LL-L: "Language politics" LOWLANDS-L, 31.AUG.2000 (01) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 31.AUG.2000 (01) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 Posting Address: <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>
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 A=Afrikaans, Ap=Appalachean, D=Dutch, E=English, F=Frisian, L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German), S=Scots, Sh=Shetlandic
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From: gdeutsch at estec.esa.nl
Subject: LL-L: "Language politics" LOWLANDS-L, 30.AUG.2000 (05) [E]

Georg Deutsch at ESA
08/31/2000 03:22 PM

Dear Roger, [roger.thijs at village.uunet.be]
you wrote:

"I got this today from "Mercator", a group I never heard anything about
before. Does somebody on the list know more about it?"

I don't know a lot about them, but I had been in contact with them:

You might remember, maybe about a year ago (I am not sure, might be even
longer) here on LL-L we had a discussion about the legal status of Dutch (and
other minority languages) in France. I think the discussion was even
triggered by you.
A discussion point was - I recall this only vaguely - that somewhere in
France a minority language got in one way or other a quasi official status
(or was it about France joining a European Charter for Minority languages?)
which could not be reconciled with the French constitution, saying the
language of France is French, full stop.
Anyhow, in this discussion I contributed something (again I only remember
vaguely) wondering about the exact wording of the legal situation in France.
On this a lady from Barcelona, obviously only in lurking mode in LL-L,
reacted by writing to me directly. She pointed out that her Institute,
Mercator, is specialised in such questions, and I would find answers to my
queries on their web page I could ask her if I should have further questions.

I did not keep her e-mail, nor did I communicate it to LL-L, since her direct
reaction to me suggested to me that she was not interested in (electronic)
publicity of herself.
But I think I did publish in LL-L the web page, but I am not sure, since you
don't remember.
Anyhow, I have it still have bookmarked:

http://www.troc.es/mercator/index.htm

So if you have a look there, you'll find out more about Mercator. (Why did
Virgínia Unamuno, when writing to you did not mention the page, I wonder.)

To me the page with the overview of the Legal situation of Languages in
EU-countries
http://www.troc.es/ciemen/mercator/index-gb.htm
is interesting and a valuable collection.

The Welsh Mercator site:
http://www.aber.ac.uk/mercator/
gives an non-exhaustive overview about the Media situation of EU-minority
languages.
Unfortunately, from the Low Land languages only (West-)Frisian is mentioned.
The link-collection there http://www.aber.ac.uk/mercator/links.htm, however,
shows references for Low Saxon and Scots
(including Lowlands).

Hopenlijk helpt dat een beetje!

Groetjes,
Georg

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