LL-L "Lexicon" 2007.11.23 (05) [E]

[Lowlands-L List]

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

 L O W L A N D S - L * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226

 http://www.lowlands-l.net * lowlands.list at gmail.com

 Rules & Guidelines: http://www.lowlands-l.net/rules.php

 Posting: lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org - lowlands.list at gmail.com

 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.]

 Administration: lowlands.list at gmail.com or sassisch at yahoo.com


 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 (Zeeuws)

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

L O W L A N D S - L  -  20 November 2007 - Volume 05
Song Contest: lowlands-l.net/contest/ (- 31 Dec. 2007)
 ========================================================================

From: Sandy Fleming <sandy at scotstext.org>
Subject: LL-L "Lexicon" 2007.11.22 (01) [E]

> From: Paul Finlow-Bates <wolf_thunder51 at yahoo.co.uk>
> Subject: LL-L "Lexicon" 2007.11.21 (04) [E]

> Hi Sandy,
>
> I sort of two-thirds agree. The danger with English being
> "over-classical" is the belief that such words are somehow naturally
> better. This is an affliction that I find affects non-native learners,
> especially those from Africa and SE Asia; There is clearly a taught
> idea that "excavate" is good English whereas "dig" is somehow "low
> class" or uneducated.

Yes, but as soon as you overreact, you lose. They drop "dig" from the
language, you drop "excavate". Either way, the language is impoverished.
Worse still, non-native learners might still stick with "excavate" and
so on, and the language starts to split into different varieties in
which the meanings of the remaining words adjust to fill the gaps left
by the abolished words, so that none of them are any longer English as
we knew it, nor as we tried to engineer it.

One of the problems with anglosaxonics, shavianism, esperantism and so
on is that enthusiasts believe in the idea that the whole world will one
day embrace their ideas. Anglosaxonics was sick unto death in its
heyday, what's different now? The Internet makes these things more
available but it doesn't seem to make them catch on.

I suppose all language enthusiasts suffer a bit of Weltschmertz over how
certain groups use a language, but you ponder the meaning of that word
and realise that this is how things are. Language use in the real world
will always disappoint the purist.

•

==============================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.

*********************************************************************
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lowlands-l/attachments/20071122/dfdb85d4/attachment.htm>