LL-L "Perception" 2003.06.15 (05) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 15.JUN.2003 (05) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: "Ben J. Bloomgren" <godsquad at cox.net>
Subject: Perception

Hi. I heard something interesting when I was working with a translation
company. I asked him if his translators could write in different
dialects of Italian and German, and he told me the following:
"Italian and German are languages of great dialectal diversity, but the
dialects are not written. In fact, people may be put off by seeing
dialect in writing."
What do you think about that? I would imagine that one would be
delighted to see their dialect in writing. Scots would surely die if it
were not written!

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

Thanks, Ben.  Here is just a brief (initial?) comment or two.

Over centuries, European minds, and to various degrees the minds of
people in European-based cultures elsewhere, have been conditioned to
think in terms of _Kultursprache_ ("cultural language"), a highly
developed, supremely dominating carrier of "high" culture that
represents the pinnacle of their respective ideal self-image.
Everything other than this has been taught to be peripheral and
inferior, be it "dialects" or related but non-dominating languages.  In
"good" literature, "dialect" use tends to be confined to direct speech
of persons of lesser education and social status, thus traditionally
serves to mark supposed inferiority.  In other words, use of
non-standard dialects in "good" literature has been associated with
negativity.  I am afraid that writing "in dialect" in other types of
contexts is a rather novel and alien idea to most people's minds, as is
the idea of diversity as anything but encumbrance and inconvenience.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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