Re: Emergent Learning LO2176

Barry Mallis (bmallis@quickmail.markem.com)
21 Jul 1995 08:49:33 -0400

Replying to LO216 --

Lilly's thoughts on language were great. I am always fascinated by
linguistic phenomena. I'd like to continue the approach for just a moment
with Russian.

The words sound very similar in Russian for teacher, textbook, to learn,
etc. While it may be true for Serbo-Croat also, I do know that in Russian
the verb "to teach" is "uchit'"; the verb "to learn" is the reflexive
form, "uchit'sa", to teach oneself! So as with the other Slavic language,
the concept of teacher/learner is built into the same action/verb.

I'd say that this is related in some way to all esoteric traditions which
in some form or other relate that the student/teacher relationship is
symbiotic, that in the best such relationship the teacher learns from the
student and vice versa.

So what about us Anglophones? (My dad was born in Russia, my mom in
Poland. And I was born 'n' bred in a briar patch within shouting distance
of Manhattan Island. Linguistically not "pure bred", I don't think.
There was always Yiddish and Hebrew floating around the house....)

--
Best,
Barry
bmallis@markem.com