LL-L "Language maintenance" 2004.01.10 (03) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 10.FEB.2004 (03) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Mike <botas at club-internet.fr>
Subject: LL-L "Language maintenance" 2004.02.08 (04) [E]

Roger wrote:

> From: Roger Thijs, Euro-Support, Inc. <roger.thijs at euro-support.be>
> Subject: language sociology
>
> Minority languages have a difficult time.
>
> A study was made about the languages spoken in Messancy, one of the
> municipalties in Belgium with a Luxembourgish dialect.
> The results are published in:
> http://www.alas.be/sondage%20Miezeg.pdf
> page 14:
> 94 perc. of age 65+ is bilingual (French + Luxembourgish)
> only 6% of age -20 speaks both languages (read: speaks still
Luxembourgish)

Who is at fault? The State and its cultural and language policies!
Anybody who wants to tell me anything else: the vigour of the language, its
health, its will to survive, its ability to handle modern life, the will
(sic!) of the people to speak it, to let it live .. and all the other demurs
I have heard over the year, including from Lowlanders.... I just can´t
believe him/her. All the experiences I have shared through LL-L and
elsewhere with speakers or lovers of "minority" languages, including my own
childhood expereience, only lead me to ONE conclusion (see above).
All of the above (will of the people, vigor of the language etc.)can have -
depending on how visible it is, or it is made - an impact on the State´s
policies, but by themselves they won´t achieve anything. Only the
Authorities have might to make or to break a language. The aim of the thrust
of any action in favor of language survival seems therefore obvious to
me....
I am looking forward to more demurs. Serious ones, so we can settle this. By
settling I don´t mean reach agreement. By settling I mean discussing it so
thoroughly that the respective viewpoints are clear and all aspects have
been thoroughly looked at.
Mike Wintzer

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