LL-L: "Language politics" LOWLANDS-L, 14.JUL.2000 (06) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 14.JUL.2000 (06) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Sandy Fleming [sandy at scotstext.org]
Subject: "Language politics"

> From: Criostoir O Ciardha [paada_please at yahoo.co.uk]
> Subject: LL-L: "Language politics"

> There seems to be a mindset among ourselves in the
> minority language community to fear agitation and
> non-violent direct action to institute a status for
> our languages, for fear of being 'extreme' or -
> perhaps more pertinently - 'not moderate'. Perhaps the
> most successful examples of the reintroduction of
> status for local languages has been Wales, and the
> situation there was only achieved when members of
> Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg refused to pay bills in
> English, attend or recognise courts that used English,
> or otherwise allow the English language to invade and
> intrude upon what might well as be monoglot areas.
> Similarly, it took the action of one man - Gwynfor
> Evans - going on hunger strike that forced the English
> government to go through with its promise for a
> Welsh-language television channel which at the time
> they were attempting to renege upon.

Reading Criostoir's description of Welsh language activism brings back
some memories (not that I was actively involved, but I was there over the
right period and had the privilege of seeing some of the transformations
taking place). I wouldn't go so far as call myself a language activist even in
Scots, but as someone who's interested in the furtherance of the Scots
language, it makes me uncomfortable to look at the history of Welsh
activism and realise that Welsh is strong as a language only because there
were people who were prepared to sacrifice everything for it. The way Scots
is going downhill at the moment is just a rerun of the Norn and
(traditional) Cornish sagas, with irrelevant variations - people not only
won't make sacrifices, they wholeheartedly adopt English for reasons of status
and peer-pressure, or, amongst enthusiasts, just in order to be reasonable.
There also seem to be some lame excuses flying around amongst
enthusiasts, eg "We'll get nowhere until we agree on a single orthography".
The truth is that we'll get nowhere until we're prepared to make sacrifices.

Hands up anybody who'll refuse to pay their bills until they get them
in Scots? (an easy challenge for me to issue, since I live in England - at
the moment!). We've had all the whinging about the census question - how
many people are going to refuse to fill their census if the whole thing
isn't in Scots? In Wales, the census will be bilingual.

> From: "Ian James Parsley" <parsleyij at yahoo.com>
> Subject: LL-L: "Language politics"

> This is, sadly, not the case in Wales when I did once wonder, on my
way to
> Monmouth, where Trefynnwy was. Trefynnwy (that may not be the exact
> spelling) is, of course, Monmouth!

I hope you'll agree, Ian, that if you go to a country and get lost
because you didn't learn the language, you've only yourself to blame! This is
not much of a problem in a country like Wales where much of the population
knows at least the basics of both languages (there are some detractors in the
English-speaking south east of the country, however!), and well... tourists
are tourists, damn them!

The spelling is Trefynwy. I've hated the place ever since my hockey
goal against their team was disqualified by a corrupt umpire, so feel free
to continue spelling it wrongly!

I actually got to be indifferent to which language I read. There are
only a limited number of core expressions in road signs and drivers don't do
more than glance at signs anyway. I got used to just glancing at "Ewch i'ch
lôn" and not bothering to read the "Get in lane" sign if I happened to see
the Welsh one first, and so on.

Sandy
http://scotstext.org
  Things in this subloonary warld bein far frae
perfeck, 'No that bad' is the maist that mortal
man can venture tae say while here ablo.
             - Catherine P. Slater, 'Marget Pow'

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