<html><head></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:medium;"><div><div>Yes, that seems to be pretty true. I think Norwegians have a leg up on understanding the other two. Danish is just so different phonologically that it makes it tough to understand them. I studied a couple of years of Danish in grad school (decades ago), and never studied Norwegian, but I actually can understand spoken Norwegian better than spoken Danish!</div></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div id="yahoo_quoted_0869588389" class="yahoo_quoted"><div style="font-family:'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;color:#26282a;"><div>On Saturday, July 22, 2017, 8:24:05 AM GMT+7, Lowlands Languages & Cultures <lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org> wrote:</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div id="yiv4157740461"><html><head><style>#yiv4157740461 #yiv4157740461 --
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#yiv4157740461 </style></head><div><div class="yiv4157740461WordSection1"><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal"><span style="">And from what I’ve heard, both Norwegians and Swedes have a bit more trouble with Danish. I don’t know where I read the saying, but it’s something like “Norwegian is Danish spoken in Swedish.”</span></p><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal"><span style="">Steven</span></p><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span></p><div class="yiv4157740461yqt8498214581" id="yiv4157740461yqt97016"><div><div style="border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in;"><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;"> LOWLANDS-L [mailto:lowlands-l-bounces@listserv.linguistlist.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Lowlands Languages & Cultures<br clear="none"><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, July 20, 2017 11:49 PM<br clear="none"><b>To:</b> Lowlands Languages & Cultures <lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org><br clear="none"><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Lowlands-l] Google Translate</span></p></div></div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal"> </p><div><div id="yiv4157740461yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1500619307510_8581"><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;">The question of "closest£ when it comes to languages is very dependent on definition. A philological tree re[resents how different languages developed; it doesn't reflect intelligibility. The classic case is the Scandinavian languages. Norwegian classifies as a West Norse language, on a branch with Faroese and Icelandic. Swedish is East Norse, a distinct branch. The reality is that most Norwegians would struggle to understand more than a handful of words of Icelandic, but can converse with a Swede comfortably.</span></p></div><div id="yiv4157740461yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1500619307510_8581"><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;"> </span></p></div><div id="yiv4157740461yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1500619307510_8581"><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;">Paul</span></p></div><div id="yiv4157740461yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1500619307510_8582"><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;"> </span></p></div><div id="yiv4157740461yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1500619307510_8814"><div id="yiv4157740461yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1500619307510_8813"><div id="yiv4157740461yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1500619307510_8812"><div id="yiv4157740461yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1500619307510_8811"><div align="center" class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal" style="text-align:center;background:white;"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;"></span><hr align="center" size="1" width="100%"></div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;"> Lowlands Languages & Cultures <<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org">lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org</a>><br clear="none"><b>To:</b> <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org">lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org</a> <br clear="none"><b>Sent:</b> Friday, 21 July 2017, 6:50<br clear="none"><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Lowlands-l] Google Translate</span><span style=""></span></p></div><div id="yiv4157740461yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1500619307510_8888"><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style=""> </span></p><div id="yiv4157740461"><div id="yiv4157740461yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1500619307510_8889"><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="">I don't like the idea of creating a kind of rivalry between minority languages so this thread makes me feel uncomfortable. West Frisian is (as the North Frisian languages and Saterfrisian) a language of its own, even if it might show results of the contact to Dutch. I might say the same about Dutch as I wasn't able to learn it because my Low Saxon was stronger and taking control. I can read Dutch without big problems - so Dutch isn't more than a Low Saxon dialect, right? Okay, that was a pun. I hope you get my point.<br clear="none">Why cannot we applaude Google Translate and Facebook for their decision and work on for getting the same for Low Saxon and other minority languages?<br clear="none"><br clear="none">As for the relations between the languages around the North Sea: Through the centuries they had many contacts because of migration, trade and politics. Of course that had an impact on the languages. English is even the best example how a language develops because of history. Anglo-Saxons, Danes, Normans - they all came to conquer what we know today as England. They all brought their own languages as sign of their mastery.<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Greetings from Kiel,<br clear="none"><br clear="none">Anja</span></p><div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style=""><br clear="none"><br clear="none"><-----Ursprungligt Meddelande-----></span></p><div id="yiv4157740461yqt63874"><table class="yiv4157740461MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="99%" style="width:99.0%;border-collapse:collapse;"><tr style="min-height:98.25pt;"><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" width="7" style="width:2.25pt;background:#EFEFF1;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;min-height:98.25pt;"><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal"> </p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" width="7" style="width:2.25pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;min-height:98.25pt;"><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal"> </p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" width="98%" style="width:98.0%;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;min-height:98.25pt;"><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;">From: Lowlands Languages & Cultures [lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org]</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;"><br clear="none">Sent: 20/7/2017 9:50:18 PM<br clear="none">To: <a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org">lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org</a><br clear="none">Subject: Re: [Lowlands-l] Google Translate </span></p><div><div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="text-align:right;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:embed;"><span dir="LTR">Yes. Definitely lively, that's why we should make Google add it</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>.</span><span dir="LTR"></span></p></div><div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal">I really don't see the point of making West Frisian a seperate language though, <span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA"></span></p></div><div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal">as it doesn't contain that much of a unique vocabulary, and strongly resembles Dutch. </p></div><div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="text-align:right;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:embed;"><span dir="LTR"> </span></p><div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="text-align:right;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:embed;"><span lang="HE">בתאריך 20 ביולי 2017 8:24 אחה״צ, "</span><span dir="LTR">Lowlands Languages</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> & </span><span dir="LTR">Cultures</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>" <<a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org"><span dir="LTR" lang="EN-US">lowlands-l@listserv. linguistlist.org</span></a><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>> </span><span lang="HE">כתב:</span><span lang="AR-SA"></span></p><blockquote style="border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in;"><div><div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="text-align:right;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:embed;"><span dir="LTR">On 20/07/2017 11:18 AM, Eitan wrote</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>:</span></p></div><blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt;"><div><div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal">Hi all,<span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA"></span></p></div><div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal"> </p></div><div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal"> I've requested Facebook they should add low german into their language poll since they recently had added West Frisian which isn't much an obvious choice.</p></div><div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal"> </p></div><div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal">That being the case, to my surprise Google Translate added West Frisian as well.</p></div><div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal"> </p></div><div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal">I don't consider West frisian the closest language to English language because of certain reasons. Here's what I wrote:</p></div><div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal"> </p></div><div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal">Low german (of plaudietsch language) is spoken by 450,000 people around the world, which is about on par with Frisian on the total. It has a rich body of literature, including the bible, and many unique expressions and vowel sounds. </p></div><div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal">Compared to what is spoken in west friesland, it's a fully-fledged and dynamic language. And while it is true that Frisian is recognised minority language in the Netherlands, Plautdietsch is recognised in belize and has a minority status there.</p></div><div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal"> </p></div><div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal">Do you agree?</p></div></div></blockquote><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="text-align:right;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:embed;"><span lang="AR-SA"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf55TFRG-2w"><span dir="LTR" lang="EN-US">https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=tf55TFRG-2w</span></a><br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lV4S4VLhV0"><span dir="LTR" lang="EN-US">https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=9lV4S4VLhV0</span></a><br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdaLj8jkJfI"><span dir="LTR" lang="EN-US">https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=EdaLj8jkJfI</span></a><br clear="none"><br clear="none"></span><span dir="LTR">Sure doesn't look dead to me</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span lang="AR-SA"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>.<br clear="none"><br clear="none"></span><span dir="LTR">Ed Alexander</span></p><div><div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="text-align:right;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:embed;"><span lang="AR-SA"> </span></p><div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="text-align:right;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:embed;"><span lang="AR-SA"> </span></p></div></div></div></div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal" dir="RTL" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:right;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:embed;"><span lang="AR-SA"><br clear="none">______________________________ _________________<br clear="none"></span><span dir="LTR">LOWLANDS-L mailing list</span><span lang="AR-SA"><br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:LOWLANDS-L@listserv.linguistlist.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:LOWLANDS-L@listserv.linguistlist.org"><span dir="LTR" lang="EN-US">LOWLANDS-L@listserv.linguistli st.org</span></a><br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://listserv.linguistlist.org/mailman/listinfo/lowlands-l"><span dir="LTR" lang="EN-US">http://listserv.linguistlist.o rg/mailman/listinfo/lowlands-l</span></a></span></p></blockquote></div></div></div></td></tr></table></div></div></div></div><div id="yiv4157740461yqt00712"><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal" style="background:white;"><span style="">_______________________________________________<br clear="none">LOWLANDS-L mailing list<br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:LOWLANDS-L@listserv.linguistlist.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:LOWLANDS-L@listserv.linguistlist.org">LOWLANDS-L@listserv.linguistlist.org</a><br clear="none"><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://listserv.linguistlist.org/mailman/listinfo/lowlands-l">http://listserv.linguistlist.org/mailman/listinfo/lowlands-l</a><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA"></span></span></p></div><p class="yiv4157740461MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white;"><span style=""> </span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></html></div><html><div class="yqt8498214581" id="yqt60398"><body>_______________________________________________<br clear="none">LOWLANDS-L mailing list<br clear="none"><a shape="rect" ymailto="mailto:LOWLANDS-L@listserv.linguistlist.org" href="mailto:LOWLANDS-L@listserv.linguistlist.org">LOWLANDS-L@listserv.linguistlist.org</a><br clear="none"><a shape="rect" href="http://listserv.linguistlist.org/mailman/listinfo/lowlands-l" target="_blank">http://listserv.linguistlist.org/mailman/listinfo/lowlands-l</a><br clear="none"></body></div></html></div></div></div></div></body></html>