LL-L "Language policies" 2002.08.12 (01) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

======================================================================
 L O W L A N D S - L * 12.AUG.2002 (01) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 Web Site: <http://www.lowlands-l.net>
 Rules & Guidelines: <http://www.lowlands-l.net/rules.htm>
 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: "John M. Tait" <jmtait at wirhoose.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Language policies" 2002.08.01 (04) [E]

Erek wrote:
>
>If you check an English-Icelandic dictionary, you'll find many instances
>of words constructed from existing roots to identify a new piece of
>technology. In the English-speaking word we frequently go the other way
>by intentionally creating names from Greek and Latin roots (we've gone
>with telegraph, telephone, and television instead of crosswrite,
>crosssound, and crosssight).

Note that it's not just a contrast between borrowing a word from Latin
or Greek, or imposing one by a policy of language purism. The words
'wire' (telegram) and 'wireless' (radio) were once common in English.
Telegrams are obsolete, but the word 'radio' has displaced 'wireless'. I
don't know whether this is as a result of media preference, and/or that
the word 'radio' is felt to be more genteel, in the same way that first
'sweet' and now increasingly 'dessert' have replaced 'pudding'. My copy
of Debrett tells me that 'sweet' was introduced by the upwardly-mobile
classes, who used it while the both the working classes and the
aristocracy persisted with 'pudding'. But you can bet that both the
workers and the aristocracy will adopt 'sweet' or 'dessert' eventually -
just as some upper-class people now use the 'to my wife and I' form.

Ian wrote:
>
>I suspect in the case of Low Saxon it is very much a case of the media
>simply not acquainting itself with the issues (now there's a new one, he
>says sarcastically...), but on other occasions the activists for a
>lesser-used language do themselves no favours. Whatever, I'm sure most
>list
>members empathize exactly with that point.

In Scotland, the problem is that many of those who are most prominent in
'Scots' circles - and those which get any grants that are going for the
publication of materials - define 'Scots' to include anything at all
between 'Broad Scots' and standard English.

John M. Tait.

http://www.wirhoose.co.uk

----------

From: "Mike Aryunov" <kraai at mail.ru>
Subject:

Hello everybody,

That discussion of borrowing from other languages and 'puristic' issues
made
think awhile about the matter and I realized that we can here
distinguish at
least three levels of language:
The first one is the vocabulary. Words are the easiest to borrow from
foreign languages. It is not surprise. They are the most volatile
substance
in the language structure. 'Scripta manent, verba volant'.
Then the grammar. It is known that in some cases certain grammatical
constructions can be borrowed by a language from another or even the
language itself is replaced by another.
I regard phonetics as a part of the language the most resistant to
external
influences. Take for example Irishmen. Most of them forgot their
(Gaelic)
language almost completely (as I can see it from the media), but they
developed instead a very specific way to pronounce English.

Sincerely,
Mike Aryunov

==================================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
=======================================================================