LL-L "Language politics" 2007.11.25 (04) [E]

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 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)

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L O W L A N D S - L  -  25 November 2007 - Volume 04
Song Contest: lowlands-l.net/contest/ (- 31 Dec. 2007)
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From: Global Moose Translations <globalmoose at t-online.de>
Subject: LL-L "Language politics" 2007.11.25 (03) [E]

Heiko wrote:
> Where I live, this would mean changing the ending -hausen to -husen in
many
> names and then putting up both on a sign, which I consider utterly
> pointless (and so do all the older, Platt-speaking people around here that

> I asked about it).
Well, Gabriele, you are free to think so. But as long as there are people
who
want these road signs (which obviously is the case), this does not count
much. Bilingual road signs are a right for those who want them. If there is
a
majority against these, this does not count as majority wishes do not count
when it comes to the protection of minorities.

I see... again, it all boils down to some people cramming their political
agendas down the throats of those who would rather get on with their
lives...

Just think of what those stupid signs would cost, and what else could be
done with the money and natural resources.

Where I live, several villages have put up their own wooden signs, with the
name of the place and a greeting in Lower Saxon (OUR local variety and
spelling, not what some non-local activists would have us use). We don't
need bureaucrats to tell us how to handle this. It's all about power in the
end, isn't it?

So when the majority of people who actually speak Lower Saxon (which appears
to be the minority we are talking about) think that those "official" signs
are rubbish, they no longer count as a minority, and those few people who
think it is a good idea should have their way simply because there's fewer
of them?

Actually, people around here are very actively keeping their language alive
these days. All by themselves, and with no guidance from those who would
like to be seen as "saviours" of the language. And they do it for love, not
power.

Gabriele Kahn

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From: Paul Finlow-Bates <wolf_thunder51 at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Language politics" 2007.11.25 (01) [E]

From: Global Moose Translations <globalmoose at t-online.de>
Subject: LL-L "Language politics" 2007.11.24 (06) [E]

.....The natives know what to call their village all right - isn't that
enough?
......Between High German and Low Saxon, it is usually just a matter of
pronunciation, I don't know a single case where two completely different
names are used.

Gabriele Kahn

And if Germany is anything at all like England, whatever an outsider says
will be wrong anyway, and will be gleefully corrected! Re-spelling Kibworth
as "Kibbuth", Haltcliff as "Oockly" and Uttoxeter as "Utticka" would not
only confuse outsiders, it would spoil the locals' fun.

Paul Finlow-Bates

•

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