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From: deb5@midway.uchicago.edu (Daniel von Brighoff)
Subject: Re: Limburgian language: towards European recognition
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Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 05:15:09 GMT
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In article <Pine.SV4.3.94.970112202307.24660A-100000@hsc.usc.edu>,
Bas Jansen  <bjansen@hsc.usc.edu> wrote:
>On 12 Jan 1997, Peter Slomanson wrote:
>
>> The narrow-mindedness, only the narrow-mindedness of Bas Jansen's 
>> remarks... ridiculous.
>
>Slomanson, shut the fuck up!!!
>Limburgian is a simple dialect for stupid narrow-minded jerks who *refuse*
>to speak decent Dutch when considered appropriate. I think it's an insult
>to other Dutch dialects when this retarded form of communication becomes a
>language. 
>
>Up yours!
>
>BeeJay.
>Who, in general, has nothing against any dialect, but the need for
>recognition of the Limburgian *language* goes way too far.

	If you're just going to flame rather than discuss this issue from 
a rational point of view, then don't post to sci.lang.  Personally, I
don't see why, if a Moselfraenkisch dialect (Letzebuergesch) can become a
protected minority language of Europe, a Niederrheinisch one (Limburgisch)
can't as well.  I also don't see why it should, necessarily, but then I
don't know much about its historical background.

	I have a hunch that its status as the main "German" dialect spoken
in the Netherlands has a lot to do with this decision, much as Alsatian's
similar position in France gives it a sort of recognition (although one
that falls short of minority language status) that the closely related
Alemannic dialects spoken just across the Rhine are denied.  Or perhaps a
closer analogy can be found at the French-Italian border, where an
unexceptional dialect of Franco-Provencal (Val d'Aostan) has been
recognised as an independent language simply because it is spoken in Italy
and not in France--or in the Pyrenees, where Aranese has an official
status denied every other dialect of Gascon because they have the
misfortune to be spoken in France rather than Catalonia.

	There are a few "minority languages" that are markedly distinct
from the "majority languages" spoken in the same country (Sorbian in
Germany, Saame in Scandinavia, Romany throughout Europe, and--most
clear-cut of all--Basque in France and Spain) but, outside of these, any
line one draws between "local dialect" and "minority language" is 100%
arbitrary.
-- 
	 Daniel "Da" von Brighoff    /\          Dilettanten
	(deb5@midway.uchicago.edu)  /__\         erhebt Euch
				   /____\      gegen die Kunst!
