LL-L "Language politics" 2010.08.03 (02) [AF-EN]

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*L O W L A N D S - L - 03 August 2010 - Volume 02*
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From: dealangeam <atdelange at iburst.co.za>

Subject: LL-L "Language politics" [AF-EN]



Beste Laaglanders,



Marcus Buck het volgens my mening met

LL_L "Language politics" 2010.08.02 (04) [DE_EN]

‘n uiters belangrike bydrae gelewer. Hy het geskryf:

“Does Low Saxon have a future? At the moment my answer certainly is: None at
all.

Why is that? Low Saxon still has millions of speakers, that should be a good
base for survival, shouldn't it?

The problem is that I can choose between German and Low Saxon as my
favourite language and as my personal relevant language but I cannot choose
between German and Low Saxon as my main language of coming to terms with
life.”



*In my opinion Marcus Buck gave a very important contribution. **He wrote:*

*(see above).*



Dit laat my baie dink oor die geskiedenis van Afrikaans tussen omtrent 1880
- 1930. In ongeveer 1899 was Hollands en Engels die twee openbare tale en
Afrikaans die huistaal. Die Genootskap vir Regte Afrikaners (GRA) het
probeer om die status van Afrikaans te verhoog, maar min reg gekry.



*It lets me think very much over the history of Afrikaans between about 1890
- 1930. In approximately 1899 Hollands (Dutch) and English were the two
public languages and Afrikaans the home language. The GRA tried to raise the
status of Afrikaans, but accomplished little.*



Toe kom die verskriklike Anglo-Boere oorlog 1899-1902. Afrikaners het
hulself Boere genoem in die twee republieke Zuid-Afrikaans en Oranje
Vrystaat. Maar in Natal en die Kaap Kolonie het hulle eerder verkies om
Afrikaners genoem te word. Na 1902 is die Boere deur die Engelse verneder en
ontmagtig soos in die jare van Apartheid nie naastenby soveel aan die
nie-blankes gedoen is nie. Verder het die oorlog die meeste van hulle
geweldig verarm. Hulle kon omtrent net in hulle huise Afrikaans praat.



*Then came the terrible Anglo-Boer war 1899 - 1902. **Afrikaners called
themselves Boers in the two republics “Zuid Afrikaans” en “Oranje Vrystaat”.
**But in Natal and the Cape Colony they preferred to be called Afrikaners.
After 1902 the Boers were humiliated end dispowered by the British far more
than have been done in the years of Apartheid to non-whites. Furthermore the
war impoverished many of them extremely. They also could speak Afrikaans
mostly only in their houses.*



Toe maak hulle hul rug styf met van die passievolle Boere generaals van die
oorlog op die voorpunt. Hulle begin om hospitale, skole en besighede te bou
met baie, klein donasies waarmee Afrikaans voorkeur sal geniet. Die
taalkundiges het begin saamwerk eers nadat Eugene Marais se gedig Winternag
verskyn het met ‘n spelling wat eiesoortig aan Afrikaans en nie Hollands is
nie. So het Afrikaans (en nie Hollands nie) geweldig begin groei om in 1926
saam met Engels die twee amptelike tale van Suid Afrika geword het.



*Then they stiffened their backs with some of the passionate Boer generals
of the war at the front.  They began to build hospitals, schools and
businesses with many small donations by which Afrikaans will be favoured.
The linguists began to work together only after the poem Winter’s
night of  Eugene
Marais appeared with a spelling suitable for Afrikaans and not Dutch. As a
result Afrikaans (and not Dutch) began to grow rapidly so that it became in
1926 together with English the two official languages of South Africa.*



Ongelukkig het nasionalistiese Afrikaners (met die geheime Broeder Bond) die
politieke mag in 1948 verkry. So het Apartheid begin groei deur die Britse
beleid van die 19de eeu in hulle kolonies na te aap. Die engelse het hulle
ekonomiese mag behou deur te begin om die nasionaliste te ondersteun. Maar
in die 1980's het die skrif aan die muur verskyn. Afrikaans het begin tweede
viool speel en Apartheid is verwater.



*Unfortunately the nationalist Afrikaners acquired (with the secret “Brother
Alliance”) the political power in 1948. Thus Apartheid began to grow by
copying the 19th century British policy in their colonies. The English
people kept their economical power by supporting the nationalists.  But the
1980's, the writing appeared on the wall. Afrikaans began to play second
violin and Apartheid was watered down.*



In 1994 het Suid Afrika getransformeer na ‘n liberale demokrasie met ‘n
grondwet wat geen rassisme sou duld nie, maar individuele volke sou
ondersteun  Mandela het die droom van ‘n reenboog nasie gehad. Maar die
volgende president Mbeki het dit in 2000 vervang met ‘n pan-Afrikanistiese
beleid. Baie Afrikaners is verarm vanweë Regstellende Aksie (‘n eufemisme
vir swart rassisme) sodat tans honderde duisende duisende sonder inkomste en
hoop leef. Afrikaans het ‘n al hoe minder openbare taal geword. Verder het
die gebruik van Anglisismes ontplof soos nooit voorheen nie. Dit lyk asof
Afrikaans besig is om dood te gaan.



*In 1994 South Africa was transformed to a liberal democracy with a
constitution which which would not tolerate racism, but would support
individual peoples. Mandela had the dream of a rainbow nation. But next
president Mbeki substituted is with a pan-African policy. Many Afrikaners
became poor because of Affirmative Action (an euphemism for black racism) so
that presently hundreds of thousands have to leave without income and hope.
Afrikaans became all the lesser a public language. Furthermore, the use of
Anglicisms explode like never before. **It seems as if Afrikaans is dying.*



Wat betref die bevordering van Laag Saksies tot ‘n openbare, amptelike taal,
is ek van mening dat die voorstanders daarvan ‘n deeglike studie van
Afrikaans en sy geskiedenis wat modern is, moet maak. Die kans is uiters
skraal dat die Laag Saksiese gebiede weer ‘n kreatiewe genie soos Eugene
Marais sal oplewer wat ‘n ongekende passie vir Afrikaans gehad het. Maar ons
kan baie by hom leer. Hy het eiehandig ‘n spelling vir Afrikaans ontwikkel
sedert die laat 1800's wat hy in die vroeë 1900's verewig het met sy gedig
Winternag en latere geskrifte. Die naaste persoon met wie hy vergelyk kan
word, is Goethe van Duitsland. Maar hy het ook baie in gemeen met Dante van
Italië en Shakespear van Engeland.

Concerning the advancement of Low Saxon to a public, official language, I am
fo opinion that the supporters of it will have to make a thorough study of
Afrikaans and its history which is modern. The chance is very small that the
Low Saxon religions will again come up with a creative genius like Eugene
Marais who had a passion for Afrikaans. But we can learn much from him. The
developed single handedly a spelling for Afrikaans since the late 1800's
which he immortalised in the early 1900's by his poem Winters Night.



Die gedig in Afrikaans is as gevolg. Let op hoe verskillend dit is van ‘n
Nederlandse spelling en stelwyse.



WINTERNAG

deur Eugene Marais



O koud is die windjie

en skraal.

En blink in die dof_lig

en kaal,

so wyd as die Heer se genade,

le die velde in sterlig en skade

En hoog in die rande,

versprei in die brande,

is die grassaad aan roere

soos winkende hande.



O treurig die wysie

op die ooswind se maat,

soos die lied van 'n meisie

in haar liefde verlaat.

In elk' grashalm se vou

blink 'n druppel van dou,

en vinnig verbleek dit

tot ryp in die kou!



*Here is my translation of the poem in English. Note the difference with the
Dutch spelling. Who would translate it in a spelling common to most Low
Saxon regions so as to  immortalise the spelling?*

* *

*WINTER'S NIGHT*

*Translated by At de Lange*

* *

*O cold is the windlet*

*and spare.*

*And bright in the dim_light*

*and bare,*

*as vast as God's mercy has bade*

*lie the plains in starlight and shade*

*And high in the ridges*

*spreaded in burnt ditches*

*are the grass plumes stirring*

*like beckoning hands.*

* *

* *

*O tune with grief laden*

*on the east wind's drone*

*like the song of a maiden*

*in her love made alone.*

*In each grass blade's fold*

*a drop of dew gleams bold,*

*and it pales quickly*

*to frost in the cold!*

* *

*Remember the desolation after the terrible war and the need for
inspiration.*



Ek beveel dus aan dat eerste ‘n gemeenskaplike spelwyse vir ALLE Laag
Saksiese gebiede ontwikkel moet word. Dit sal samehorigheid bevorder soos
niks anders nie. Dit sal die werklikheid van Laag Saksies as ‘n openbare
amptelike taal en huistaal moontlik maak.



*I recommend firstly that a spelling common for ALL Low Saxon regions must
be developed. It will promote togetherness like nothing else. It will make
the reality of Low Saxon as a public, official language and a home language
possible.*



Ek beveel tweede aan dat ‘n eenvoudige, viertalige woordeboek saamgestel
word wat bestaan uit Duits, Nederlands, Engels en Laag Saksiese woorde wat
algemeen in meeste gebiede voorkom. [Die Laag Saksiese gedeelte kan dan
geleidelik verbeter word soos die Oxford (Engels), Van Dalen (Nederlands) en
WAT (Afrikaans).]



*I recommend secondly that a simple four language dictionary must be put
together which will consist of German, Dutch, English an Low Saxon words
which occur in most regions. [The Low Saxon part can then be improved
gradually like the Oxford (English), Van Dalen (Dutch) and WAT (Afrikaans).*
]



Ek beveel derdens aan dat ‘n grammatiese handleiding opgestel word wat
gemeenskaplik is aan die meeste Laag Saksiese gebiede. Dit sal Laag Saksies
funksioneel bemagtig om ‘n openbare, amptelike taal te word. Dit sal die
“wees” van die woordeboek die “word” van die taal maak.



*I recommend thirdly that a grammar manual must be set up which will reflect
the common grammar of most Low Saxon regions. It wil empower Low Saxon
functionally to become a common, official language. It will make te “being”
of the dictionary the “becoming” of the language.*



As Laag Saksies tot ‘n openbare, amptelike taal wil vorder, sal bydraers
moet ophou nostalgiese, rond-en-bont geskriffies en praatjies te maak. Daar
sal doelgerig en met passie gewerk moet word aan so ‘n ideaal. Sommige
dialekte sal weinig en ander drasties verander, maar dit moet geleidelik
gebeur met die opbou van ‘n kultuurskat. As LL nie die voortou neem nie, sal
‘n ander groepering dit begin doen sou Laag Saksies nog ‘n lewe oor he.
Daarna sal LL in vergetelheid wegsink soos die GRA lank gelede. Laastens sal
Laag Saksies deur duisende in baie  lande bestudeer word omdat dit na meer
as duisend jaar vlerke gekry het.



*Should Low Saxon proceed to a common, official language, contributors will
have to stop making nostalgic writings and talkings. It will require
purposeful and passionate work to fulfil such an ideal. Some dialects will
change slightly while others will change considerably, but it has to happen
slowly with the development of a cultural treasure.  Should LL not take the
lead, another group will do so should Low Saxon still have a life before it.
The LL will sink into oblivion like the GRA long ago. Lastly, Low Saxon will
be studied by thousands in many countries because it got wings after more
than a thousand years.*



Indien moontlik, verander hierdie onderwerp na

LL-L “Die wonder van Laag Saksies.”  [AF_EN]

Dit het Afrikaans dekades lank baie bevorder sedert 1958.



*If possible, change this topic to*

*LL-L “The Wonder of Low Saxon.” * [AF_EN]

*It promoted Afrikaans a lot for decades since 1958.*



Mooi loop / *Walk nicely*,

At de Lange

Pretoria,

Suid Afrika / *South Africa*.



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