LL-L "Language image" 2004.05.08 (06) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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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: Global Moose Translations <globalmoose at t-online.de>
Subject: LL-L "Language image" 2004.05.08 (03) [E]

Ron wrote:
> It has come to my attention that some Americans whom I have told about the
> historical connection between Lowlands Saxon [Low German] and English tell
> each other that I happen to speak a "funny, little, archaic" language that
> by some weird fluke of nature survived among a handful of people (never
mind
> that I had made clear that it is still used by millions).  When they hear
it
> spoken, they find it sounds amusing, kind of "archaic and earthy."  Based
on
> select bits of the little information they had been given, their minds are
> made up: it's an odd-sounding relic that's good for party entertainment
and
> is quite insignificant in the great scheme of things.

This has nothing to do with Lower Saxon. Let's face it - and I wish this
were a joke - that's exactly how the majority of Americans regard ANY
language that is not American English.

Gabriele Kahn

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

Here a couple of afterthoughts.

First about Gabriele's remark above:

> Let's face it - and I wish this
> were a joke - that's exactly how the majority of Americans regard ANY
> language that is not American English.

I don't doubt that what you say applies to a portion of the population (and
I assume it applies to portions of all countries' populations with regard to
their respective prestige languages), but I am not sure I'm willing to jump
onto that bandwagon, am not used to painting with that large a brush.

Let me add that the last time Lowlands Saxon was characterized in that
fashion was in a circle of language enthusiasts and professionals, mostly
interpreters, about half American-born and half immigrants, at a party of
hospital interpreters and translators to which a friend had invited me.  The
person who said this about LS was an American-born interpreter of Russian
who had lived about half of her youth in the Soviet Union and who was
familiar of the complex linguistic pattern of Russia and the Soviet Union.
So this was not your run-of-the-mill American.

My basic point was that images of languages have less to do with the
languages themselves than with whatever people's minds attribute to the
speakers, their cultures, their nations and their perceived historical and
political images.  The "pretty" or "ugly" thing you hear about tends to be
telling of the (positive or negative) prejudices people have against the
speakers and their worlds.  This is by no means restricted to Americans.  It
applies anywhere in the world, and it applies to dialects of the same
perceived language as well.

Another, related thing is that of association and expectation.  When people,
say halfway knowledgeable English speakers, listen to me say things in
Lowlands Saxon (which I am occasionally asked to do for as much
entertainment as education) they feel sort of let down, "not quite
satisfied," because it does not sound sufficiently German to them,
especially to those that have learned German.  Mental association lumps LS
together with German, hence certain expectations.  To someone expecting
something like German _Er trinkt Kaffee mit Milch_ [ʔeˑɚ tʁɪŋkt kʰaˈfeː mɪt
mɪlç]  or _Wir haben das Buch schon gesehen_ [viˑɚ ˈhɑːbən das buːx ʃoːn
ɡəˈseːhən] instead hearing _He drinkt Koffie mit Milk_ [hɛɪ drɪˑŋkt ˈkʰɔfi
mɪt mɪˑɫk] and _Wi hebbt dat Book al sehn_ [viː hÉ›pt dat boÊ k Ê”aË‘É« zɛˑɪn]
this seems unsatisfactorily "German," halfway like the English equivalents
"He drinks coffee with milk" and "We have already seen the book."

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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