LL-L "Language maintenance" 2007.08.07 (06) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L  -  07 August 2007 - Volume 06

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From: Luc Hellinckx <luc.hellinckx at gmail.com>
Subject: LL-L "Language maintenance"

Beste Ron,

You wrote:
> 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."  While this
> may be true in some cases, it is more often the case that "outsiders"
> are discouraged. Why?

Sounds hard but logical to me...how can you expect the speakers from a
dying language to welcome outside forces, if the very reason why the
concerned language is not surviving is because it was unable/unwilling
to cope with major external (linguistic) influence?

Methinks, adaptation, survival of the fittest, does not only apply to
biology.

Kind greetings,

Luc Hellinckx

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

Hi, Luc!

I can't really argue with your general thesis.

However, in some (unfortunately too many) cases, we are dealing with the
repercussions of what I would call "violent interference," and perhaps a
case can be made for arguing that language decline was not of the speakers'
heirs' choosing.  Among the most blatant examples are indigenous Americans
and Australians whose ancestors were hunted and killed, the survivors having
been abducted from their families and put into institutions with the express
aim of severing their ties with their native heritage, and the "stubborn"
among them were punished, usually physically.  There are still speakers of
many of those languages around, and it is therefore possible to base on this
reeducation programs.  I believe it behooves the relevant governments to
foot the bills for that, since their predecessors are to be blamed for
causing the damage.  If the people themselves do not want to ... well,
that's a different matter.

Cases like Low Saxon are perhaps in a more gray area. What you are dealing
with among naysaying native speakers is rarely anything more than
pigheadedness heaped on top of wanting education as well as calcified
suspicion of political and intellectual power.  Yes, here you might argue
that inability and unwillingness to adapt leaves you in the ditch by the
side of the road.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

•

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