LL-L "Language policies" 2002.07.29 (05) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 29.JUL.2002 (05) * 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: "Friedrich-Wilhelm Neumann" <Friedrich-Wilhelm.Neumann at epost.de>
Subject: LL-L "Language policies" 2002.07.28 (02) [E]

Hi, Erek, Lowlanders,

yes, of course, that's it:

> From: erek gass <egass at caribline.com>
> Subject: LL-L "Language policies" 2002.07.27 (01) [E/S]
>
> The moment we say or imply that a language can't handle a subject, I
> suspect we have, unevidentially, diminished that language's reputation.
> Truth is that no language (except perhaps some of the invented ones) is
> incapable of evolving and adding words or other morphs to allow for the
> expression of new concepts, things, or actions.  Witness Icelandic
> (creating new words from within its current wordbase for such) on one
> hand and English (just borrow the word and incorporate it).  Perhaps
> some languages can't at this moment express a given item, concept, or
> action, but when that thing becomes incorporated into the culture of its
> speakers, be sure it will be covered.
>
> Languages are evolving, fluid mechanisms.  Anyone who who hasever tried
> to put a straight jacket on a living language has ultimately failed.

But,-specially-:
  >Witness Icelandic
> (creating new words from within its current wordbase for such)

It's sounding somewhat different from what I've been sent from by a
friend
of mine living at Iceland. She told me, Icelandic language and customs
to be
in severe danger by "americanismns", dated from the 40s of last centurie
(beginning at those days, when America established an Air-Force-Base
just
there) and still enduring.

I do not know many things in special, from about those times and
nowadays,
but- Your opinion, statement seems so extremely different from what I
heard
in Europe, heard from and about  Ice"Landers".
Sometimes I feel  and I felt some sympathy for our chancellor SCHROEDER
to
decide, not to close the GOETHE-Institutes at Iceland (what had been
decided before by Mr. KOHL).

I should be glad to find or hear some more infos.

Regards

Fiete.

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Language policies

Dear Lowlanders,

I followed with great interest what has been said about the use and its
(mostly not utilized) possibilities of Scots.  I think pretty much the
same can be said about Lowlands Saxon (Low German) in Northern Germany.
You *can* use it in higher registers, technical writing, etc., but it
does not occur to most speakers that this could or should be done.  Most
people are still stuck in the time in which this was "dialect" and
Standard German was "high," everything other than (mostly rustic, naive
and romantic) belles-lettres writing in the language being perceived as
improper, certainly as weird.  Klaus Groth wrote semi-academic treatises
in Lowlands Saxon, but this was at the end of the 19th century, and it
probably occurs to few people that this can be done nowadays.  After
all, there is also the question of reaching the largest possible
readership ... and to sell your works to publishers ...  It would be a
hard sell, I dare say.

I have read a few technical works in Lowlands Saxon, including a few
linguistics pieces, also an abstract of a physics dissertation.  I
wonder how many master's theses and doctoral dissertations by German
specialists in Lowlands Saxon are written in the language itself, at
least their abstracts, and if the universities that have "Niederdeutsch"
as specialty would even officially accept them in that language.  Unless
things have changed more for the better than I am aware, they would be
more inclined to accept them, besides in German, in English, French,
Russian or Dutch (which are considered "legitimate" _Kultursprachen_)
than in Lowlands Saxon, the language the works are about.  I would be
pleasantly surprised if any of you told me that I am wrong.

How would it sit with the faculties and administrations of Scottish
universities if someone submitted a thesis or dissertation in Scots?
Has this been done or attempted?

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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