LL-L "Language maintenance" 2007.04.29 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L List]

L O W L A N D S - L  -  29 April 2007 - Volume 02

=========================================================================

From: Wesley Parish <wes.parish at paradise.net.nz>
Subject: LL-L "Language maintenance" 2007.04.28 (02)
[E/LS/German/Luxembourgish]

On Sunday 29 April 2007 11:36, Lowlands-L List wrote:
<snip>
> ----------
>
> From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Language maintenance
>
> Moiën, Dave! Schéin ook mol von Dech eppes zu héhren!
>
> And of course from you, too, Karl-Heinz, with all your stimulating ideas.
>
> Karl-Heinz, your point about Nachfrage (demand) in connection with
minority
> language use in the media is an interesting one.
>
> The way I see things in the case of Low Saxon, it's a circular thing, or a
> case of self-fulfilling prophesies.  What you've got is a small bunch of
> power brokers (e.g. radio and TV managers and producers and magazine and
> book editors) that get to call the shots. They do so on the basis of their
> assumptions, assumptions that tend to be influenced by personal
assessments
> and biases and may or may not be based on facts.  (So far I have not heard
> of actual market research.)  Most assume that demand for Low Saxon is for
> material for older folks and should be limited to old-time themes,
> sentimental poetry and stories, and parochial theater, that it shout

If I may resume my favourite hobby of opening my mouth and inserting foot,
might I suggest someone - playwright, actor, or suchlike - in Bremen,
Hamburg, or some other city or town in the niedersassisch-speaking region,
get some major plays translated in niedersassisch, and start up an acting
troupe, or whatever the appropriate word is.

There are a whole group of big-name plays in several major European
languages
that haven't been translated into niedersassisch - and a whole lot of other
literature as well - JRR Tolkien, for one, whose favourite language, Old
English, happens to be one of Old Saxon's nearest kin, isn't available in
niedersassisch, which I think is a bit of a pity.

At the very least, it would raise the language's profile, for example, if
you
had the local secondary school putting on Hamlet in niedersassich -
considering that it's set in a nation that's just to the north of where most
niedersassisch-speakers live!

Once these (postulated) plays became successful, you'd have local
playwrights
inspired by the thought of writing something good, or even better than good,
something great, in niedersassisch.  Then the power brokers would need to
reassess their ideas.

Sorry for kibitzing - it seems to be my vocation. ;)

Wesley Parish

> notaccommodate anything "new" and "exotic," and there is no room for
> anything
> that hasn't been done successfully before.  What is at the very base of
> this is the question of what is and what is not lucrative.  So it's a
> question of money, and there is virtually no willingness to gamble.
> Anything that isinnovative has been done with private funds and with such
> small
> circulations
> that it reaches few people.
>
> Now, what this lack of adventurousness does, as far as I can see, is turn
> those people off (i.e., away from the language) that would happily learn
> and use it were it not for the fact that the widely available material is
> tailor-made for what some people assume is the consumer group with the
> money they want.  This is not only a disservice, if not an insult, to the
> mature audience (especially to the Baby Boomers with a past of breaking
> barriers), but it is also a very myopic approach that most likely creates
> the assumed lack of demand.  In other words, I believe that demand could
be
> there if the power brokers pulled their heads out of their little behinds
> and explored new possibilities by aiming to include a larger target
> audience.  Currently, their biased assumption that Low Saxon is for old
> farts creates or reinforces this reality.  I know lots of younger people
> who'd love to learn or keep up the language and would have a much easier
> time if there were more material that appeals to them.
>
> Anyway, this is my assessment, in large part based on experience and
> discussions with relevant parties.
>
> Kumpelmenten,
> Reinhard/Ron

--
Clinersterton beademung, with all of love - RIP James Blish
-----
Gaul is quartered into three halves.  Things which are
impossible are equal to each other.  Guerrilla
warfare means up to their monkey tricks.
Extracts from "Schoolboy Howlers" - the collective wisdom
of the foolish.
-----
Mau e ki, he aha te mea nui?
You ask, what is the most important thing?
Maku e ki, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
I reply, it is people, it is people, it is people.

----------

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

Hi, Wesley!

I don't perceive that as kibitzing.  As far as I am concerned, we don't have
a clique system going on here.

By the way, there are many LS-speaking amateur theater groups already, and a
handful of professional ones.  The list at  is probably not complete.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

German: Niedersächsisch
Low Saxon: Neddersassisch
Dutch: Nedersaksisch
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lowlands-l/attachments/20070429/e6f36f04/attachment.htm>