LL-L "Intelligibility" 2005.03.01 (10) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

======================================================================
L O W L A N D S - L * 01.MAR.2005 (10) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
http://www.lowlands-l.net * lowlands-l at lowlands-l.net
Rules & Guidelines: http://www.lowlands-l.net/index.php?page=rules
Posting: lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org or lowlands-l at lowlands-l.net
Commands ("signoff lowlands-l" etc.): listserv at listserv.net
Server Manual: http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html
Archives: http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html
Encoding: Unicode (UTF-8) [Please switch your view mode to it.]
=======================================================================
You have received this because you have been subscribed upon request.
To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l" as message
text from the same account to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or
sign off at http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.
=======================================================================
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)
=======================================================================

From: Ben Bloomgren <ben.bloomgren at asu.edu>
Subject: Intelligibility


Hallo, list, I was wondering. Has anyone done intelligibility studies on the
Lowlands languages? Ron, the way in which people talk on those pages that
you provide in the links section say that there is one main language with
many dialects. How mutual is intelligibility between speakers? Does it need
to be separated into the major groups? Which dialect did the Hanseatic
League use at its trade language?
Ben

----------

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

Hi, Ben!

Thanks for sharing all your interesting comments and questions, which surely
tickle many a fancy on the List.

Let me be brief, partly because I need to be for time reasons, partly
because I don't want to steal folks' thunder, and partly because I'm
"abnormal" and "shouldn't take things for granted," as someone close to me
recently pointed out.  In fact, this person may have a point or two.  Levels
of intelligibility (mutual or otherwise) vary between individuals.

For example, my father had the hardest time understanding folks if they came
from anywhere south of Hanover (but he did have an easier time in the
Netherlands), while my mother had an easy time with "accents" in general and
also picked up foreign language bits without studying the languages.

I also feel very strongly -- and this ties in with what some else, perhaps
you, said the other day -- that etymological knowledge is extremely
important when it comes to intelligibility of a language that is closely
related to one you already know.  In fact, this person close to me went on
to say it was my awareness of etymological connections that allows me to
"figure things out."

So there are my points:

(1) Intelligibility differs from person to person.
(2) Etymological awareness and skills are useful in cross-language
intelligibility.

It seems to me that, if (2) comes to be widely accepted as true, linguistic
topics such as "history of words" might actually come to be introduced in
high schools.  It's not so much the journeys of individual words than the
recognition tools that would be very useful to foreign language learners.

You take it from here, boys and girls!

Thanks again, Ben!

Reinhard/Ron

==============================END===================================
* Please submit postings to lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org.
* Postings will be displayed unedited in digest form.
* Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
* Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
  to be sent to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or at
  http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.
======================================================================