[Lowlands-l] Google Translate

Fri Jul 21 07:53:55 UTC 2017

Hello all,

in the wake of the Google and Facebook topic, I would like to add that 
these people https://swiftkey.com/de are working on a Low German 
keyboard app. If you look up the supported languages here 
https://swiftkey.com/de/keyboard/android/, you don't see it, but here 
https://support.swiftkey.com/hc/en-us/articles/201598431-What-languages-are-currently-supported-for-SwiftKey-on-Android- 
it is listed. Don't ask me how to install Low German for the app, I hate 
typing on a smartphone and haven't got the app.

As to the dialect or type of Low German implemented there, it will be 
rather strict Sass Platt. My friend Hein Thies http://heinrichthies.de/, 
a man of immeasurable merit and unceasing activity for Platt, is working 
on it and supplying the Swiftkey people with his word lists for the Sass 
Dictionaries http://sassplatt.de/ which he updates and continues. But of 
course the app is thought to "learn" from it's user, so it should be 
possible to train it to any other dialect... I would like to know, but 
still I won't install the app :-)

Hartlich Gröten from North Germany!

Marlou

Am 21.07.2017 um 08:49 schrieb Lowlands Languages & Cultures:
> The question of "closest£ when it comes to languages is very dependent 
> on definition.  A philological tree re[resents how different languages 
> developed; it doesn't reflect intelligibility. The classic case is the 
> Scandinavian languages. Norwegian classifies as a West Norse language, 
> on a branch with Faroese and Icelandic. Swedish is East Norse, a 
> distinct branch.  The reality is that most Norwegians would struggle 
> to understand more than a handful of words of Icelandic, but can 
> converse with a Swede comfortably.
>
> Paul
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* Lowlands Languages & Cultures 
> <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>
> *To:* lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org
> *Sent:* Friday, 21 July 2017, 6:50
> *Subject:* Re: [Lowlands-l] Google Translate
>
> I don't like the idea of creating a kind of rivalry between minority 
> languages so this thread makes me feel uncomfortable. West Frisian is 
> (as the North Frisian languages and Saterfrisian) a language of its 
> own, even if it might show results of the contact to Dutch. I might 
> say the same about Dutch as I wasn't able to learn it because my Low 
> Saxon was stronger and taking control. I can read Dutch without big 
> problems - so Dutch isn't more than a Low Saxon dialect, right? Okay, 
> that was a pun. I hope you get my point.
> Why cannot we applaude Google Translate and Facebook for their 
> decision and work on for getting the same for Low Saxon and other 
> minority languages?
>
> As for the relations between the languages around the North Sea: 
> Through the centuries they had many contacts because of migration, 
> trade and politics. Of course that had an impact on the languages. 
> English is even the best example how a language develops because of 
> history. Anglo-Saxons, Danes, Normans - they all came to conquer what 
> we know today as England. They all brought their own languages as sign 
> of their mastery.
>
> Greetings from Kiel,
>
> Anja
>
>
> <-----Ursprungligt Meddelande----->
> 		*From: Lowlands Languages & Cultures 
> [lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org]*
> Sent: 20/7/2017 9:50:18 PM
> To: lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org
> Subject: Re: [Lowlands-l] Google Translate
>
> Yes. Definitely lively, that's why we should make Google add it.
> I really don't see the point of making West Frisian a seperate 
> language though,
> as it doesn't contain that much of a unique vocabulary, and strongly 
> resembles Dutch.
>
> בתאריך 20 ביולי 2017 8:24 אחה״צ,‏ "Lowlands Languages & Cultures" 
> <lowlands-l at listserv. linguistlist.org 
> <mailto:lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>> כתב:
>
>     On 20/07/2017 11:18 AM, Eitan wrote:
>>     Hi all,
>>
>>       I've requested Facebook they should add low german into their
>>     language poll since they recently had added West Frisian which
>>     isn't much an obvious choice.
>>
>>     That being the case, to my surprise Google Translate added West
>>     Frisian as well.
>>
>>     I don't consider West frisian the closest language to English
>>     language because of certain reasons. Here's what I wrote:
>>
>>     Low german (of plaudietsch language) is spoken by 450,000 people
>>     around the world, which is about on par with Frisian on the
>>     total. It has a rich body of literature, including the bible, and
>>     many unique expressions and vowel sounds.
>>     Compared to what is spoken in west friesland, it's a
>>     fully-fledged and dynamic language. And while it is true that
>>     Frisian is recognised minority language in the Netherlands,
>>     Plautdietsch is recognised in belize and has a minority status there.
>>
>>     Do you agree?
>     https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=tf55TFRG-2w
>     <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf55TFRG-2w>
>     https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=9lV4S4VLhV0
>     <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lV4S4VLhV0>
>     https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=EdaLj8jkJfI
>     <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdaLj8jkJfI>
>
>     Sure doesn't look dead to me.
>
>     Ed Alexander
>
>
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