LL-L "Language varieties" 2010.03.21 (02) [EN]

Sun Mar 21 21:22:07 UTC 2010

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From: jmtait <jmtait at wirhoose.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Language varieties" 2010.03.21 (01) [EN]

Andy Eagle wrote:

>The organisations Itchy Coo (http://www.itchy-coo.com/index.html) who
publish books in Scots for children generally present themsleves in SE, as
is the information on the backs of books in Scots (
http://www.itchy-coo.com/resources/Precious+and+Puggies+cover.jpg).

>The above approaches would all seem to imply that, for transactional
purposes, the standard written form of the language is in fact (Scottish)
Standard English and consequently this Scots language is in reality just the
dialects of English spoken in Scotland.

Yes.' Precious and Puggies' translated by James Robertson, whose view that
Scots is a language that writers turn to when they wish to use its
'less-than-respectable status ... a refuge for linguistic individualism,
anarchism, nomadism and hedonism'  I was requested, by the Shetland dialect
promoters, not to criticise!

The idea of Scots being promoted by people who hold these views, and
criticism of them being regarded as unacceptable, might seem like a scenario
from a black comedy if it wasn't true.

John M Tait.

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From: Roger Thijs, Euro-Support, Inc. <roger.thijs at euro-support.be>
Subject: LL-L "Language varieties" 2010.03.21 (01) [EN]

We have been discussing varieties of Engish in this list. I don't mean
dialects, but stuff as Canadian English, US English, Australian English etc.
All these variants are mutually comprehesible and I don't think any of these
variants will develop into a separate language, as Afrikaans did versus
Dutch.

Some standard languages are more "protected" for uniformity by a regulatory
body, as the "Academy Française" is doing for French. However this
protection is eroding. We have been touching Belgian French, Canadian
French, Swiss French in this list. This weekend I found some books about
some other varieties of French.

1 - Kinshasa French

Sylvain Shomba Kinyamba, *Comprendre Kinshasa à travers ses locutions
populaires*, 2009, Acco Leuven, isbn 978-90-334-7788-1, 256 pp., 20 euro at
the Acco book shop,

pp. 1-84 introduction

pp. 85-254 dictionary

Some vocabulary:

- mutilations of French: *abacost*: refers to return to authenticity ("à bas
le costume")

- mixed: "*Ko travailer lokola ba chinois*", work like the Chines in the
Congo (without looking at the watch)

- specific terms: "*lingala facile*", version of the local Lingala language
with elements of French, Kikongo and a little bit of Swahili, used for TV
news on many channels in Kinshasa

- pure French, but with specific semantics: "*Avant avant*", people who push
things, disregarding the interest of others

- gramatically a French verb, but with a lingala root: "*kobomber*": fill
public transportation (as busses) to the max.

I did not find any vocabulary with Dutch/Flemish colonial roots.

2 - Algerian French

A. Queffélec e.a., *Le français en Algérie*, 2002, Bruxelles, De Boeck, ISBN
2-8011-1294-1, 592 pp., Euro 14.95 in a ramsj book shop in the N African
quarter Lemonnier of Brussels.

pp. 1-141 introduction

pp 143-560 dictionary (2 cols/ page)

For Algeria are listed as languages:

1. Berber or *Tamazight* (language of the Berbers or Imazighen (plural of
Amazigh),

with 3 cultural groups:

- *kabyle* (North and Center East)

- *chaoui *(Constantinois, from Aurès till Atlas)

- *mozabite* and *targuie *varieties (Southn M'zab & Hoggar)

2. Arab, with 3 levels:

- classical Arab

- modern Arab

- dialectal Arab  (85% of the speakers) with 4 main groups:

  -- oranais (in the Quest)

  -- algérois (Center till Bejaia)

  -- rural version in the East (Sétif, Constantine, Annaba)

  -- South (Sahara varieties)

3.Foreign languages:

- French (where the book is about)

- English

- Spanish

3 - Moroccan French

F Benzakour e.a., *Le français au Maroc*, 2000, Bruxelles, De Boeck, ISBN
2-8011-1260-7, 358 pp., Euro 14.95 in a ramsj book shop in the N African
quarter Lemonnier of Brussels.

pp. 1-129 introduction

pp. 131-356 dictionary (2 cols/page)

For Morocco are listed as languages:

1. Berber or *amazighe* (*tamazighte* when used for litterature) (40 to 60%
of the population)

with 3 dialect varieties:

- *tarifite* or *rifain* (groupe zénète) in the Noth-East

- *tamazighte* (largest area)

-* tachehite* (South of the High Atlas)

2. Arab varieties

- classical Arab

- modern Arab

- dialectal Arab:

  -- town Arab (Andalousian)

  -- mountain Arab (jbala populations) with subdivisions:

     --- Northern of the Ghomara

     --- Southern of the Senhaja

     --- Sefrou (infuenced by the town Arab of Fès)

  -- bedouin Arab (hilahiennes tribes and most of the maâquiiennes tribes)

  -- hassaniya (Southern Maroc & Mauretania) (mixed language 75% arab, 20%
berber)

3. Foreign languages:

- French (where the book is about)

- Spanish

- English

Regards,

Roger

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