LL-L: "Language politics" LOWLANDS-L, 06.JAN.2001 (01) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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  L O W L A N D S - L * 06.JAN.2001 (01) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Roger Thijs [roger.thijs at euro-support.be]
Subject: Language politics

1. When in "Vlaanderen" one needs a "stupid fellow" for plays, games,
jokes, one often takes somebody with a Limburgish accent. The Limburgish
bi-tonality make Limburgians sound extremely stupid to non-Limburgians
in Northern Belgium.
Recently a big row on TV: The stupid chicken in the Flemish version of
the film "Chicken Run" has a Limburgish accent.
cf. Het Belang van Limburg of Dec 13, 2000, Dec 15, 2000, Dec 26, 2000

2. Though Belgian laws are bilingual since the end of the 19th century
(some of them even tri-lingual, also in German, since about 20 years),
some laws ,that were enacted earlier, still queue for a translation
enacted by the parliament.
Two laws concerning extradition of persons from 1833 were ready for
parliamentary submission a couple of weeks ago.
cf. Het Belang van Limburg of Dec 23, 2000

3. A marvelously good singer in Brussels dialect, Jef Elbers, is held
for "unexisting" by several people, since he adheres to the extreme
right party "Vlaams blok". Has was accused for racist elements in his
songs but recently acquitted.
cf. Het Belang van Limburg of Dec 7, 2000

4. A song in Frisian ("Wèr bisto", by Twarres), is on the top of the
Flemish hitparades.
cf. De Standaard, Dec 6 2000

5. The Belgian and Dutch provinces of Limburg merged their universities
(LUC Limburgs Universitair Centrum and UM Universiteit Maastricht).

Every single graduation will give students three titels, as e.g.:
- "licentiaat" for Belgium
- "doctorandus" for the Netherlands, and
- "master" for Europe.

The new name of the university was initially TUL, Transnationale
Universiteit Limburg,
but after a couple of days was changed into "Universiteit Limburg" with
subtitle "Hasselt-Maastricht".
Hasselt and Maastricht are the capitals of respectively Belgian and
Dutch Limburg.

Also a row here: the Hasselt campus is actually in the adjacent
municipality of Diepenbeek,
and in Diepenbeek they.....
cf. Het Belang van Limburg of Nov 28, Dec 9, Dec 23, 2000

6. We have had new municipal elections.
In Beauvechin an elected municipal representative was refused to
participate at the meetings since he was sworn in in Walloon, where in
Wallonia only French is legally allowed.
He formulated: "Djë djër fèdeltë a lë rwè, schoûte al constëtution è as
lwès dèl peûpe belch"
cf. De Standaard, Jan 5, 2001

7. In theGerman-speaking area of Belgium, they are more flexible.
Seven new members of the new council of the municipality of Lontzen did
it in both German and Ripuarian:
"Ech schwöör der Köneng tröj te zie, de Ferfasong te achte än de Jezätze
van et bäljesch Vook te befolje"
cf. Grenz-Echo (Eupen), Samstag 6 Januar 2001

8. Dialect borders can also be political borders:
The new municipality of Geetbets in Brabant contains old municipalities
where the dialect is Limburgish.
I made some new webpages about this area (the Gete river valley).
A Brabantish- Limburgish row of a couple of years ago:
http://www.euro-support.be/langbel/rummen.htm
Two Maps of the Gete area:
http://www.euro-support.be/langbel/mapget.htm
Details of isoglosses separating Brabantish from Limburgish over there:
http://www.euro-support.be/langbel/gete.htm

Regards,
Roger

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