LL-L "Posting criteria" 2003.05.31 (01) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 31.May.2003 (01) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: "Peter J. Wright" <peterjwright at earthlink.net>
Subject: Query re Posting Criteria

Dear Listowner,

I'm slightly confused about what criteria are applied to posts to
Lowlands-L, since I recently posted a question to the list regarding
Scots
Gaelic and received a reprimand from you for diverging the purpose of
the
list; just today, however, I see a post entitled "Celtic Connections"
that
passed by without comment, and which was just as "off-topic" as my post.
I'm attached both messages for your review.

Could you please explain why their post was acceptable and mine wasn't?

Thank you.

Peter Wright
New York, NY

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Posting criteria

Dear Peter,

Thank you for seeking further clarification of posting criteria.

The most recent discussion thread began with a question about a song in
a Lowlands language.  It later turned out that this version was based on
one in Breton, which happens to be a Celtic language.  By way of
correcting someone's naming of Breton in English, it ended with an
explanation of what Breton is and what its place in the Celtic language
group is.  This is quite different from the earlier thread to which you
referred, a thread that *began* with Celtic (Scottish Gaelic), was
solely about Celtic (without apparent connection to Lowlands languages,
leave alone focus on them) and was based on the mistaken assumption that
Scottish Gaelic was included within the focus range of Lowlands-L.

Quite a number of our subscribers are interested in Celtic languages and
cultures, and they will frequently refer to those within
Lowlands-focused discussions.  There is nothing wrong with this as long
as Celtic is not the sole focus.  This is not to say that a single
posting may not focus on Celtic.  It may if it is an explanatory note
(such as the brief note about Breton) and if it does not represent a
thread in its own right.

Because of physical proximity and historical relations between them and
their Lowlands counterparts, the following non-Lowlandic language and
culture groups are of special interest to our subscribers and tend to be
mentioned frequently:

* Celtic (British Isles and parts of Continental Europe)

* Romance (French, Walloon, Latin, etc., with various types of contacts)

* North Germanic (Scandinavian, Icelandic, Faroese, Norn --
  genealogical relations and various types of contacts)

* German (including Swiss German, Pennsylvania German,
   and Yiddish -- genealogical relations and various types of contacts)

* Slavonic (Polabian, Kashubian, Polish, Russian, etc. -- with various
  types of contacts, also substrates in Lowlands Saxon)

* Baltic (Old Prussian, Lithuanian, Latvian -- interactions with
  Lowlands Saxon)

* Uralic, especially Finnic (interactions with Lowlands Saxon)

* Indo-Aryan (specifically Romany  -- interactions with
  Lowlands varieties)

In addition, there are numerous non-European linguistic and cultural
varieties with which Lowlands varieties have been having close links,
such as various North American, Australian, Malayo-Polynesian, Bantu,
Khoisan, and other Indo-Aryan languages and cultures, and many more if
the recent spread of English and immigration to English-speaking regions
are considered.

Discussing these within the context and confines of Lowlands-L is fine,
also incidental questions about Celtic phonology, as is information
about any other varieties, as long as this is at least intended to
benefit our understanding of our focus area, and as long as extraneous
discussions are at least not intended to be threads of their own.

I hope this has clarified the matter for you.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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