LL-L: "Language maintenance" LOWLANDS-L, 07.MAR.2001 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 07.MAR.2001 (02) * 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, Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
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From: Sandy Fleming [sandy at scotstext.org]
Subject: "Language maintenance"

> From: Criostoir O Ciardha [paada_please at yahoo.co.uk]
> Subject: LL-L: "Language maintenance" LOWLANDS-L, 04.MAR.2001 (02) [E]
>
> Sandy wrote:
>
> > Are you seriously suggesting that I should be
> > writing this
> > email in my local dialect?
>
> I am. Why not?
>
> > Or can you imagine me writing an engineering report
> > in work
> > in my local dialect, where "ca" = "can't" and
> > suchlike?
>
> I can indeed. This is the consensual oppression issue
> I raised elsewhere on this list. What is really
> stopping you from producing a bilingual document if
> you wish your mother tongue to have equal standing? If
> you believe that your mother tongue has validity and
> you are proud of it and want to use it more, you would
> be writing that engineering report in it.

Unlike Colin, I live in England and so would probably
get away with this. However, I already promote Scots
through my writing and website, and making a policy of
writing everything out twice in situations where no-one
wants to read it would only leave less time for useful
work in the language.

There are other considerations. For example, French and
Italian engineers work for us and write in English, why
should I be any different? I don't have an inferiority
complex about Scots any more than they have about their
languages and dialects.

> I could write this in my mother tongue if I had the
> ability and the patience to render sound to letter. At
> present I don't have the time and my profferments
> would not be appreciated, anyway.

How is it that for all your idealism you can get out of
it with a few excuses? Time to start practicing what you
preach, if you want to convince anyone! In fact I think
your profferments would be much appreciated on this list,
although translations or cribs (as you sometimes see
others doing here) might be appreciated too.

I'm not convinced of the value of "rendering sound to
letter", but if there's no precedent it's entirely up
to you.

Sandy
http://scotstext.org
A dinna dout him, for he says that he
On nae accoont wad ever tell a lee.
                          - C.W.Wade,
                    'The Adventures o McNab'

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