LL-L "Language maintenance" 2007.08.07 (05) [E]

[Lowlands-L List]

L O W L A N D S - L  -  07 August 2007 - Volume 05

=========================================================================

From: Mike Wintzer <k9mw at yahoo.com>
Subject: LL-L "Language maintenance" 2007.08.06 (06) [E]

Ron, you advised:

"...you quoted not me but David Clark who wrote that in response to my
request for responses." My apologies to you both, Ron and David

Ron, you continue then:

we would expect speakers to welcome boosts from the outside and, perhaps
more importantly, recognition and appreciation on the part of "outsider."
While this may be true in some cases, it is more often the case that
"outsiders" are discouraged.

It's the collection of all the reasons that you advance.
Here in OC - and I think this can be generalized -
it´s the true, genuine speakers (i.e. those whose
mothertongue it is) that are hostile, for the reasons
you indicate.
Those that speak the language consciously, have
in many cases already acquired it as a second language,
e.g. from grandparents and are therefore appreciative of
someone who makes the same effort. The language militants
are mostly from this second group, while the first group
is amused in the best of cases, but mostly
indifferent or even hostile and in many cases cannot
even be reached..

Mike Wintzer

----------

From: Mike Wintzer <k9mw at yahoo.com>
Subject: LL-L "Language maintenance" 2007.08.07 (02) [E]

Ron (I hope this time I'm right),
you wrote:


"Actually, this is happening already. Clearly, a supra-regional Low Saxon
variety in addition to local ones would go a long way as far as the survival
of the language is concerned. But people won't have it, rather see the
language die."

This, and the other contributions made under this heading, in particular
with
respect to Wales, prompts me to repeat, perhaps at nauseam, what I now
come to call MM, the "Mike maxim", because I don't think anybody else
has really swallowed this bitter pill:

 "A language has NO chance of long-term survival UNLESS it is (made) the
FIRST language in ALL domains of public life: education, administration,
local media."

Don't even remotely hope there is any way around it.

Dialectical diversity doesn't help, of course. If the above conditions are
met
or re-introduced (the only relevant example I can think of is Israel), a
standard
language will inevitably evolve and dominate, at the expense of regional
variants.

It is fascinating to discuss language maintenance and survival, last not
least
on the LL forum, but sight should not be lost of the ultimate fate of all
"secondary" languages. I think that any real enthousiast must be a militant.
(I have many excuses for not being one.)

Mike Wintzer
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lowlands-l/attachments/20070807/eaf154cf/attachment.htm>