LL-L: "Neologisms" LOWLANDS-L, 27.FEB.2000 (01) [E]

[Lowlands-L Administrator]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 27.FEB.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: "Ian James Parsley" <parsley at highbury.fsnet.co.uk>
Subject: Revival

Ron,

Well, I would have no argument against the Low Saxon words and terms
you mentioned. All languages invent slightly jovial, often literal terms
for technological instruments (in the UK at least, the television is often
the "box", the telephone is often the "blower"). The problem is that you
cannot make these informal terms the official terms in a minority language,
unless the people who speak the language actually use them. In Ulster-Scots, a
telephone can also be referred to as a "blawer", but the formal term is
still "telephone".

This is an essential point, I believe. One of the best ways of defining
a language linguistically, in my view, is that it has formal and informal
registers of its own. In this example, as it happens, Scots in Ulster
is very similar to English. But this is not always the case (e.g. the
formal and informal words for face, "fisog" vs. "clock").

Best,
-------------------------------
Ian James Parsley
http://www.gcty.com/parsleyij
"JOY - Jesus, Others, You"

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