LL-L "Language politics" 2006.01.21 (04) [E]

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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 (Zeeuws)
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   L O W L A N D S - L * 21 January 2006 * Volume 04
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From: Henry Pijffers <henry at saxnot.com>
Subject: LL-L "Language politics" 2006.01.21 (01) [E]

Sandy wrote:
>
> I think the ethical problem here is that you're separating language from
> culture. Although many native Scots are brought up in an
> English-speaking culture, I'm not one of them.
>
I'm sure school was in English, wasn't it? But isn't that part of your
culture too then?

I mainly grew up speaking only Saxon, until I went to school. In the
class room speaking Saxon was more or less forbidden (although in the
school yard everybody spoke Saxon and the Hollanders would just have to
adapt). From the age of 5, Dutch became part of everyday life for me,
and so part of my culture, whether I'd like to or not.

Other than that, I agree with you wholeheartedly.

regards,
Henry

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From: Ben J. Bloomgren <Ben.Bloomgren at asu.edu>
Subject: LL-L "Language politics" 2006.01.21 (01) [E]

Gary Taylor wrote:

Do English-speaking nations run behind in arts, science, technology, 
commerce etc due to the problems caused by English orthography?

Gary, I'm blind, and I have never actually seen or written any of these, but 
I do ask this question. How is it that Egypt, China and the ancient "Near 
Eastern" cultures were titans in commerce, language and science? The ancient 
Mesopotamians used Cuneiform. China used and still uses complex pictographs 
and Egypt used similarly complex yet different pictographs. I almost wonder 
as a layman if these complex orthographies actually cause science, commerce 
and technology to improve because the cultures have to place higher amounts 
of effort on the acquisition of their writing systems. Again, I'm not a 
scholar of any of these three systems or any others, and I'm blind. I cannot 
print my name in English, and my signature is doctorish!
Ben 

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