Fieldwork

Asalinguisticanthropologist,Ihavetodo fieldwork. Thatmightmeantravelingtoafar‑offlocationtohearpeoplespeak.InPuno,Idoactual“field” work.Iherdsheepandalpacas.Iplantandharvestcrops.IworkalongsidethepeopleIamstudying.Forme,thisisperfect.IcanlistenforasignthatwhatpeoplearesayingisdifferentfromthelanguagesIalready know.

Whenherding,mynewneighborsandItaketheanimalstoahillsidetograze.Onthesewalks,IlearnaboutthepeopleIamwith.Ialsolearnaboutthelandwheretheyhavelivedalltheirlives.Ihelpfamiliespreparefieldstoplantthecropstheywillneedallyear.Andmyunderstandingofthesepeople grows.

AwomanherdsherflockofsheepnearLake Titicaca.

CollectingTalk

Partofmystudiesincludesinterviewingpeople.Iaskthemtospeaktome.Thisiscalled elicitation.

Iaskpeopletosayspecificwordsorsentencesintomyrecorder.Later,Istudythesetounderstandhowtheyare spoken.

Othertimes,Idofree‑forminterviews.Peopletalkaboutwhatevertheylike.Theytellmeabouttheirlives.Theytellmelocalfolktalesortalkaboutthenews.Sometalkaboutthechangesintheregionandintheir languages.

womeninPuno, Peru

Mostofthepeoplewhospeakwithmeare50yearsoldorolder.Manyspeaktheirlanguageswell.Butmanyyoungerpeopledonot.Theyonlyspeak Spanish.

Aymara:

Wali luphiwa

(wa-li lu-pee-wa)

English:

Itisreally sunny.

CelebratingLife

Thepeopleherelookforwaystocelebratelife.IaminvitedtoanannualplayaboutamanandawomanwhoaresaidtohavefoundedPuno.Thisisanotherchancetolistentotheindigenous languages.

IhadhopedtohearanewlanguageinPuno.OnethatIdidnotknow.WhilethepeopleheredospeakamixtureofQuechuaandAymara,Idon’thearanewlanguage.Still,Iconsidermytimeherewellspent.Ilearnedthereismuchmoretodiscoveraboutthesepeopleandtheirwonderful words.

Actorspretendtobethemanandwomanwhofounded Puno.

Quechua:

Tupananchiskama

(tu-pa-naan-chis-ka-ma)

English:

Seeyou later!

07/06/2024 07:26:55