LL-L "Language varieties" 2001.11.02 (07) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 02.NOV.2001 (07) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
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From: AEDUIN at aol.com
Subject: LL-L "Language varieties" 2001.11.02 (05) [E]

Dear Colin and

<One of the benefits of any language (minority or otherwise) is that it
serves as a bonding and identifying factor among members of the community
by which it is used. This is a benefit because human beings are social
animals, and forming communities is part of our natural behaviour.>

Does one need a secret language to bond? Schoolboys might but grown-ups
shouldn't need it. You are wrong anyway, community first
then the distinctive language follows.

<Governments understand this only too well, and when they wish to
destroy a people's sense of themselves as a community, language
eradication is a tactic that they use on many occasions.>

Governments might have an exaggerated idea of the benfits of universal
education and of children being able to communicate with the
rest of the country but it is pure conspiracy theory to see their efforts as
the wilful destruction of communities in all cases. Economics and
Environment are more likely to destroy a community

<"Real language"? Perhaps some explanation of this idea would be in order.>

One that is spoken easily and naturally (follow me so far?) and has not had to
be deliberately taught as a second language or remade
because bits of grammar or vocabulary are unknown/forgotten. If a community
has lost "its" language then the real language of that
community is the one it speaks

   I don't think it is true that a language that's "spoken
   easily and naturally as a real language" will become
   standardised throughout its geographical area.
   Standardisation only began to take place with the
   invention of the printing press and the desire to
   disseminate the resulting printed material throughout
   a large area. _This_ is what happened with English.

So the benefits of printing and the written word mean what? Or are they
detriments?
China had a solution whereby the written language is universal and the spoken
differs, of course one does need a font of about 5000
characters to make it work, so much more useful than our alphabet, number
system and more or less standard English. Where instant
communication is required, such as when flying, this does seem the best
system.

<Possibly, but it's worth pointing out that English has spread beyond
the original whole country through means that certainly were neither
easy nor natural. For example, in this country (Scotland) its current
dominant status is a consequence of the policy of language eradication
directed at the majority languages of earlier periods, which now are
spoken only by minorities.>

Yes it did spread naturally partly because Scots could see the benefits of
using English. Should we bring back the Pictish language, cruelly
replaced by an alien tongue brought in by the invading Scots?

Would it benefit anyone except an antiquarian if the once isolated dwellers of
the English Fens still spoke a version of brythonic
unintelligible even to Welsh speakers?

Regards

Edwin Deady

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From: AEDUIN at aol.com
Subject: LL-L "Language varieties" 2001.11.02 (05) [E]

Previous mail went too soon and should have included both an acknowledgement
of Sandy and, perhaps, a quote from Burns that "a
man's a man for a'that" which should apply to language.

Regards again

Edwin

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