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Author)sForeword
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owncountry.AstheRomansputit,ubibene,ibipatria.Butatwhatprice?Who
amIreallyandwhatmakesmethinkso?AmIreadytospeakwithmychildren
inalanguageforeigntome,thoughnolongertothem?HaveItherighttoex-
pectfromthemtherespectandobediencetotraditionsandsacrednesses(this
wordseemstheonlyonethatexpresseswhatImeanhere)thatIexpectonlybe-
causeIwasbroughtupthiswayinthecountrymychildrennolongerthinktheir
motherland?Ubibene,ibipatria-butmustIsacrificetheinnermostmyselfto
achieveit?
Anotherdigression,afamilystoryIheardin1976ormaybe1977duringmy
fieldworkwiththeTibetansinIndia.Thechildren,wholivedinLondon,invited
theirmothertocomeandstaywiththem.Theladyfeltlostinsogiantacity.To
showhersomethingshewasusedto,thechildrentookhertotheTibetanGallery
oftheBritishMuseum.Theladyreactedthewayshewouldinherownworld
-shestartedprostratingtothesacredscrollsandimages.Itendedwithafamily
quarrel.Thechildrencouldnotunderstandthetraditionalismoftheirmother,she
thedisrespectfulnessofherchildren.
Alsoin1976,whenIbecameinterestedinHawaiianandwaslookingfor
contactwithsomeonespeakingit,Ireceivedaletterwhosewordswentalmost
exactlylikethis:
DearSir,Iamverygladthatthereissomeoneinterestedinourlanguage,butfor
yourownsakeIsincerelysuggestyoutogetinterestedinsomeotherone.Hawaiian
isafast-dyinglanguageinspiteofalloureffortstokeepitalive,andinadecadeor
twonobodywillspeakitanymore.Sincerely,...
Thewriterofthisletterisnowwidelyknownasoneofthemostprominent
academicandmoralauthoritiesoftheHawaiianrevivalmovement.Idarenot
quotehisnamewithoutpermission.IguessHenryJennerwouldsay,“Because
theyareHawaiian”.
Ihavereferredtotheconceptofidentity.Itisdefinitelyagreatword,but
whatdoesitreallymean?Tomany-myselfincluding-itmeansfirstofallmy
languageandmymemoriesinit.Icanspeakseverallanguagesfluentlyandcould
surviveinafewothercountrieswithoutlanguageproblems.Yetinnolanguage
willIexpressmythoughts,myfeelings,allofmyselfasauthenticallyasIcando
itinPolish.IrememberthewisewordsofHerbertSvenkerud:“Norwegianisthe
world’srichestlanguagetoaNorwegian”.10
10HerbertSvenkerudistheauthorofCappelens(thisisthepublisher’sname)storeengelsk-
norskordbok,Oslo1988,newedition1997.HisessayIrememberwaspublishedinlow-circula-
tionnewsletterofasocietyofNorwegianlanguageenthusiastsinlatenineteen-eighties.Ihave
