German Wikisource embraces also
texts in ancient forms of German.
Kind regards
Ziko


2008/9/4 Aphaia <aphaia at gmail.com>:
> I remember the recent discussion about communication with a Polish
> lady ... that is quite similar for me as Japanese with Classical
> Chinese.
>
> Since we at Japan consider it part of our literature heritage, we
> spare hours to learn it for years compulsory. I can read somehow
> Classical Chinese, even better than modern one, besides I am not
> familiar much with simplified characters and my skills in writing was
> not as super as Meiji era people who could freely compose poems and
> prose in Classical Chinese. And I sometimes used this knowledge to
> communicate with Chinese whose language is of curse modern one (by
> writing down of course).
>
> I am not familiar with the current zh-classic community, but if it is
> live, we have no reason to shut it down as well as we now keep Latin
> Wikipedia alive.
>
> On Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 5:59 PM, Ting Chen <wing.philopp at gmx.de> wrote:
>> Tim Starling wrote:
>>> Ting Chen wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi folks,
>>>>
>>>> since its creation I wondered why this happend. Why is there a classical
>>>> chinese Wikipedia? This language has no native speakers and is not used
>>>> by any relitious or official institution as official language.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Because at the time it was created, we had not yet given GerardM and his
>>> team of rules lawyers the power to decide all wiki creation issues. There
>>> was a sentiment that we as a community should make our own decisions on
>>> language issues, rather than to delegate it to some standards body who
>>> might not have similar interests at heart. And some people held the
>>> opinion that while language study and preservation is not our core
>>> mission, it'd be nice if it happened anyway, especially if there is no
>>> significant cost to the organisation.
>>>
>>> -- Tim Starling
>>>
>>>
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>> I totally agree with you on the issue of language conservation. Actually
>> I had even thought about the possibility to use our wiki to do such
>> things. I had read quite some articles for example on Scientific
>> American about the problems of language conservation that the
>> researchers are facing. And I think that wiki can be a technical way for
>> them.
>>
>> But the classic chinese is another case. Classic chinese is a dead
>> language, and to write about the modern Olympic games with such a
>> language is simply original research. It has nothing to do with language
>> conservation.
>>
>> Ting
>>
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>
>
>
> --
> KIZU Naoko
> http://d.hatena.ne.jp/Britty (in Japanese)
> Quote of the Day (English): http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/WQ:QOTD
>
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-- 
Ziko van Dijk
NL-Silvolde