LL-L "Vocabulary" 2001.11.01 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

======================================================================
 L O W L A N D S - L * 01.NOV.2001 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 Web Site: <http://www.geocities.com/sassisch/rhahn/lowlands/>
 Rules: <http://www.geocities.com/sassisch/rhahn/lowlands/rules.html>
 Posting Address: <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>
 Server Manual: <http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html>
 Archive: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html>
=======================================================================
 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
=======================================================================

From: Holger Weigelt <platt at HOLGER-WEIGELT.DE>
Subject: LL-L "Vocabulary" 2001.10.31 (02) [E]

Hi, Ron !

On the matter of vocabulary developement in East Frisian Platt (Low Saxon
variant from East Frisia) I some time ago wrote (translated and shortened
here):
There are efforts been made by persons or institutions engaged in promotion
and conservation of East Frisian Platt to invent new words for the facts of
modern life. Mostly there is little acceptance if any at all for those
creations because to most speakers they sound too strange, artificiall,
affected. Maybe, however,  they will be accustomed to by persistence of
use. New words have good chances to come in common use if they prove some
wit, a special originality.
Others try to fill the gap by loaning from Dutch. This is a dubious doing
for Dutch in contrary to the often believed similarity and many historical
relations to East Frisia and its language is a foreign language to East
Frisians while German is the first language for all of them. Therefore I
think the division from German should take place by promoting the inherent
formal, grammatical and phonological structures not by inventing foreign
vocabulary.

In recent years East Frisia, the East Frisian society, has undergone great
sociological, material, technological and economical changes. For various
reasons East Frisian Platt has lost its contact to the changed reality. In
former times it was mainly a language of rural life according to farming,
agriculture and handicraft. This doesn't fit demands of modern life any
more. For this reason many people gave up speaking Platt or didn't teach
their children. In the past an other reason to do so was the fact that
people looked at Platt as a language of low social esteem. These and some
other facts led to a break of continuity and decrease in the developement
of this language.
Nowadays there isn't left any need for East Frisian Platt for
communication. All its speakers can communicate in German as well (often
better). Nevertheless many people use this language in private and everyday
context (with a large variation of speaking competence). Often it is a
matter of liking and feeling. It seems to be more personal not as abstract
as German is to them. For some people speaking Platt is an expression of
local-patriotism - many East Frisians believe the ability to speak Platt is
a kind of genetical feature.

Last a note on Your examples of neologisms:
In EF-Platt we know the word sghît (it is the "Schiet" in Your posting -
just an other pronounciation) that can mean "waste" but is more the dirty
word You mentioned. It is in use for many meanings that have to do with bad
(wat 'n sghît = what a mess). Literally it means faeces. For "waste" we
know "strunt" or "ofghefal". Often You hear the tautological phrase "sghit
un strunt" for "rubbish" (notice: sghît has a "stressed" i, the "i" in
sghit un strunt is a long one).

kumpelment
Holger

==================================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 postings to <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>.
 * Postings 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
   type of format, in your submissions
=======================================================================