Ethnography

Special emphasis is given to the ethnographic context of language practices. Above all this means a comprehensive documentation of the numerous culturally salient genres of speaking, such as myths, legends, and folk tales, forms of politeness, ceremonial dialogues, ritual invocations of ancestors, and shamanic seances. Among the Kiranti most rituals are accompanied by the use of a special speech register which is distinct from ordinary speech. Thus the translation of such texts is a particular challenge and requires sound background knowledge of indigenous notions concerning, e.g., personhood, the acestral past and ritual communication.

Project Structure and Main Goals