LL-L "Language varieties" 2004.10.28 (06) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 28.OCT.2004 (06) * 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: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Language varieties

Lowlanders,

So, sticking to one's guns sometimes does pay off.  I won't take all the
credit for it, given that I had good company, that more and more German
resources now present Lowlands Saxon (Low German) as a "Low(lands) Saxon"
(_niedersächsische_) language including the Saxon dialects of the
Netherlands with those of Germany.

Some people and organizations in Germany have been anywhere between lukewarm
to freezing cold ("outside our jurisdiction!" ?) with regard to my
persistence in
and insistence on inclusion not only of emigrant community dialects but also
of all the Saxon dialects of the Netherlands (that within the framework of
the European Language Charter are listed and protected just as those in
Germany are, albeit under different names).  Some people in Germany feel
that the German-Dutch border has led to an estrangement between the
dialects, and that "the Dutch are sort of funny, touchy ..."  I have never
had any personal experience of the latter and consider this a lame excuse.
On the contrary, I have experienced nothing but openmindedness and warm
reception of the inclusion vision from west of the border.  Yes, there are
undeniably Dutch versus German influences, but I do not consider them
significant enough to justify talking about two languages instead of one.
It is more a matter of orthographies (German-based versus Dutch-based) and
orthographic "reconciliation" that make up the pot full of hot potatoes our
friends in Germany dance around of.

Nevertheless, bit by bit, drop by drop of lobbying (or "propaganda," as some
might have it) may pay off in the long run.  I am pleased to see this
inclusive model a few of us have been lobbying for for years is represented
in educational resources, including websites that have German high school
students as their target readership.  Here is the latest example:

http://www.matheboard.de/lexikon/Nieders%E4chsische_Sprache,definition.htm

Maybe people will gradually get used to this idea and find it less scary.

Perhaps something like this can be done with regard to the small group of
Low Franconian dialects (of the general Cleves area) on German-administered
soil, of which the Mölm/Mülheim dialect is being so valiantly represented on
Lowlands-L by Franz Firla.  I am not sure exactly where they fit in, but I
have a hunch that they do fit in with certain varieties used in the
Netherlands.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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