Wilson de Lima Silva

Usually, people tend to think that linguists speak several languages and all that. I like to say I speak only three languages. Oh, so the rumors are true.

Usually, people tend to think that linguists speak several languages and all that. I like to say I speak only three languages. Oh, so the rumors are true.

He knew I was from Manaus and Amazonas in the Amazon region of Brazil and that I was interested in Documentary Languages and he told me about A few languages that linguists still need to document and study.

He knew I was from Manaus and Amazonas in the Amazon region of Brazil and that I was interested in Documentary Languages and he told me about A few languages that linguists still need to document and study.

It's a two-hour flight from Manaus to San Gabriel da Cachoeira. And from San Gabriel, I rent a motorboat. I need to buy about 800 liters of gasoline to go up the river.

It's a two-hour flight from Manaus to San Gabriel da Cachoeira. And from San Gabriel, I rent a motorboat. I need to buy about 800 liters of gasoline to go up the river.

They are often surprised if you say, oh, I only speak two. Or if you say you only speak one language, it's almost like, wow, how do you survive in society?

They are often surprised if you say, oh, I only speak two. Or if you say you only speak one language, it's almost like, wow, how do you survive in society?

It's not really a conscious choice. Like, it's not that the speakers say, oh, I'm not going to speak this language. They want to speak this language, but they also need to survive, right? And it goes back to, I would say, external colonial pressures.

It's not really a conscious choice. Like, it's not that the speakers say, oh, I'm not going to speak this language. They want to speak this language, but they also need to survive, right? And it goes back to, I would say, external colonial pressures.

So when I visit San Jose de Vina, for example, they had a building for a school, but there was no schooling happening in the community because there was no teachers, there was no resources. That was just like this empty building.

So when I visit San Jose de Vina, for example, they had a building for a school, but there was no schooling happening in the community because there was no teachers, there was no resources. That was just like this empty building.

You know the game Mastermind?

You know the game Mastermind?

Usually when you play Mastermind, you make logical reasonings on like what the code is. And you might say things like, oh, it could be the red piece. It could be the green. And then record them using language playing.

Usually when you play Mastermind, you make logical reasonings on like what the code is. And you might say things like, oh, it could be the red piece. It could be the green. And then record them using language playing.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Often would be like, oh, my uncle or my aunt know how to do this type of food or basketry or... They know certain plans that people don't know about.

Often would be like, oh, my uncle or my aunt know how to do this type of food or basketry or... They know certain plans that people don't know about.

Sometimes I remember people coming to talk to me like, Either very early in the morning or late at night after, like, going to sleep, people would come like, hey, Wilson, I would love to tell you a story tomorrow. Would you be willing to record me? And I would say, of course. That's why I'm here.

Sometimes I remember people coming to talk to me like, Either very early in the morning or late at night after, like, going to sleep, people would come like, hey, Wilson, I would love to tell you a story tomorrow. Would you be willing to record me? And I would say, of course. That's why I'm here.

Like the word for spider, for example, and thunder and the branch of a tree, they all are pronounced very similarly. If you think about how they A tree has all the branches. The spider has legs, right? And when you hear thunder in the Amazon, you often see also lightning. And if you look at the lightning, it's like all those zigzag waves. So they all see the shape.

Like the word for spider, for example, and thunder and the branch of a tree, they all are pronounced very similarly. If you think about how they A tree has all the branches. The spider has legs, right? And when you hear thunder in the Amazon, you often see also lightning. And if you look at the lightning, it's like all those zigzag waves. So they all see the shape.

If you're inside, but I hear the noise of rain outside of water, I can say I hear the sound of rain.

If you're inside, but I hear the noise of rain outside of water, I can say I hear the sound of rain.

We translate and we check for accuracy on some of the translations.

We translate and we check for accuracy on some of the translations.

Like right now, I'm focusing... on writing more descriptive studies on the language. That's more a kind of technical linguistics aspect of the language.

Like right now, I'm focusing... on writing more descriptive studies on the language. That's more a kind of technical linguistics aspect of the language.

The focus was like, I need this data for analysis, etc. And then the idea of giving back to the community some sort of pedagogical material. But then I kind of switched the paradigm of like, I feel like now I'm working with the community. And they're thinking about what they want. And then I think about giving back to linguistics.

The focus was like, I need this data for analysis, etc. And then the idea of giving back to the community some sort of pedagogical material. But then I kind of switched the paradigm of like, I feel like now I'm working with the community. And they're thinking about what they want. And then I think about giving back to linguistics.

The language is going to be alive. Even if people cease to speak it, it's going to be there for them in those records. I do hope it doesn't get there, but at least now we have like a rich corpus of materials that whenever people want to revisit the language, it's there.

The language is going to be alive. Even if people cease to speak it, it's going to be there for them in those records. I do hope it doesn't get there, but at least now we have like a rich corpus of materials that whenever people want to revisit the language, it's there.

Usually, people tend to think that linguists speak several languages and all that. I like to say I speak only three languages. Oh, so the rumors are true.

He knew I was from Manaus and Amazonas in the Amazon region of Brazil and that I was interested in Documentary Languages and he told me about A few languages that linguists still need to document and study.

It's a two-hour flight from Manaus to San Gabriel da Cachoeira. And from San Gabriel, I rent a motorboat. I need to buy about 800 liters of gasoline to go up the river.

They are often surprised if you say, oh, I only speak two. Or if you say you only speak one language, it's almost like, wow, how do you survive in society?

It's not really a conscious choice. Like, it's not that the speakers say, oh, I'm not going to speak this language. They want to speak this language, but they also need to survive, right? And it goes back to, I would say, external colonial pressures.

So when I visit San Jose de Vina, for example, they had a building for a school, but there was no schooling happening in the community because there was no teachers, there was no resources. That was just like this empty building.

You know the game Mastermind?

Usually when you play Mastermind, you make logical reasonings on like what the code is. And you might say things like, oh, it could be the red piece. It could be the green. And then record them using language playing.

Yeah.

Often would be like, oh, my uncle or my aunt know how to do this type of food or basketry or... They know certain plans that people don't know about.

Sometimes I remember people coming to talk to me like, Either very early in the morning or late at night after, like, going to sleep, people would come like, hey, Wilson, I would love to tell you a story tomorrow. Would you be willing to record me? And I would say, of course. That's why I'm here.

Like the word for spider, for example, and thunder and the branch of a tree, they all are pronounced very similarly. If you think about how they A tree has all the branches. The spider has legs, right? And when you hear thunder in the Amazon, you often see also lightning. And if you look at the lightning, it's like all those zigzag waves. So they all see the shape.

If you're inside, but I hear the noise of rain outside of water, I can say I hear the sound of rain.

We translate and we check for accuracy on some of the translations.

Like right now, I'm focusing... on writing more descriptive studies on the language. That's more a kind of technical linguistics aspect of the language.

The focus was like, I need this data for analysis, etc. And then the idea of giving back to the community some sort of pedagogical material. But then I kind of switched the paradigm of like, I feel like now I'm working with the community. And they're thinking about what they want. And then I think about giving back to linguistics.

The language is going to be alive. Even if people cease to speak it, it's going to be there for them in those records. I do hope it doesn't get there, but at least now we have like a rich corpus of materials that whenever people want to revisit the language, it's there.