LL-L 'Names' 2006.12.30 (012) [E]

[Lowlands-L List]

L O W L A N D S - L - 30 December 2006 - Volume 01
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From: "MWI" <wintzermichel at wanadoo.fr>
Subject: LL-L 'Names' 2006.12.29 (02) [E/German]

Moinmoin,

Helge writes:

"Brokstedt (south of Nömönster) often gets mis-pronounced as "Brockstedt"
when it should be "Brookstedt"."

Such nonsense is even sanctioned by the autorities, who, only a few years
ago changed "Barmbeck" to
"Barmbek" to - quote - simplify the spelling and adjust it to pronounciation
- end quote.
There are serious proposals to change the spellings of Buensen and Vaensen
(near Buchholz)
to Bünsen and Vänsen.
What about Laboe, Uelzen, etc.etc. mispronounced already since generations?

Kumpelmenten, Mike Wintzer

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From: Paul Finlow-Bates <wolf_thunder51 at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L 'Names' 2006.12.29 (02) [E/German]

From: Helge Tietz <helgetietz at yahoo.com >
Subject: LL-L 'Names' 2006.12.28 (02) [E]

... The mis-pronunciation is a result of a very strict policy in schools to
indoctrinate pupils that German can only be pronounced in one official way,
all others are wrong, and the indoctrination is less tolerant then e.g in
the UK.

 Gröten un alens gode för dat neeje jaar vun

 Helge

Yes, the position in the UK is certainly to promote regional accents.  On
the BBC, many TV presenters have quite strong regional speech - probably
difficult for foreigners to understand in many cases.  The only exception
seems to be the news/current affairs slots which are usually delivered in
fairly standard English, or in Scotland, with a relatively "mild" Scottish
accent.

Popular culture helps; it often amuses me when a member of a Girl- or
Boy-band (who all sing in pseudo-American) speaks in for example a Scouse or
Geordie accent that probably needs subtitles for any non-UK English
speakers.

That said, I recently had a book out of the local library called "Using
German".  I don't have it at the moment so I can't tell you the author.  But
in one section it details the differences in High German throughout the
country, broadly dividing into North, central and South.  I was quite
surprised at how marked some were - even different genders for some words.
The book also discusses major differences between "correct" German (such as
I am learning), and typical day-to-day speech.

Paul Finlow-Bates
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