LL-L "Language maintenance" 2007.03.23 (06) [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 - 23 March 2007 - Volume 06

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From: Peter Snepvangers <snepvangers at optushome.com.au>
Subject: LL-L "Language maintenance" 2007.03.23 (04) [E]

 From: Jonny Meibohm < altkehdinger at freenet.de>
Subject: LL-L "Language maintenance" 2007.03.23 (01) [E/S]

Beste Peter Snepvanger and Ben Blomgren,

did Peter (who signed the posting at the end) or did Ben (who is named as
author in the header of it) write:

My father spoke at least 8 languages fluently and many others to a lesser
degree. He used to say jokingly the difference between a language and a
dialect is basically that the dialect couldn't afford an army.

And I guess your father some good years ago joked this way, but I don't joke
when I several times wrote here on our list that modern, big languages are
able to defend themselves but the old and 'minorital' ones, as e.g.
LS, can't.
There are only some handful of people being capable enough in LS to control
what's right and what's wrong. Things even become worse by the fact that
there is a great number of regional dialects, in The Netherlands as well as
in Germany.

And cheap but trendy dictionaries don't help much to find the truth...

Allerbest

Jonny Meibohm


Hello Johnny and Lowlanderen,

Yes it was me (Peter) who wrote about my father, not our friend Ben. The sad
thing is I never was close enough to my father in my younger days. The last
20 years of his life allowed me to discover how to read, write and speak
"Queens Dutch", learn Latin which has helped me immensely with understanding
words (even to this day) and allowed me to actually hear what Limburgs was.
He always spoke to his brother and a group of his homeland mates in Limburgs
but not at home much as mum could not speak it. These are my truths Johnny,
just as cherished and good as your truths, emotions and memories are. You
have a beautiful passion for your Low Saxon. If you love something let it be
free and release some of that control over what is right and what is wrong.
You can be right and Reinhard can also be right.

"Things even become worse by the fact that there is a great number of
regional dialects, in The Netherlands as well as in Germany."
Well now Johnny, isn't this something positive, having such a beautiful
panorama of words in common use that you can pick from to put in your
"right" box. But was it right then, or is it right now, or will it still be
right in 40 years time. Who knows and who cares, as long as folks are
speaking it. In English I can say cup or even mug and you can say koppen,
kopke or muk. All these can be right if we allow them to be.

"And cheap but trendy dictionaries don't help much to find the truth..."

I have many dictionaries, Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, German, Aussie, English,
American and more on the web I can use. I absolutely love them. I am making
my own wordlist dictionary on foodie terms using English, Dutch, Fries,
limburgs and German. HAH HAH. Me doing that thousands of miles and minds
away from you in Germany. Pointless you may say but what the heck, it
entertains me, helps me learn and just 2 weeks ago we had a chef from
Belgium employed by an American company work in our factory here in Sydney
setting up some new machinery. We made a few limburgse vlaa during the day
and enjoyed a few beers after work in the evenings. I enjoyed dragging out
and dusting off my minimal language skills.

I enjoy reading your postings Johnny, and just even you doing that is
helping to spread awareness and different perspectives on Low Saxon, all
good and valuable.
Cheers
Peter Snepvangers
snepvangers at optushome.com.au
Sydney

•

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