LL-L "Anniversary" 2004.11.06 (01) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 06.NOV.2004 (01) * 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: Henry Pijffers <henry.pijffers at saxnot.com>
Subject: LL-L "Anniversary" 2004.11.05 (03) [E]

Ron wrote:
>
> Thinking about an encouraging message for my own "blurb," I thought of
> something like a motto, a commonly used, though now somewhat oldfashioned
> Lowlands Saxon (Low German) maxim: _Hold fast!_
>
> I thought that speakers of pretty much all Lowlands language varieties
> ought
> to understand it.  Is this correct, or am I deluded?
>
Thought I've never seen it before, I have no trouble understanding

> I was thinking of using it to refer to people's languages, cultures,
> interests, passions, rights, and the like.  <snip/>
>
> It seems to me that, if it is understandable across all Lowlands-internal
> boundaries, this would make a neat motto for Lowlands-L.
>
> What do you think?
>
Go with it.

regards,
Henry

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From: Ingmar Roerdinkholder <ingmar.roerdinkholder at worldonline.nl>
Subject: LL-L "Anniversary" 2004.11.05 (03) [E]

>>>>>Good motto, Ron, _Hold fast!_
Dutch _Hou vast_ and Dutch Lower Saxon _Hol(d) vaste_ as a verb (imperative
form) mean _stick to (it)_,
so: DLS _Hol vaste an oen tale_ [hQl "vast@ an un "ta:lE] = stick to your
language. _Hol d'r an vaste!_ stick to it_
As a noun, Dutch _houvast_  = a handhold, a hold; since the List has been a
hold and support for many of its
members over the last ten years, we could say it has been (and still is) a
_houvast_ in that way too.
Even for me who is with the list only for two months, that counts already.
Ingmar

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

Thanks for the feedback, Henry and Ingmar!

Ingmar:

> Dutch _Hou vast_ and Dutch Lower Saxon _Hol(d) vaste_ as a verb
> (imperative
> form) mean _stick to (it)_,
> so: DLS _Hol vaste an oen tale_ [hQl "vast@ an un "ta:lE] = stick to your
> language. _Hol d'r an vaste!_ stick to it_
> As a noun, Dutch _houvast_  = a handhold, a hold

It's exactly the same in the North Saxon dialects on the German side:

hol(d) vast(e) (<hol(d) fast(s)>) [ho.l(t)'fast] 'to hold fast', 'to not let
go
    (of)', 'to take a stance'

holvast (<Hollfast>) ['ho.lfast] ~ ['hO.lfast] 'holdfast', 'hold',
'something to hold
   onto (for security, etc.), '(firm) stance' ("stick-to-it-ness" in
American jargon)

There is also the English noun "holdfast" (with primary stress on the first
syllable) denoting a firm grasp, an attachment fixture or anchoring
device -- similar to _haudfast_ ~ _haudfest_ in Scots.

Folks, in time for the anniversary we'd like to display the Wren story
(http://www.sassisch.net/rhahn/low-saxon/ls-story.html) newly formatted not
only in Lowlands language varieties but -- though without phonetics and
soundfiles -- in some non-Lowlands varieties as well, in part to give people
with less than good English proficiency the flavor of the story.

While version in virtually all language varieties would be welcome (and some
are already available), we definitely need translations into "key"
languages.  By this I mean "power" languages or linguae francae that reach a
large readership or are used by people in countries with low average foreign
language profiency (such as China, Japan, Korea and Indonesia).

Among the "key" languages, we so far have versions in the following, besides
English:

German
Japanese
Korean
Portuguese
Spanish (Castilian)

We definitely need translations into the following:

Arabic
Chinese
French
Russian

Furthermore, very desirable would be a version in Indonesian.

Surely someone can at least come up with a French translation on this list.
Allons, copains!

If this seems like too much work to you native or near-native speakers, I
might be able to come up with rough translations and ask you to give me
corrections.

Oh, and how about more Celtic versions, though there are not "key" ones?

Thanks again, and regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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