Don't Sleep: Beware Of The Snares And Dangers Ahead

'Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes' is a book by linguist Daniel Everett, detailing his time spent with the Pirahã, a small tribe of Amazonian Indians in Brazil. Everett, a Christian missionary, arrived among the Pirahã in 1977 with his wife and three young children, intending to convert them. However, he soon became obsessed with their language, which defied all existing linguistic theories, and their way of life. The Pirahã have no counting system, no fixed terms for colour, no concept of war, and no personal property. They live entirely in the present. Over three decades, Everett spent a total of seven years among the Pirahã, and his account is an engrossing exploration of language that questions modern linguistic theory. It is also an anthropological investigation, an adventure story, and a riveting memoir of a life profoundly affected by exposure to a different culture.

The Pirahã tribe's unique language

The Pirahã people are an indigenous group of around 700-800 individuals living in the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil. They are the sole surviving subgroup of the Mura people, and their language, Pirahã, is the only surviving dialect of the Mura language. The Pirahã language is extremely unusual and has been the subject of much academic interest and debate.

One of the most notable features of the Pirahã language is its simplicity. It is based on just eight consonants and three vowels, making it one of the simplest sound systems known. However, it has a complex array of tones, stresses, and syllable lengths, allowing speakers to communicate through whistling, humming, or singing. This makes the language extremely difficult for non-natives to learn.

Another unique aspect of the Pirahã language is its lack of numeracy. The language contains no words for discrete numbers and only a few words that approximate quantity, such as "hói" (a small amount) and "hoí" (a larger amount). The Pirahã people do not appear to count and are unable to perform tasks involving quantities greater than three. They also do not appear to count using their fingers or other methods, even when determining how much food they need to prepare or how many goods to trade.

The Pirahã language also lacks words for precise colours, instead using descriptive phrases that change from one moment to the next. For example, they might describe a red cup as "like blood" or "like vrvcum" (a local berry used for dye).

The Pirahã language also differs from other languages in its lack of subordinate clauses. Instead of saying, "When I have finished eating, I would like to speak with you," a Pirahã speaker would say, "I finish eating, I speak with you." This difference has led to debate among linguists, with some arguing that it challenges the theory of universal grammar proposed by Noam Chomsky.

The Pirahã language is also notable for its agglutinative nature, using a large number of affixes to communicate grammatical meaning. It also has evidentiality suffixes, indicating whether the speaker observed an event or is basing their statement on hearsay or circumstantial evidence.

The Pirahã people refer to their language as Apáitisí and to themselves as Hiáitihí, meaning "the straight ones." They call all other languages "crooked head," considering them inferior to their own. This monolingualism is unique among Amazonian peoples.

The author's personal life

Daniel Everett, the author of 'Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes', was born in Holtville, California, and worked in the Amazon jungles of Brazil for over 30 years. Everett spent time with more than a dozen tribal groups, but is best known for his long-term work with the Pirahã people. He has published over 100 articles and 13 books on linguistics, life in the Amazon, and endangered Amazonian languages. Everett's work has been recognised by National Public Radio, Blackwell's bookstores, and the London Sunday Times.

Everett's journey with the Pirahã began when he was 26 years old. He moved to the Amazon with his wife and three young children, hoping to convert the tribe to Christianity. However, Everett quickly became obsessed with the Pirahã language and its cultural and linguistic implications. The Pirahã have no counting system, no fixed terms for colour, no concept of war, and no personal property. Everett was so impressed by their peaceful way of life that he eventually lost faith in the God he had intended to introduce to the tribe. Instead, he devoted his life to the science of linguistics.

Everett's experiences with the Pirahã led him to question everything he believed in. He describes how he learned to speak fluent Pirahã, often clubbing snakes that harassed him in his Amazonian "office". Everett's discoveries about the Pirahã language have challenged prevailing orthodoxies in linguistics and forced researchers to re-evaluate basic assumptions about the relationship between culture, language, and cognition.

Everett's work with the Pirahã has had a profound impact on both his personal and professional life. He has described the tribe as some of his dearest friends and has expressed his gratitude for the lessons he has learned from them. Everett's marriage ended following his public rejection of Christianity, and he has faced several threats to his life during his time in the Amazon. Despite these challenges, Everett remains dedicated to preserving minority languages and raising awareness of the unique culture and language of the Pirahã.

The author's loss of faith

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The Pirahã's way of life

The Pirahãs are a small tribe of Amazonian Indians in central Brazil. They have a unique way of life that is content, free, and happy. The Pirahãs have frequent contact with neighbouring tribes, Brazilians, traders, anthropologists, and linguists, yet they remain isolationists, resisting any attempts to change their way of life.

The Pirahãs' material culture has been described as primitive, and they are not self-sufficient. They fish in canoes with fishing hooks, cut wood with axes and machetes, hunt with shotguns, and wear clothes. They buy these goods from river traders in exchange for Brazil nuts, latex, copaiba (a resin used in Brazilian folk medicine), and other rainforest products. Life is tough for the Pirahãs—hunger, disease, and death are frequent occurrences. Despite these challenges, the Pirahãs are known for their smiles and laughter, and their way of life is stable and sustainable.

The Pirahãs have a unique language that defies existing linguistic theories. They have no counting system and no fixed terms for colour. They also struggle to perceive two-dimensional objects, such as drawings and photographs. The Pirahãs speak to their children as equals, and children are free to explore and learn without the restrictions that may be present in other cultures. The Pirahãs' way of life is one that works for them, and they have no use for the knowledge of outsiders.

Daniel Everett, a Christian missionary and linguist, lived among the Pirahãs for seven years, intending to convert them to Christianity and translate the Bible into their language. However, his experiences with the Pirahãs challenged his beliefs and led him to question his mission. Everett's book, "Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle," provides a riveting account of his time with the Pirahãs and the discoveries he made about their language and way of life.

The author's scientific exploration

Sleep is foundational to health and wellness. Sleep medicine specialists have determined that getting enough good sleep is necessary for cardiovascular health, metabolic health, and brain health.

A lack of sleep can have a detrimental impact on the body and brain. Sleep allows the body to conserve and store energy, repair and recover from daily activity and injuries, and rest, reorganize, and re-catalog information in the brain.

The short-term effects of sleep deprivation include moodiness and agitation, and an inability or unwillingness to participate in normal daily activities. Sleep is necessary for the body to produce cytokines, proteins that send signals to other cells to keep the immune system functioning. Sleep deprivation prevents the immune system from building up its forces, making the body more susceptible to certain illnesses.

The long-term effects of sleep deprivation include fatigue and a lack of energy, poor balance and coordination, mood changes and mental health issues, forgetfulness and neurological concerns, and changes in appearance. Sleep deprivation can also lead to a weakened immune system, higher stress levels, a greater chance of car accidents, and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and other health issues.

There are several techniques that can be used to fall asleep, including controlled breathing, body scan meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and autogenic training. Additionally, practicing good sleep hygiene, such as getting natural light early in the day, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, optimizing the bedroom environment, and avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bed, can help improve sleep quality.

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