LL-L "Language politics" 2007.07.06 (07) [E]

[Lowlands-L List]

L O W L A N D S - L  -  06 July 2007 - Volume 07

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From: Elsie Zinsser <ezinsser at icon.co.za>
Subject: LL-L "Language politics" 2007.07.06 (04) [E]

Hi all,

You might not know this historical Afrikaans titbit but Afrikaans
was called a 'patios' for centuries.

Yet, the language has proven itself to be used in multi-faceted ways; in
discussions on philosophy, in literature that's been translated in more than
10 languages, in kombuisgeskinder, in political discussions, in mathematics,
scientific postulations and writing, in   religion, songs.

I say who cares when the proof of a language's viability and sustainability
are in the messages able to be given out and to be understood.

Is it too far fetched to believe that most languages have started out as a
'patios'?

Regards,

Elsie Zinsser
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com >
Subject: Language politics

Elsie:
> Is it too far fetched to believe that most languages have started out as a
'patios'?

I don't think it's too far-fetched, and, if we followed the French model as
explained by Mike, all languages except our own would still be patois.

To paraphrase Joshua Fishman, ...

A loshn iz a patoa mit an armey un a flot. (Yiddish)
A language is a patois with an army and a navy.
'n Taal is 'n patois met 'n leër en 'n vloot. (Afrikaans)
Een taal is een patois met een leger en een vloot. (Dutch)
'n Spraak is 'n Patois mit 'n Armee un 'n Marien. (Low Saxon)
'n Taol ès e patois mèt e laeger ên 'n vloot. (Limburgish)
Eine Sprache ist ein Patois mit Heer und Marine. (German, France)
Une langue est un patois avec une armée de terre et une marine. (French)
Hizkuntza, gudarostea eta itsas-armada eduki ditzakeen patoisa da. (Basque,
France)
Ur yezh zo ur patois hag he deus un arme hag ur morlu. (Breton, France)
Un idioma és un patois amb exèrcit i marina. (Catalan, France)
Una lingua es un patois ke puede kontar siempre kon una armada i una flota.
(Ladino, France)
Una lenga es un patois embè un'armada e una marina. (Nissart, France)
Una lenga es un patois abo n'armada e na marina. (Occitan, France)
Un idioma es un patois que pot contar en un eixercit y en una arma.
(Valencian, France)
Una lenga a l'é un patois con na armèja e na marina. (Piedmontese, France)
Una lenga es un patois amb un'armada e una marina. (Provençal, France)

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
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