In his book Don’t Sleep, There Are Snakes field linguist, Daniel Everett, explains how he discovered the strange language of the Piraha people.
In his controversial findings he says the tribe, which lives in the Amazonian Rain forest, live almost entirely in the present. According to Daniel, language is created by culture and so the tribe have no words for the past tense or numbers; both thought to be essential features of all languages.
The Piraha who live in as about an alternative way as possible from our western culture - they have no electricity, doctors, dentists, telephones etc - also have no words for colour, or words to say I’m sorry or thankyou.
Imagine for a moment living like that for one day.
Try going through your day today without saying thankyou, I’m sorry, using numbers, using any past tense or talking about the past or future in any way.
I mean it’s got to be impossible! Try it and let us know how you get on!
By the way the title is just the Piraha’s way of saying good night!
Is this a fictional story? I’m having trouble accepting a tribe of people could have absolutely no words for color. Maybe they are all color blind?
I’ll have to track this one down to check it out.
Non-fiction Funkygirl - interesting eh!
I’ve always been intrigued by the way a language’s vocabulary might encourage or discourage people from acting or thinking in a particular way (think ‘Newspeak’), so maybe this is the book for me. Cheers, Mike.
No worries mate
Possible the strangest tribal tradition I have ever heard of…
But what freedom it would give…
Mike do they actually remember the past?
I read a book once in which they people could only remember the future, they saw things backwards and could not really remember what just happened but could remember what would happen in a few minutes to a week ahead… fiction of cause.. but fascinating..
If they remember the past but could not express that would be horrid.. but to forget all to gether now that would interesting, because they would have no idea of anything that has happened, wow… hmmmm….
further investigation required must get the book..
As far as I can understand they can remember the past, but they have no cultural desire to dwell there - they live in the moment. So for example if you asked them:
Who created this world around you, the trees and the land?
they would just look at you and say it has always been this way.
Interestingly the author first went out there to convert the tribe to Christianity but ended up embracing their way of seeing the world instead.
Why would someone want to travel to the rainforest to ‘convert’ a tribe?
Still the story ended happily as he turned to Atheism, and eventually his loving Christian wife divorced him, and his three children broke off all contact
Cant understand why these tribes cant be left alone to do what they have done for eons in peace… missionaries.. grrrrrrr..
Glad to see it backfired…
certainly is a cool way to live, but I couldnt do it, I like history to much, mine and civilisation…. lol….
I wonder though if our civilisation would be anything like it is with the technology etc we have if our thought processes worked the same way, interesting….
Sounds very interesting - thanks for the tip Mike!
Its great to be reminded that the world we’ve created is based on a certain understanding of ’society’ only - its not concrete or right or anything like that. And there are other ways…
I’m inspired to get clicking on Amazon…
This sounds absolutely facinating. Why do you do this to me? Keep finding books that I like!!! I love anthropology because it turns things upside down from our natural Western way of thinking. I couldn’t live like that. Words are very important to me. Do I need to just subscribe to your magazine. You will have this review too, huh? I just wish I had the energy and focus to read what I have, but I have to nab a book while I’m thinking about it. This really intrigues me.
CC
Sorry CC and I’m afraid it doesn’t feature in my magazine - we tend to stick mainly to fiction.
I’m probably going to purchase it anyway. Stop torturing me, Mike!!!
I tried and failed Mike!
Busy mind bouncing between past n future with a little bit in between - currnetly reading The Pwoer of now by Eckhart toll - well thats the plan, maybe tomorrow
Did you really try Jim? At what point did you fail?
The second I stepped out of a lift and someone held it for me..
“thank you’
I said.
DOH I then said having read your post and vowed to give it a go that day.