LL-L: "Language varieties" 28.JUN.2000 (01) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 28.JUN.2000 (01) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans, Ap=Appalachean, D=Dutch, E=English, F=Frisian, L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German), S=Scots, Sh=Shetlandic
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From: Criostoir O Ciardha [paada_please at yahoo.co.uk]
Subject: Dialects, 'spoiled air heads' and language in Ireland

Dear all,

I apologise for taking a few days to reply but I've
been somewhat underwhelmed with exams and have had to
snatch the time whenever I can. Please forgive me this
once.

With regard to what is a dialect and what is a
language, I have always followed the same criteria
that Ian indicated: that a variety is a language if
its speakers consider it to be such. There has been a
long history of what most observers and linguists
would consider 'dialects' of the same language being
known and promoted as languages, with perhaps the most
relevant example here being Dutch and High German
[sic]. Whenever I attempt to read up on these two
languages I find them lumped together as
'Netherlandic-German', a catch-all that apparently
includes Flemish and (inexplicably) Letzebuergesch.
Sadly many languages are dialectised and ghettoised by
their speakers, who have had the idea that they are
inferior drummed into them at school, via interaction
with government, and through the media.

This reduction works both ways. Often it is considered
politically useful to downgrade a language to a
dialect, as has happened with the official status of
Lallans, which - although once being the official
language of Scotland - has now become in the eyes of
the English administration a corrupt patois deserved
of wilful extirpation. As a result there are very many
Scots who - whilst speaking Lallans as their first
language - are unable of writing it effectively and
indeed are somewhat ashamed of what they have been
socialised into considering as 'Scottish English'.
(There is a historical irony here; until the 12th
Century Lallans was known as 'Inglis' and Scottish
Gaelic as 'Scottish' [Ellis, 'Celt and Saxon', 1995]
but that in order to present a single Lowland identity
the labels were switched so that 'Inglis' became
'Scottis' and Gaelic became 'Erse' ['Irish']).

Similarly in many German Lander and in
Schwyzertuutsch-speaking Switzerland, the official
language is considered the 'esteemed' variety and all
other languages are considered at best aberrations
from the standard and at worst peasant dialects. A
similar approach was adopted in Franco's Spain where
he attempted to pass off Catalan, Galician and
Asturianu (and also Aranese) as substandard corrupted
local dialects of Castillian. So far as I know he
never attempted a similar feat with Euskara (Basque).

Unfortunately there seems to be a history of equating
linguistic freedom with separatism and 'the enemy
within'. Whilst it is often the case - and
understandably so - that language is used as a
forefront of anti-imperialist struggle, there are many
languages which have no desire to political
independence and seek only preservation and freedom
from extirpation. Examples here would perhaps be
Platdietsch, Shetlandic and Limburgish. I actually
believe that languages can only thrive in their own
independent environment, but I don't wish to
politicise Lowlands-L.

With regard to the question of Ulster Scots, see
above. If its speakers consider it a langauge, it's a
language. Often the promotion of Ulster Scots is seen
as a reaction to Irish-language parity by exterior
observers, although personally I don't see why one
should denigrate the recognition of Ulster Scots even
if it IS in reaction to the recognition of its
'rival', Irish. I speak Irish myself, but in no way am
I anti-Ulster Scots. I follow the ideal that
'diversity is all' and I'd very much like it if both
languages could co-exist within the Six Counties,
which may be dependent upon whether or not the
speaking of both can be de-politicised.

Talking about the issue of language in Ireland, has
any body found any information or Yola or Fingalian
for me? I ran a type of spurious and ineffective study
over the weekend when I mutated/developed Old English
according to the development of modern Irish from Old
Irish but in no way did the results tally with Yola at
all. Perhaps I should mention in addition that Yola
was named so because 'yola' is the Yola word for
'old'.

As for Valley-speak and Americanised inflections and
tones, they are very much in evidence here in
Nottingham too. People under the age of 18 now
routinely use Americanisms such as '...and stuff' and
'I was, like, SO pissed off...' And I must proffer
that it irritates me hrrendously. Its use seems most
in evidence amongst those aged 14-16, presumably
because they are a group most influenced by American
programmes such as friends... similarly, the raising
of [E] to [ae] is also in evidence. There seems to be
a correlation between socio-economic status and the
development of Americanisms in the vicinity here, with
youths from a more middle-class background far, far
more likely to intersperse their speech with
innovations culled from the American media and/or
Americanised phonology. Similarly, it seems more in
evidence amongst females than males. When I have more
time I will write a longer brief on this phenomenon
for you, particularly considering that its arrival has
also meant that Nottingham English has all but
disappeared phonologically and typologically amongst
those who use this 'new language'.

Criostoir.

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