LL-L "Language varieties" 2002.06.17 (04) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 17.JUN.2002 (04) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 Web Site: <http://www.sassisch.net/rhahn/lowlands/>
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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: frank verhoft <frank_verhoft at yahoo.com>
Subject: Help needed

Hi Patricia, hi all

Patricia:
<<<I also wondered if there was still any current
dialect closer to Middle Dutch than Standard Dutch?

Just my humble opinion, worth +/- 2 eurocent:
I think it's just impossible to quantify that for
several reasons:
1. I sometimes have the impression that in the history
of Dutch (or any language) the nowadays so called
Standard Dutch (or standard variant) is considered to
be the only result of that evolution that needs or
that is worth to be accounted for. I have probs with
that idea.

2. "Middle Dutch" as a (one) language doesn't exist:
it's a cover term for several variants, ranging from
(let's call it) West Flemish over Brabantian, Hollands
to Limburgian.
I wonder how it would be possible to compare the
various Middle Dutch'es with the Modern Standard
Variant and with the various dialects of these days. I
mean, there is a danger of making "cross
references"... AAAAARGH... This is not very clear, i'm
sorry.
I mean, there is no fixed point of reference what
Middle Dutch is concerned, no Middle Dutch ANS, no
Middle Dutch "Groene Boekje" and no Middle Dutch Van
Daele :).

3. Obviously all dialects evolved, but in quite
different ways. But modern West-Flemish retained
features of the WF Middle Dutch variant (no
dipthongization of certain long vowels in certain
conditions), but changed other features. While Modern
Brabantian dialects (in Flanders) still use the Middle
Dutch "gij". Other aspects evolved in another way.
Every variant retains and changes different
aspect/features of a previous stage...
I mean, how would it be possible to decide which
dialect/variant is closer to *the* Middle Dutch (which
doesn't exist in the first place) than any other
dialect/variant?

Best regards,

Frank Verhoft

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"De perto ninguém é normal!" - Caetano Veloso

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

Frank,

Take out the moaning and groaning ;) , and tidy it up a bit here and
there, _et voilà_ you have a nice little "sub-blurb" for our budding
collection.  (Hint, hint!)  Yes, opinion piece are invited.

More about this project in a few days.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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