LL-L: "Language politics" LOWLANDS-L, 29.JAN.2001 (03) [E/French]

[Lowlands-L]

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  L O W L A N D S - L * 29.JAN.2001 (03) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Roger Thijs [roger.thijs at euro-support.be]
Subject: Language politics

1. This Sunday I participated at a dinner organized by the Michiel de
Swaen kring in Cassel (France)

(That town is really worth a visit: it's situated on top of a steep hill
in the mid of the Flemish flat land, offering a terribly wide and
beautiful view. Just in the winter the small slippery S-road to the top
requires attention).
There was meat in the "potje vleesch", and not fish, as I once got in
Hazebrouck.

The Belgians spoke Dutch alternating with French. The French all spoke
French and French only. Astonishing to me is that these people are
promoting the recognition of the Dutch language in France (they call it
"Vlaams-Nederlands" as a combination, referring to both the koiné as
it's dialects). Actually the language is dead (with, except for people
above 70, very few exceptions). But people over there cherish their
symbols, and the "Flemish" language is part of this heritage of symbols
(even for a gentleman from the Picard area at my table).

In the magazine of this group (issue Jan-Feb 2001): an article about the
Frisian sun wheel, that is quite often reproduced as decoration in brick
walls (of barns) over there. The call it "jol" in French and "uylegat"
in Flemish. It's in the arms of the municipality of Eringhem, and in the
old arms of Flanders, before it was replaced by the Flemish lion
(imported from the crusades)
(It still is covering the left side of the arms of the Belgian province
of West-Flanders, cf. page:
 http://www.euro-support.be/langbel/langbel.htm  )

There is terribly much interest for symbols distinguishing them
culturally  from "common French".

But there is a very large difference in national feelings about
"Flemish" when compared with Belgians:

In France: Flemish nationalism refers to belonging mentally to
territories, formerly part of, or related to, the old County of
Flanders. Language is just one of the many symbols, not too important
(especially since it is virtually dead).

In Belgium: Flemish nationalism refers to defending the cause of the
(now autonomous)  region where Dutch is the administrative language
(covering area's with Flemish, Brabantish and Limburgish dialects;
covering not only the core part of the former County of Flanders, but
also the core part of the old Duchy of Brabant, the old County of Loon
and smaller territories). For Belgian Flemish people, speaking Dutch is
a primary element of the Flemish-being. Obviously this leads to a
significant difference of appraisal about "Flemish nationality" when
communicating with people from France.

2. This Saturday I bought two versions of an old Dutch-French dictionary
(for a few dollars on a flee market). The difference between the two
versions (all "par l'abbé Olinger", so all by the very same author)
illustrates clearly how politics affect language.

A. In 3 vols
- Nieuw Fransch en Nederduitsch Woordenboek - Nouveau Dictionnaire
Français-Hollandais
  Tome Premier, Bruxelles, 1825, vii + 762 pp (A-K)
- Nieuw Fransch en Nederduitsch Woordenboek - Nouveau Dictionnaire
Français-Hollandais
  Tome Second, Bruxelles, 1826, v pp + pp 1596 (L-Z)
- Nieuw Nederduitsch en Fransch Woordenboek - Nouveau Dictionnaire
Hollandais-Français
  in one single volume, Bruxelles, 1822, vi + 1026 pp

The orthography is the standard one of the Netherlands (Siegenbeek),
quote from the Preface of the last volume:
"Les éclaircissements que j'ai reçus de M. Siegenbeek, professeur
distingué en l'Université de Leyde, m'ont été un grand secours..."

B. In 1830 Belgum became independent, and in the Olinger dictionary of
1834 the name of the language is changed:

- Nieuw Vlaemsch-Fransch Woordenboek - Nouveau dictionnaire
Flamand-Français,
  in one single volume, Bruxelles, 1834, viii + 872 pp.

For the orthography, efforts were made to make it as different as
possible from Dutch from the Netherlands, quote:
"En fixant l'orthographie, j'ai soigneusement conservé à la langue
flamande son caractère distinctif, c'est-à-dire, tout ce qui est
nécessaire pour ne pas la confondre avec la langue néerlandaise"

A few years later, the Belgian gouvernment, confused with all variants
used for translating law in the local language, forced the Belgian
official spelling of Dutch in the Hollandish direction (the so-called
Commission orthography of 1844) and finally came to a common Be-Nl
spelling in 1865 (De Vries - Te Winkel orthography).

It's clear that in the patriotistic Belgian beginning some people tried
to develop a "Flemish" language proper for this country.

Regards,

Roger

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