LL-L "Language politics" 2007.07.09 (03) [E]

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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
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 S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West) Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)

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L O W L A N D S - L  -  09 July 2007 - Volume 03

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From: Mike Wintzer <k9mw at yahoo.com>
Subject: LL-L "Language politics" 2007.07.07 (03) [E]

Ron wrote

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

Thanks, Kevin and Mike!

Kevin, I know that "patois" does ....
...opportunities to develop the language.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

A+ Ron, thanks!!!
Greetings, Mike Wintzer

----------

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

Thanks for the grade, Mike.

However, you can take away the "+" because I forgot to mention something in
the last paragraph:

Mike, the attitude of a native speaker you mentioned is nothing new to me.
I have come across it plenty of times in the case of Low Saxon.  Also, I
have now spoken with the third Scottish person that grew up with Scots and
still refers to it as "slang."  You could take the position that this is the
natural progression of language death and "survival of the fittest."
Alternatively, you could take the position that this is the result of a
strategy in which derogation eventually comes to be internalized by the
native speaker community, which results in "voluntary" abandonment of its
language (i.e., not passing it on or refusing to use it) -- but then you'd
run the risk of being laughed out of the room as a subscriber to conspiracy
theories.  Whatever position you take, it seems to me that it all boils down
to non-recognition sooner or later bringing about language death in that it
amounts to denial of opportunities to maintain language confidence, pride
and love, leave alone opportunities to develop the language.

Under "or refusing to use it" I am referring to those that at certain points
in their lives decide to no longer use the language.  This may be anyone
that grew up with it.  Very often it is young people that do this because
use of the language is, by virtue of its association, disadvantageous,
usually for social reasons -- is "uncool."  The "uncoolness" factor tends to
come in where language use is relegated to and confined within traditional
culture (is thus associated with "oldies" and "geeks").  Usually the main
symptom of impending language death, this confinement may then be reinforced
from the outside, such as by official language texts addressing mostly
seniors and by publishers rejecting literary submissions that lie outside
the traditional confines. In other words, we are dealing with a vicious
circle once it gets to this point of decline.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

•

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