LL-L "Language use" 2005.06.13 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

======================================================================
L O W L A N D S - L * 13.JUN.2005 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
http://www.lowlands-l.net * lowlands-l at lowlands-l.net
Rules & Guidelines: http://www.lowlands-l.net/index.php?page=rules
Posting: lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org or lowlands-l at lowlands-l.net
Commands ("signoff lowlands-l" etc.): listserv at listserv.net
Server Manual: http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html
Archives: http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html
Encoding: Unicode (UTF-8) [Please switch your view mode to it.]
=======================================================================
You have received this because you have 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.
=======================================================================
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)
=======================================================================

From: Þjóðríkr Þjóðreksson <didimasure at hotmail.com>
Subject: LL-L "Language use" 2005.06.12 (06) [E]


>Spanish speakers speak Spanish among themselves? There doesn't seem
>to
>be anything odd about that. Certainly most of the expats from
>Canada,
>the States, or Britain that I've known of speak English among
>themselves in the countries they're living in. It's pretty normal
>for
>people who are close to each other to use the language they know
>best.
>And if there are enough Spanish speakers in Northern Manhattan to
>make
>up a majority or a large minority, it also seems fairly normal that
>English wouldn't be popular. I've always thought that language
>diversity is a good thing, and if you have to learn one or two
>phrases
>to get around in certain areas, it's not going to kill you.
>
>-Ian Pollock

But many people I know here who speak (for our age ;)) quite good dialect,
and who speak it at home too (so it should be their real mothertongue) still
speak some regiolect among eachother... Even if they know they both speak
dialect as well!
(probably due to the anti-dialect indoctrination in schools...?)

I know you cannot completely compare this to the Spanish example but still
it bothers me :p

Diederik Masure

----------

From: Steven A Avey <saavey at ra.rockwell.com>
Subject: LL-L "Language use" 2005.06.12 (04) [E]

Tom wrote:

>On the other hand, I am puzzled by the persistence of Spanish here in
the northern tip of Manhattan.  I don't know if it is an unwillingness
or an inability to learn English on the part of the Spanish speakers.
Perhaps there are qualities to the Spanish language that I am not
aware of.  I tend to be skeptical of the existence of such qualities
since I have never heard of a world class, philosopher, mathematician,
chemist, physicist, etc., emerging from the Spanish speaking world....<

Yikes! Well, I'll just mention a few names from the world of philosophy
alone. You may have heard of them sometime during your life:

Maimonides (1135 - 1204)
Jose Ortega y Gasset (1883 - 1955)
Baltasar Gracian (1601 - 1658)

I could go on listing "world class" (whatever that is supposed to mean)
chemists, physicists, etc., from the Spanish-speaking world. I'm not sure if
your intent here is to purposely raise ire of your Spanish-speaking fellow
Lowlanders or not, but I find your cultural arrogance somewhat offensive.

Steve

==============================END===================================
Please submit postings to lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org.
Postings 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.
=======================================================================