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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">===========================================<br>
L O W L A N D S - L - 14 December 2008 - Volume 01<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><br>
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From: <span class="ep8xu"><span><span style="color: rgb(91, 16, 148);">Sandy Fleming</span></span></span><span class="hccdpe"> </span><span class="ldacoc"><<a href="mailto:sandy@scotstext.org">sandy@scotstext.org</a>></span><br>
Subject: <span class="hccdpe">LL-L "Language politics" 2008.12.12 (06)
[E]</span><br>
<br>
> From: Luc Hellinckx <<a href="mailto:luc.hellinckx@gmail.com">luc.hellinckx@gmail.com</a>><br>
> Subject: LL-L "Language politics"<br>
><br>
> I was saying that I advocate representation of all languages<br>
> recognized within a given locale. Of course, this presumes that all<br>
> regional language be indeed recognized.<br>
<br>
> Quite logical...on paper, that is. In a static, local situation.<br>
<br>
It can get bad in Scotland
where, for example, you see streets called<br>
"Baxter's Loan" being quietly changed by whoever does those things
into<br>
"Baker's Lane". This happens whether you can drive up the road or
not.<br>
<br>
Meanwhile in Whitby, England,
we have "The Baxtergate", "The<br>
Flowergate", "Haggersgate" and so on, but nobody thinks of
changing<br>
these to, eg, "Baker Street"
because in England
it's all called English.<br>
<br>
> Here in Belgium,
where traffic is dense and quite often transit,<br>
> drivers can easily get confused. One second, you're heading for Lille<br>
> (big city in Northern France), the next moment nothing but
"Rijsel" on<br>
> every signpost...then Lille
again. Or you think you're really driving<br>
> to Aachen (in Germany), but all of a sudden it
seems you're wrong<br>
> 'cause all you can see is "Aix-la-Chappelle".<br>
<br>
For larger place names at least, I don't see why this can't be solved.<br>
Suppose we had simple line-drawing icon for each town? Then it would<br>
matter less to the driver if the town name became unrecognisable, as<br>
long as the same icon was always displayed alongside it.<br>
<br>
This system is already used for temporary diversion signs or fairs,<br>
conferences and suchlike, eg:<br>
<br>
Diversion<br>
For Lyme Regis follow (square)<br>
For Melplash follow (triangle)<br>
For Bridport follow (circle)<br>
<br>
After which the icons are used in direction signs.<br>
<br>
It's not a perfect system but it's good backup and economical on<br>
signage.<br>
<br>
I have to say that signposting, at least in the UK, can be bad enough<br>
that you can have this sort of problem without extra languages. You can<br>
turn off the M18 for Doncaster and then the only signs you can find<br>
point to Selby, Goole and Hull.
You can only find Bishopbrigs from<br>
central Glasgow
in the winter because the branch of a tree hides the<br>
sign at a crucial junction the other three seasons of the year. In<br>
Glasgow if you want to get to somewhere in the
north you might as well<br>
be in France
as on the south side of the river. All you can to is look<br>
for the Tunnel.<br>
<br>
Once I tried to take a shortcut in North Yorkshire
and ended up driving<br>
around a group of villages for an hour, that only had signs pointing to<br>
each other. Hello? Doncaster? York? Leeds?
Anywhere?<br>
<br>
And ring roads! Don't get me started! :)<br>
<span style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"><br>
Sandy Fleming<br>
<a href="http://scotstext.org/" target="_blank">http://scotstext.org/</a><br style="">
<br style="">
</span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"></span></p>