LL-L "Language maintenance" 2007.08.06 (08) [E]

[Lowlands-L List]

L O W L A N D S - L  -  06 August 2007 - Volume 08

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From: "Roger Thijs, Euro-Support, Inc." <roger.thijs at euro-support.be>
Subject: LL-L "Language maintenance" 2007.08.06 (06) [E]

> From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Language maintenance
>In theory, when we talk about minority languages (i.e. languages without
national power), especially those that are endangered (and all of them are
to some degree or other), we would expect speakers to welcome boosts from
the outside and, perhaps more importantly, recognition and appreciation on
the part of "outsider."

Here in Belgium one sees/hears regularily jokes on TV/radio about the poor
way the members of our royal family speak Dutch. Although Dutch is
(administratively) the majority language in this country, the home language
of the royal family is clearly French. Though they try to speak Dutch, they
cannot hide a strong accent as well as syntactical romanisms and errors with
vocabulary.
Inversely, even when they visit places in the North, one hears "Vive le
roi", "Vive la reine".

Regards,
Roger

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

Thanks, Roger.

Well, at least they can speak Dutch as a foreign language and make an effort
when appropriate.

It's not as though Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales (Y Tywysog Siarl,
Tywysog Cymru), tries to speak Welsh. But he was the first Prince of Wales
that tried to learn it, which he did at the University of Wales at
Aberystwyth (*Prifysgol Cymru, Aberystwyth*), enough to hold his investiture
speech in Welsh. I hardly think he uses it anymore, and going by what David
told us, he'd be laughed at if he did.

He is also the Duke of Cornwall (Charlys, Dugeth Kernow), and to my
knowledge he didn't study Cornish.

And does Prince Philip speak Danish and Greek?  Who knows?  Among other
things, he's Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark (*Πρίγκιπας Φίλιππος της
Ελλάδος και της Δανίας*, Prins Philip af Grækenland og Danmark), of the
House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (Haus
Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Fyrstehus
Slesvig-Holsten-Sønderborg-Glücksborg). He does speak German, though, I
believe, studied in Germany for a while.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
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