LL-L "Language varieties" 2009.10.04 (01) [EN]

[Lowlands-L List]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 04 October 2009 - Volume 01
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From: Roger Thijs, Euro-Support, Inc. <roger.thijs at euro-support.be>
Subject: LL-L "Language varieties" 2009.10.03 (01) [EN]

The last ones as to:
http://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/2009/10/02/une-diversite-linguistique-fragile_1248201_0.html

Eyar:  Mary Smith Jones, +2008
Manx: Ned Maddrell, +1974
Oubykh: Tevfik Esenç, +1992

Regards,
Roger
(from the Renaissance in Toronto, viewing in the baseball stadium from
within my room)

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

Thanks you very much, dear Roger!

Folks, above Roger directs our attention to a French language newspaper
article in which recently extinct languages are mentioned.

Here are just brief notes for those of you that need explanations.

*Manx
*Native: Yn Ghaelg
A descendant of Middle Irish Gaelic used on the Isle of Man
Wren translation: http://lowlands-l.net/anniversary/manx.php
Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manx_language

*Eyak*
A Na-Dené (Dené-Yeniseian) language of South Central Alaska
Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyak_language

*Ubykh
*Native: twaχəbza
A Northwest Caucasian language of Turkey
Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubykh_language

But we ought to bear in mind what Sandy said about the "relativity of
'dead'". For instance, in the cases of Manx and Eyak, at least, there are
efforts towards language revitalization (or "revival" if you wish). In all
cases there are still "partial speakers" that personally knew last "full
speakers."

Also, please bear in mind that one could argue that "language death" usually
refers to an entire linguistic complex, to the apparent disappearance of a
family of numerous language varieties (idiolects, dialects, regiolects,
sociolects ...). If we think of it in terms of "language variety
disappearance" we become more acutely aware of the fact that, while a given
language (as a collection of varieties) may not be "dead" as yet, member
varieties "die" on an ongoing basis. This applies to practically all
languages, including seemingly all-powerful English. So, seeing the glass
half empty, we might consider this a case of "constant language
impoverishment."

But this is not a new thing. Furthermore, rather than considering the glass
half empty, we might think of this process as one of constant change. You
might argue that language varieties do not disappear but come to be merged
with other language varieties, typically as substrata coloring imported or
imposed (usually power and prestige) superstrata varieties. In the Lowlands
area, the most obvious examples of this process are the Frisian-colored Low
Saxon and Low-Saxon-colored Missingsch German varieties of Northern Germany
(also Low Saxon and German varieties with old Slavic substrata), the
Frisian-colored Low Saxon and Dutch (Stadsfrysk) varieties of the Northern
Netherlands, and Scotland's numerous English varieties with Scots and Gaelic
substrata.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
Seattle, USA

•

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