LL-L "Language politics" 2009.06.16 (05) [EN]

[Lowlands-L List]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 16 June 2009 - Volume 05
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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Language politics

Folks,

Recently I learned a "new" word that is becoming current among people with
an interest in language politics and specifically in minority language
issues:



*vergonha*


It is pronounced [ver'gʊɲɔ] (roughly "vehr-GOO-nyaw").

It is an Occitan word literally meaning "(feeling of) shame". "shyness" or
"embarrassment" (cf. Catalan *vergonya*, Galician *vergoña*, Castilian *
vergüenza*, Portuguese *vergonha*, Sardinian *bergúgna**, *Italian *vergogna
*, Latin *verecundia*).

Within the mentioned contexts this Occitan word *vergonha* denotes the
results of conditions under which speakers are made to feel ashamed of their
own language, typically a non-recognized minority language. As we have
discussed on earlier occasions, this often leads to such speakers
considering their own language inferior, and this attitude prevents them
from using the language in public and from passing it on to their offspring.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
Seattle, USA

•

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