LL-L "Language politics" 2008.12.14 (01) [E]

[Lowlands-L List]

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

 L O W L A N D S - L * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226

 http://www.lowlands-l.net * lowlands.list at gmail.com

 Rules & Guidelines: http://www.lowlands-l.net/rules.php

 Posting: lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org - lowlands.list at gmail.com

 Commands ("signoff lowlands-l" etc.): listserv at listserv.net

 Server Manual: http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html

 Archives: http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/lowlands-l.html

 Encoding: Unicode (UTF-8) [Please switch your view mode to it.]

 Administration: lowlands.list at gmail.com or sassisch at yahoo.com


 You have received this because you have been subscribed upon request.
 To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l" as message
 text from the same account to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or
 sign off at http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.


 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)

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

===========================================
L O W L A N D S - L - 14 December 2008 - Volume 01
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please set the encoding mode to Unicode (UTF-8).
If viewing this in a web browser, please click on
the html toggle at the bottom of the archived page
and switch your browser's character encoding to Unicode.
===========================================


From: Sandy Fleming <sandy at scotstext.org>
Subject: LL-L "Language politics" 2008.12.12 (06) [E]

> From: Luc Hellinckx <luc.hellinckx at gmail.com>
> Subject: LL-L "Language politics"
>
> I was saying that I advocate representation of all languages
> recognized within a given locale. Of course, this presumes that all
> regional language be indeed recognized.

> Quite logical...on paper, that is. In a static, local situation.

It can get bad in Scotland where, for example, you see streets called
"Baxter's Loan" being quietly changed by whoever does those things into
"Baker's Lane". This happens whether you can drive up the road or not.

Meanwhile in Whitby, England, we have "The Baxtergate", "The
Flowergate", "Haggersgate" and so on, but nobody thinks of changing
these to, eg, "Baker Street" because in England it's all called English.

> Here in Belgium, where traffic is dense and quite often transit,
> drivers can easily get confused. One second, you're heading for Lille
> (big city in Northern France), the next moment nothing but "Rijsel" on
> every signpost...then Lille again. Or you think you're really driving
> to Aachen (in Germany), but all of a sudden it seems you're wrong
> 'cause all you can see is "Aix-la-Chappelle".

For larger place names at least, I don't see why this can't be solved.
Suppose we had simple line-drawing icon for each town? Then it would
matter less to the driver if the town name became unrecognisable, as
long as the same icon was always displayed alongside it.

This system is already used for temporary diversion signs or fairs,
conferences and suchlike, eg:

Diversion
For Lyme Regis follow (square)
For Melplash follow (triangle)
For Bridport follow (circle)

After which the icons are used in direction signs.

It's not a perfect system but it's good backup and economical on
signage.

I have to say that signposting, at least in the UK, can be bad enough
that you can have this sort of problem without extra languages. You can
turn off the M18 for Doncaster and then the only signs you can find
point to Selby, Goole and Hull. You can only find Bishopbrigs from
central Glasgow in the winter because the branch of a tree hides the
sign at a crucial junction the other three seasons of the year. In
Glasgow if you want to get to somewhere in the north you might as well
be in France as on the south side of the river. All you can to is look
for the Tunnel.

Once I tried to take a shortcut in North Yorkshire and ended up driving
around a group of villages for an hour, that only had signs pointing to
each other. Hello? Doncaster? York? Leeds? Anywhere?

And ring roads! Don't get me started!  :)

Sandy Fleming
http://scotstext.org/

•

==============================END===================================

 * Please submit postings to lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org.

 * Postings will be displayed unedited in digest form.

 * Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.

 * Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l")

   are to be sent to listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org or at

   http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html.

*********************************************************************
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lowlands-l/attachments/20081214/1549147e/attachment.htm>