LL-L: "Code switching" LOWLANDS-L, 11.MAR.2000 (05) [E]

[Lowlands-L Administrator]

 =======================================================================
 L O W L A N D S - L * 11.MAR.2000 (05) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 Posting Address: <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>
 Web Site: <http://www.geocities.com/sassisch/rhahn/lowlands/>
 User's Manual: <http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html>
 =======================================================================
 A=Afrikaans, Ap=Appalachean, D=Dutch, E=English, F=Frisian, L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German), S=Scots, Sh=Shetlandic
 =======================================================================

From: Roger P. G. Thijs [roger.thijs at village.uunet.be]
Subject: LL-L: "Code switching" LOWLANDS-L, 11.MAR.2000 (03) [E]

> From: Bryan E. Schulz [bryans at northnet.net]
> Subject: LL-L: "Code switching" LOWLANDS-L, 10.MAR.2000 (08) [E]
> Recently I watched(viewed) a film made in Europe titled 'DAENE'

I guess it's Daens

> which used Flemish as a
> language for the poor people and French as the language spoken by the rich
> class of people.  My questions related to code switching-
> 1.  Has anyone seen this movie that is a native Flemish speaker and is the
>     language spoken correctly in the movie?

It's a mixture of Belgian Dutch and a bit of Aalst dialect, as far as I
remember. Aalst dialect is gernerally classified as Brabantish, not Flemish
(though Aalst is in the province of East-Flanders).
For French speaking people Flemish and Dutch are often synonyms.

The first common Belgian-Dutch orthography was introduced in Belgium by a
royal decree (in French only at the time, November 21, 1864) referring to:
... la langue __flamande__...
The appendix was in Dutch, with title "Spelling der __Nederduitse__ taal"
and in the text, the goal of the common spelling had to do with "het
aanstaande __Nederlandsch__ woordenboek".

> 2.  Are there other movies available that use some of the Lowland
languages?

Yes, many. But I think, if they are distributed in the Anglo-Saxon world,
they are dubbed by English speakers.

Btw, the parliamentary language at the time referred to in the film was
French. Nowadays Dutch and French are used. Belgian ministers do
code-switching all the time, for as far as they know both languages, and
reply to questions in the same language as the questions are formulated.

In formal addresses, live to the public, the king and/or prime minister will
not repeat things in the national languages, but pronounce a few paragraphs
in Dutch, continues in French, returns to Dutch, says a few phrases in
German etc.

When the Belgian crown prince married the burgomaster of Brussels did not do
code switching but repeated his speach in the three languages. The prince
spoke his words in Dutch, she in French. If I remember well in church they
did just inversely.

In the past, at business meetings the language was French, traditionally
ending with "pour les flamands la même chose" substituting a translation.
Nowadays it's different.
E.g. I'm particpating each month at a meeting at the Brussels Ernst and
Young office. Mostly presentations are code-switched: one starts in one
language for a few paragraphs, switches to the onther language ... etc. When
there are Anglo-Saxons present meetings are generally in English only, since
Anglo-Saxons are not supposed to understand any other language than English.

Regards,
Roger

==================================END===================================
 You have received this because your account has been subscribed upon
 request. To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l"
 as message text from the same account to
 <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or sign off at
 <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 =======================================================================
 * Please submit contributions to <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>.
 * Contributions will be displayed unedited in digest form.
 * Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
 * Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
   to be sent to <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or at
   <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 * Please use only Plain Text format, not Rich Text (HTML) or any other
   such formats in your submissions.
 =======================================================================