LL-L: "Language politics" LOWLANDS-L, 01.FEB.2001 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

 ======================================================================
 L O W L A N D S - L * 01.FEB.2001 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 Posting Address: <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>
 Web Site: <http://www.geocities.com/sassisch/rhahn/lowlands/>
 User's Manual: <http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html>
 Archive: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html>
 =======================================================================
 A=Afrikaans, Ap=Appalachean, D=Dutch, E=English, F=Frisian, L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German), S=Scots, Sh=Shetlandic, Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
 =======================================================================

From: Criostoir O Ciardha [paada_please at yahoo.co.uk]
Subject: LL-L: "Language politics" LOWLANDS-L, 01.FEB.2001 (01) [E]

A chairde,

It was with abject deject horror and dismayed despair
that I read the proposal to "barter" Frisian for
Modern Greek at the State University of Groningen.
Such an action is detrimental and destrcutive to the
propogation of Frisian, and, by extension to both the
Frisian-speaking community and Frisians in general.
Too often has cool rationale led to the "inevitable
and necessary" extirpation by stealth of our
languages. I represent Cornish and Irish Gaelic; how
many other languages, Lowland languages yet, are
expected to keep quiet, die on the tongue, and be
buried without a linguistic gravestone?

Language preservation is not the key. That is a false
nostalgia that can serve only to destroy a language
and ensure its inferiority to a superstrate "killer
tongue" such as English. It will be remembered that
language is, above all else, a means for communication
between human beings. Everything else associated with
language is secondary - even nation, pride,
self-esteem, and so forth. A language is a motion of
the tongue and, as such, a part of being human. And so
to quietly deny the right of a language to be spoken,
or to make it as difficult as possible to speak a
language, or to relegate the language through bizarre
imperialist convention is not "language death" - it is
language murder.

And how much language murder have we seen? How much
blood crusts the vowels and consonants of English, or
French, or Castillian? While we have the chance, and
the choice, and the freedom to act, we cannot allow
Frisian to be railroaded to a siding and left to rust,
a disused vehicle. Because to do that is to denigrate
Frisian speakers and disenfranchise them of their
fundamental human rights. Let not Frisian become Ubyk,
dying away on an old man's lonely lips - let it live,
let it explode with verve down Frisian streets, from
Frisian children, in Frisian schools, in Frisian
homes; above all, let not Frisian be left to a
hearth-fate, private language, coveted by a few who
have to switch to Dutch in the wider world context.
Frisian needs as many outlets for its propogation as
it can: that means all the schools; all the homes; all
the Universities; the hospitals, the streets, the
churches, the mosques, the synagogues, everywhere.

So how should we go about doing this? If you've read
this far you're probably convinced that I'm an
eccentric linguistic polemicist, an out-of-date
extremist ideologue, washed-up on history and atavism.
Not so. What I want is for all of us on Lowlands-L to
use our collective will and whatever influence we have
to pool our support for Lowland languages. We can't
really afford to argue and procrastinate over whether
one of us is a little more energied and vigoured in
his resistance than the rest. All support is support
nonetheless and must be pooled.

Petitions, pickets if you live in Fryslan, deluge of
protest snail and e-mail to the occupation Ministry in
the Netherlands, vituperate indignation to the régime
in Ljouwert. What is the remit of the Fryslan
government? Is it to protect Frysk and Frisian
culture? If it is, then it is destroying its own
validity in allowing Greek to replace Frysk at a
University. Greek has hundreds of courses, and
thousands of learners. What of Frysk? Is there a
Department of Frisian at the University of Athens, or
Lefkosia? There isn't. Frisian is a phenomenon that
cannot, will not and should not be stifled.

Look at Cornish. Look at Polabian. Look at Euskara and
at Irish. Look at Gáidhlig. Look at Manx. Look, and
see the morgue of languages. Look, and realise that
all threats - such as disposession of Frysk from a
University - are but bullets in the pistol to the
language murderer.

And do we want to stand idly by? It starts with
Universities, and ends with lonely dying speakers,
reminiscing on what should have and could have been.
If only we could have tried that little bit harder
whilst we had the chance.

We have that chance. Prepare your e-mails and your
slate mail. But most of all, don't give in. Take the
power Frisian needs and retain the power it already
has. Extirpation of language is an extirpation of a
people; and all people are human beings. Would you
collude in the denial of human rights?

Go raibh míle maith agaibh,

Críostóir.

----------

From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
Subject: Language policies

Below is a copy of my letter of appeal.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

***

Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2001 09:41:49 -0800 (PST)
From: "R. F. Hahn" <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Frisian Studies Program
To: Dean <bestuur.decaan.gw at hum.uva.nl>, Board <mstorm at bdu.uva.nl>
CC: European Bureau of Lesser Used Languages - Dublin <eblul at indigo.ie>,
European Bureau of Lesser Used Languages - Brussels <eblul at eblul.org>, Fryske
Akademy <fa at fa.knaw.nl>, Omrop Fryslân <redaksje at omropfryslan.nl>

Dear Dean and Members of the Board,

It is with great alarm that I received the news that you are considering
closing the Frisian Studies Program at the University of Amsterdam.  I would
like to appeal to you to dismiss any such plans.

As you well know, Frisian is one of the official languages of the Netherlands
(and of Germany).  For this reason alone, opportunities for study and research
of it (and of Low Saxon) ought to be available at more than one of the
country's institutions.  One ought to assume that it has a secure place at the
most important institution of learning and research of the country's largest
city, a hub in a country that enjoys a global reputation of being exemplary,
forward-thinking and happily homogeneous.

Frisian and Low Saxon in addition to Dutch are mainstays of the Netherlands'
native ethnic and linguistic diversity, which is clearly an asset and which
ought to be cherished, promoted and represented internationally as a part of
the country's image.  Removing the Frisian Studies Program from your
university would send a contrary signal internationally.  Furthermore, it
would signal to the international community of users, learners and researchers
of Frisian that the object of their love and interest is inconsequential, even
in the very country in which it is used.

Disregard and neglect have been consistent themes of the history of Frisian
(as of Low Saxon), being a minority language everywhere.  Those of us who
advocate and support continued use and research of Frisian (and of Low Saxon)
had thought that we were entering a better, kinder, more considerate and
enlightened era with the ratification of the European Languages Charter and
with the reemergence of Frisian (and Low Saxon) language awareness and pride.
News of the impending removal of the Frisian Studies Program from your
institution thus appears to be ill advised and regressive.  I therefore ask
you and your colleagues to dismiss this plan and to provide Frisian Studies a
secure place.

Thank you very much for your kind consideration.

Reinhard "Ron" F. Hahn
Seattle, USA
Founder & Administrator, Lowlands-L
(http://www.geocities.com/sassisch/rhahn/lowlands/)

==================================END===================================
 You have received this because your account has been subscribed upon
 request. To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l"
 as message text from the same account to
 <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or sign off at
 <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 =======================================================================
 * Please submit contributions to <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>.
 * Contributions will be displayed unedited in digest form.
 * Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
 * Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
   to be sent to <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or at
   <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 * Please use only Plain Text format, not Rich Text (HTML) or any other
   type of format, in your submissions
 =======================================================================