Peace

“My fellow Linguafoureans …”

Singapore is unique in having four official languages, each from a different language family. Linguafour is a space to celebrate how this linguistic treasure can strengthen and unite its people.

In this fifth edition of our monthly newsletter, we consider:

• Trains

• Snow

• Well-being

• Peace

Trains

There is something “Christmassy” about trains. Perhaps it is because there is something magical about them (think of the Hogwarts Express); perhaps it is because so many of our Christmas traditions began in 19^th century, in the golden age of trains; perhaps it is because of movies like the Polar Express.

Trains are, of course, a symbol of travel. 86% of Singaporeans describe themselves as “very” or “somewhat interested” in overseas culture (according to a British Council report), and the nation maintains over 50 overseas missions.  Furthermore, three in ten people who live and work in Singapore come from elsewhere, bringing with them a broad range of additional connections that make the little Red Dot richer still.  The Christmas season is a time when many of those people travel back home to spend time with family and friends in other parts of the world and keep those connections alive.

Not all travel – especially journeys that broaden our perspectives – requires us to go somewhere else physically. Because one thought leads to another, we talk in Malay of “aliran fikiran” and in Tamil of “சிந்தனை ஓட்டம் (sindhanai oottam)”: a “stream” of “thoughts.”  In Chinese, that flow is pictured as a road we can travel along “思路 (sīlù)” while in English we talk of a “train of thought.”  Singapore enjoys an unusual wealth of linguistic and cultural diversity that is reflected in the four official languages, which provides us with a wonderful array of starting points. Where will your next imaginative journey take you?

Snow

Snow is, of course, another popular symbol of Christmas - even in countries like Singapore where there is no natural snow! This gives us an opportunity to go on an imaginative journey beyond our borders.

“Snow controls patterns of heating and cooling over earth's land surface more than any other single land surface feature,” “is a vital source of drinking water and hydropower for certain regions of the planet” and “affects wildlife migration, hibernation, and survival.” (National Snow and Ice Data Center). But only people whose environment is dominated by snow see below the surface of festive decoration or holiday fun.

Inuktitut is a language spoken by about 65,000 Inuit people who are indigenous to parts of Canada, Alaska and Greenland. It is a polysynthetic language which allows people to talk about their environment succinctly but with great precision by adding affixes to a handful of root words which distinguish snow that is falling, on the ground, powdery, slushy or crusty.

For example, qanir is snow that is falling. Qanirpoq means that it is snowing; qanirsaq refers to snowfall; and qanirsi are the individual flakes that are falling. Qaniruk means it is starting to snow; qanirumi refers to snow that is falling; and qanirijuk is snow that is falling heavily.

Similarly, aput is snow on the ground. Aputiqar means that something is covered by snow; aputigut refers to ground that is covered in snow; and aputtut is a series of snow-covered areas. Aputiulluni refers to someone or something that is in the process of being covered by snow; aputiqaruvuq means that snow is falling on the ground; and aputikpala is a place where snow accumulates like a snowdrift.

Well-being

This illustrates that different languages are not simply alternative ways of expressing the same thing: different languages reflect alternative perspectives, often capturing insights into reality that would likely otherwise be missed.

More than half of modern medicines are derived from plants but more than 75% of medicinal plants have only been identified in one of the world’s 7000+ languages. Meanwhile, more than half of humanity communicates using just 23 of the world’s languages. 40% of people speak only one language, 43% speak two and 17% speak more than two. All of which means there are vast amounts of human wisdom available to us of which we remain ignorant.

We reported a link between linguistic diversity and biodiversity in our third edition. This 4 minute video from the Open University helps to explain why. Compare these two maps, the first showing the where the world is most biodiverse and the second where people are most linguistically diverse:

Singapore has the privilege and responsibility of being a hub at the centre of one of these hotspots. How can we help protect and encourage linguistic diversity not just in the nation but in the region for the well-being not just of ourselves or the indigenous peoples but of the whole world?

Peace

As Christmas approaches at the close of this calendar year that has seen the horrors of war, environmental disasters and a host of other challenges, we remind ourselves again of heaven’s declaration recorded in Luke 2:14 of the Christian Bible:

• Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. (KJV)

• 在至高之处荣耀归与神！在地上平安归与他所喜悦的人。

• Kemuliaan bagi Allah dan damai sejahtera di bumi

• பரலோகத்தில் தேவனை மகிமைப்படுத்துங்கள். பூமியில் தேவனை பிரியப்படுத்தும் மக்களுக்குச் சமாதானம் உண்டாகட்டும்

The English word “peace” comes from the same root as “pact,” but peace is more than just an agreement to suspend conflict. The Chinese 平安 (píng ān) symbolises peace by combining 平, representing balance (as in weighing scales), and 安, representing security (illustrated by a woman with a roof over her head). The Malay damai adds a sense of reconciliation and social harmony, while the Tamil சமாதானம் (samādānam) draws out a broader alignment and a connection with the divine.

May you receive and share peace in all its fullness, as we embrace the beauty of linguistic and cultural diversity. See you in 2025!

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Previous editions

1. Happy Birthday: official launch on Singapore's 59th birthday

2. Majulah Singapura: let our voices soar as one

3. Identity: unity in diversity not uniformity

4. Together: we need each other’s eyes

Other posts

• Heritage: Singapore’s unique linguistic heritage

• About: what Linguafour is and how to get involved

• Name: where Linguafour’s name and logo came from

• Why: why should we change the lens?

• How: how do we change the lens?

• What: what can we do to change the lens?

• Blue Pea: the multiple faces of South East Asia’s popular flower

• Life Jacket: an airline safety notice shows us different ways of thinking

• Jalan: the word on the street

• Leadership is language: changing language is the key to success

• Perspectives: I need your eyes to see

Video

_{Linguafour is a community based in Singapore. We use a platform from Beehiiv, which is a company registered in New York at the address below.}

_{This month’s header image background is of a wall hanging in the Midland Grand Dining Room restaurant at St Pancras International station in London which evokes a mosaic of train tickets and the journeys each unlocks. The focus image is of the front of The High Commission of the Republic of Singapore in London, one of the nation’s many overseas missions.}