Re: American dialect of Brithenig

[Padraic Brown <pbrown@nova.umuc.edu>]

On Sun, 1 Aug 1999, andrew wrote:

> 
> On Sat, 31 Jul 1999, Padraic Brown wrote:
> 
> Some caveats:
> 
> Much higher levels of polution.  Older forms of technology is much more
> pollutant than newer forms.  Some of the worst damage to the atmosphere
> was caused by nineteenth century industry.

Yep.

> 
> Serious threat of fuel crises.  Technological change may not be fast
> enough to keep current technology running.

That's certainly a problem. :)  Perhaps they'll go nuclear or solar.  No
reason why New Caerleon can't get its power from the Niagra.

> We know the Great Wars occured this century, but we do not know the
> details of them.  There may have been a cold war period between a NATO
> directed from the leadership of several western nations in competition
> with a Soviet block.  Great incentives for technology.  Manned flights to
> Jupiter, anyone?

Hurray!

> 
> > Dear Sal!  Look at the back of your K. Grammar .. what do you see? 
> > Adverts for current moving pictures!  Obviously the World *there* can not
> > be precisely the same as the World *here*.  Technology is somewhere
> > "behind" *there*.  There are computers, probably some kind of
> > "computerised network", but no or very few "PCs": they're large and
> > expensive and generally found in Government, universities, research
> > facilities and the like: no PC banking, no ATMs, no internet stock
> > trading.
> No Enigma files then?  Code breaking in WWII kickstarted computer
> technology by ten to twenty years.  Wars are a great incentive.  After the
> wars the technology was too much fun for people not to play around with.
> Once that happens then the push for technological change just falls into
> place.  The same would also happen for aviation.  Where there's money to
> be made from technology people will push to benefit from it.

The push thereafter (transistors to microtransistors to IC chips like we
use *here*) happened in the US.  I'm not saying there are _no_ computers,
only "different" computers.

> 
> > Basically think of *here* without the contribution of the USA (with all
> > its associated problems and triumphs); but some slack of which is taken up
> > by other countries, most notably the FK and Germany.
> >
> I think what would happen is that social and technological innovation on a
> major scale would not happen in the post-colonial nations, including the
> League.  Rather they would follow what changes are occuring in the home
> countries.  So the League, and Canada and all will produce outstanding

Right.

> individuals, but they will go to Britain to do their work.  I'm thinking
> of Rutherford who split the atom, but was born in NZ and retained an
> affection for the country of his birth until his death.  Maybe somebody

He invented the Very Small Knife school of chemistry. ;)

> like Henry Ford might break that mold, but they would be exceptional.
> Only until the Federated Kingdom accepts that it is no longer the heart of
> empire and move into orbit in Europe again will the post-colonial nations
> be confident to forge their own identities and insecurities.  This is why
> I believe the Federated Kingdom will willingly join a Federated Europe,
> and the Scots and the Kemrese will lead the way into this greater
> federation.  I suspect in NZ we did not nationally start thinking about

OK.

> our own distinct national identity, and celebrating it, until Britain
> joined the EEC.

This is one reason why I think the League can not do the things the US did
*here*: it has no national identity as such.

> 
> > Somewhat premodern, but not much.  For a look at _really_ premodern, you
> > want to visit far SW Kemr: no pavement, electricity or central water
> > outside of larger towns; very rural with low population; priests and
> > doctors' housecalls galore; entertainment is found in pubs and house
> > parties; and where (if you can get one into a place) a motorcar would be
> > The Thing to See -- and where people would dress up in Sunday Best and
> > pay sixpence to ride in it.
> >
> The more I hear about that area the more I think about it the same way as
> people think of the American Deep South.  The traditionalism sounds
> utterly stupifying to me! 

It's a different world (in a manner of speaking, that is).  In some ways
more like West Virginia (it relies on the same industry, and suffers the
same fate as that resource is depleted or the prices drop). 

This applies to western Duneint, some parts of which would definitely be
considered third world. Around Esca and up towards the NE, things look
more like the rest of the country.  Other areas remind me more of North
Country (NY): small farms, small towns, regional industries not related to
mining. 

Don't be too surprised at the traditionalism!  Not everyone rushes along
"keeping up" with the times.  Not everyone wants to, either.  At least
they thump their bibles in everyone else's face! :)

Padraic.

> 
> - andrew.
> --
> Andrew Smith, Intheologus 			hobbit@earthlight.co.nz
> 
> 	Lo! thy dread empire, Chaos! is restored;
> 	Light dies before thy uncreating word:
> 	Thy hand, great Anarch! lets the curtain fall;
> 	And Universal Darkness buries All.
> 			- Alexander Pope, The Dunciad, Book IV.
> 
>