Do we care about preservation of our mother tongue?

[Guapo]

Is your mother tongue vital for your survival? Is it significant to preserve it for the next generations to come?

[Stefan]

Is your mother tongue vital for your survival? Is it significant to preserve it for the next generations to come?

I never really had to worry about it really. English is so widespread it will probably only die when it forms new languages the way vulgar Latin did. And even then, you can't call it "dead" really. I would love for all Indo European languages and others to at least pass on their lineage by sprouting new groups. Even if they do die in the process. If you are talking about passing it down to my children, well I don't have to worry about that... Well, right now anyway.

[anonymaus]

So long as the language is alive it is being preserved--languages do not take to preservation as meat with brine.

[Damião de Góis]

I think this question is more for minorities who speak a different language than the country's official language like basques, catalans, welsh(?), etc.
As for my language, it's not really in danger except for Brazil. There is a spelling agreement that we signed with Brazil that changes some things in portuguese. For example we now have to write "direto" instead of "directo" or "perceção" instead of "percepção". I refuse to do it however, as do many people from here.

[Adalwulf]

I think this question is more for minorities who speak a different language than the country's official language like basques, catalans, welsh(?), etc.
As for my language, it's not really in danger except for Brazil. There is a spelling agreement that we signed with Brazil that changes some things in portuguese. For example we now have to write "direto" instead of "directo" or "perceção" instead of "percepção". I refuse to do it however, as do many people from here.
Essentially dumbing it down for inbreds, much like American English.

[Guapo]

I think this question is more for minorities who speak a different language than the country's official language like basques, catalans, welsh(?), etc.

Not necessarily


As for my language, it's not really in danger except for Brazil. There is a spelling agreement that we signed with Brazil that changes some things in portuguese. For example we now have to write "direto" instead of "directo" or "perceção" instead of "percepção". I refuse to do it however, as do many people from here.

Interesting. I believe it's also important to preserve a nation's script such as Cyrillic in Serbia.

[Damião de Góis]

Not necessarily

Can you say some examples then? I couldn't think of any (official) language in danger.


Interesting. I believe it's also important to preserve a nation's script such as Cyrillic in Serbia.

Well, languages develop. Medieval portuguese was diferent from what it is now but to make changes because of Brazil is just ridiculous in my opinion.

[Guapo]

Can you say some examples then? I couldn't think of any (official) language in danger.



Well, languages develop. Medieval portuguese was diferent from what it is now but to make changes because of Brazil is just ridiculous in my opinion.

Example, English is the lingua franca on the Emerald Isle, despite all efforts to resurrect interest in the Irish language.

[Svarog]

I do always use the Cyrillic script when I write Serbian as there is no other way to do it right imo :thumb001:

Ћирилица је српско писмо, живела мајка Србија! :D

[Tabiti]

Language means national identity, so I try to preserve it. Well, it's quite modified with lots of foreign influence, especially since 19th century, but the grammar is still unique and must be preserved.

[Sabinae]

Yes it is important for the generations to come! It's part of a culture, of a tradition, of national identity. It should be preserved and passed on. Although there are modern influences, we must keep mother tongue guarded from major changes. We could integrate and adapt a modern language, in our everyday life, but we must keep the core of the grammar and vocabulary unchanged.

[Loyalist]

Yes, particularly in Canada, Commonwealth English is an integral part of Anglo-Canadian identity. It's not just that I want the language to continue in a spoken sense, but I also want to preserve the unique spelling of the aforementioned.

Going back a few generations, my paternal ancestors were Gaelic-speaking Scots. At one point, Gaelic was Canada's third language, with an estimated 50,000 speakers at the end of the 19th century in Nova Scotia alone. The use of the language united and preserved the way of life of the Scottish settlers, particularly the refugees of the Highland Clearances, for more than a century. It was gradually drowned out by English, and offered no help from the government, which, as always, placed greater emphasis on French and Amerindian languages in communities which had no connection to either group, the Scots being one of them. For that reason, the attempt to create a colony where the Highlanders could perpetuate their way of life denied to them at home ultimately failed due to the loss of their ancestral tongue. My family lost its Gaelic identity, and so I have no desire to see the English aspect drowned out by multiculturalisation, either.

[Bard]

Yes I care :D
Italian is a beautiful language and i'd like to keep it alive.

[SuuT]

I would like to see the continual evolution and refinment of all languages such that they are continually better able to fulfill their purpose, which is the clear expression of thoughts.

[Monolith]

Is your mother tongue vital for your survival? Is it significant to preserve it for the next generations to come?
Sure, but language is a living thing so it should be allowed to change, like it always did. After all, it is us who use it, not the other way around.

[Lysander]

We have 34 centuries of written heritage, that's just too massive to ever disappear :). Not that anybody understands the ancient tongue but it's still cool to know it's there.

And yes language is the single most important part of any culture, nothing can function without it.

[Guapo]

Not that anybody understands the ancient tongue but it's still cool to know it's there.

Is it significantly different from today's Greek langauge? I wonder if it sounded more "Finnish" than now :D

[Fortis in Arduis]

Yes, of course, that is why I am a bitch/grammar nazi. :laugh:

[Barreldriver]

I'm doing everything I can to preserve not just English but the unique family dialect, one of which is falling out of style.

I'm one of the last besides some aunts and cousins that speaks regularly in our original dialect (it helps that I was actually raised in our true American home, there's a 2 generation divide created when the Great Depression happened, my great grandparents were still Appalachian in dialect, but my grandfather and father were heavily influenced by Yanks, I resurrected a trend by being raised in our original Appalachian residence and refusing to let go). I am worried that my university experiences is going to aid in the destruction of our dialect, as at uni. I have to make myself understood to the others present as they cannot understand me otherwise, same issue happened when I first started my previous job.

I also refuse to learn Spanish, I will not surrender my tongue to suit that of a foreign bastard from the litter box called Mexico.

[The Lawspeaker]

Working on linguistic purism should be a primary concern at the moment, next to stamping out our immigrants.

Dutch is constantly under threat and has been polluted with foreign loanwords for over 300 (!) years: first by French and Yiddish, then German, then Malay, then (American) English and now Arab, Turkish, Sratong and Papiamento.

I found this very nice 18th century example in a book (as spoken by the Dutch elite) : "Formidable, mon cher. Ik heb me bien amusé met Molières Malade imaginaire !" or "Souhaiteer je te dejeuneren van een delicaat jambon ?" or "Wij zijn extreem geëmbarrasseerd in een difficile affaire, dewelke onze compagnie extreem chagrineert !" (not just the majority of the words are French- but the grammar itself is too..).
And there are more examples of linguistic pollution: Yiddish and Dutch (the words are countless and can mainly be found in Amsterdam dialect from where they spread into mainstream speech): jajem, Mokum, bajes, ramsj. Meier (a word for money- 100 Dutch Guilders), koosjer, geintje, gotspe, wieberen etc etc etc.

More recent additions (in particular the Malay words have been so Dutchified that they really have become part of the Dutch language): piekeren (to worry- pikir - from Malay), toko (shop - from Malay), bakkeleien (to fight-berkelahi- from Malay), pienter (smart- pintar- from Malay), "Dat is niet mijn pakkie-an" ("That's not my concern"- from bagian- "department" in Malay), imago (from English "image" which also became a word in our language), feedback (English), talk show (English), doekoe (from Sratong) etc etc etc.
The list is endless. Our grammar and spelling also is subject to massive foreign influence.

Dutch as a language is only being spoken by around 20 million people- 3 million more speak Afrikaans and around half a million speak Frisian.
I think that our language is in desperate need of a clean-up if we are to survive into the future as a people- as speakers of a language.
Our spelling too needs a clean up: less c's, less -ion suffixes (like in station- from French and English) and more phonetic. From cadeau (French) to kado - preferably to geschenk (present), from centrum to sentrum (like I have also seen in Norwegian) or preferably binnenstad (town center).

We are a Germanic people- we don't need American English, French, Yiddish or other influence.

[Damião de Góis]

I also refuse to learn Spanish, I will not surrender my tongue to suit that of a foreign bastard from the litter box called Mexico.

You should associate spanish with Spain and not with mexican immigrants.

[Poltergeist]

In principle yes, but I don't see it as existentially threatened.

There is though a general tendency towards poor literacy and the lowering of standard of expression as far as the language used in public sphere is concerned. The other problem is the flood of foreign loanwords (although the latter has been on the wane of late).

[Black Turlogh]

Example, English is the lingua franca on the Emerald Isle, despite all efforts to resurrect interest in the Irish language.

Those interests unfortunately don't go too far. Not nearly far enough. We're more concerned with Polish for the time; we need to make sure our Polish immigrants can read our road signs in their language, naturally.

Growing up near the so-called "Ghaeltacht" I never knew a single person in my age group who knew more than a handful of Irish words. I was speaking to Arawn about this not too long ago and, unfortunate as it may be, I don't see any revival of Gaelic in Ireland in the way of the Welsh revival.

[Barreldriver]

You should associate spanish with Spain and not with mexican immigrants.

Yes, but I don't have to worry about Spain taking my land, I have to watch out for those Mexicans, and they are Spanish speakers sadly, and I refuse to learn the language just so they can use what belongs to the English and German speakers, and out of grace I'll include the French speakers as playmates with the English and German speakers. :P

[Äike]

There are only 1 million people who speak Estonian, the preservation of the Estonian language is extremely important.

[Wölfin]

As someone of Scottish ancestry I already find it a pity Gaelic was lost in my family... I pray it is not a language that will die out. As for French I will speak it to my children if I ever have any...

[Loki]

The language and culture of my people (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrikaner) is being repressed by the current South African government -- preferring English in all official communication and also in education. Afrikaans is systematically being phased out of official life.

I have no doubt, though, that Afrikaners will continue to foster their culture at their homes and families ... being a relatively insular people. They don't seem to integrate easily, and usually form little community pockets where they speak their own language - when abroad. This has been my experience in the UK. Many Afrikaners come here and only speak English at work - but only Afrikaans at home, and only socialize with fellow Afrikaners in their free time.

Personally, I am very different in this regard. Whilst I will never forget my language, I am not sure whether my children one day will master it. My spouse is unlikely to be Afrikaans.

I should write more in my native language on this forum. :(

[Treffie]

Personally, yes. In fact it's one of the first things that springs to mind when discussing national identity. Why let a language that's over 2,000 years old die?

[Poltergeist]

Personally, yes. In fact it's one of the first things that springs to mind when discussing national identity. Why let a language that's over 2,000 years old die?

The only Celtic language that's doing well, currently.

[Osweo]

Although there are modern influences, we must keep mother tongue guarded from major changes. We could integrate and adapt a modern language, in our everyday life, but we must keep the core of the grammar and vocabulary unchanged.
Aye, purge that French filth from your tongue, and go back to good old fashioned Slavonic borrowings... ;)

We have 34 centuries of written heritage, that's just too massive to ever disappear :).
Tell that to the Drachma... :( Dirhams don't count!

Why let a language that's over 2,000 years old die?
Kenneth Jackson said Aneurin in 600 could not have understood Vortigernos in 450. Gildas, living roughly halfway between them, could probably have understood both.

Your heniaith is about 1500 years old, miladdio!

[Absinthe]

Of course we do...what kind of question is that?! :rolleyes:

To me language is the most important factor in one's culture as every cultural element has survived and is preserved through that. Lest we forget that many important traditions of the past have been preserved through spoken word before writing was invented.

For this purpose I wish not only to preserve my language but all the languages.

I wish I had the brain capacity to learn them all in one lifetime, but since I don't, I try to stick to those of immediate interest to me...

Perhaps this is the underlying reason for which I chose to learn "rarer" languages instead of the popular ones.

Asides from English which is essential for universal communication, it is most common for people around my parts to learn languages that are widely spoken so that they can "invest" that knowledge as much as possible.

I, on the other hand, picked some less "popular" languages, plus a nearly-extinct one. It is more fun this way. ;)

[Treffie]

Your heniaith is about 1500 years old, miladdio!

That's debatable ;) Many linguists think that it could be as old as 4,000 years old. Myself, I believe it to be at least 2,000 years old - it was obviously watered down by Latin when the Romans arrived. Remember Os, that those who left our shores for Brittany started to migrate at about AD350.

[Osweo]

That's debatable ;) Many linguists think that it could be as old as 4,000 years old.
How can anyone seriously defend that nonsense? You wouldn't even realise it was related to Modern Welsh if you heard someone speaking it on the street. Like in Inese's Gaullish video, you'd think it was Rumanian or something! Actually, I bet I, who's an outsider but has at least looked into the older toponymic vocabulary, would understand more of it than you would! ;)

Myself, I believe it to be at least 2,000 years old - it was obviously watered down by Latin when the Romans arrived. Remember Os, that those who left our shores for Brittany started to migrate at about AD350.
Nah, you would take serious effort and a linguistic education to understand British from Caesar's day...

Can you understand this?:

Segomaros Ouilloneos tooutious Namausatis eiōrou Bēlēsami sosin nemēton
No cheating!

And the Cornish/Breton group was starting to separate from Archaic Welsh about a hundred and fifty years later. The biggest influence on Armorica's speech probably came from the later settlements. Macsen's lads probably just slipped into the local Gaulish. The later incomers more or less imposed the newly divergent British speech onto the natives. How's your mutual intelligibility now? Not too bad, but hardly one language. And the Bretons and Cornish have as much claim on British as you do, so how can you call it one language?

As for Saesneg, I can barely understand Chaucer. Won't just being a bit older than us satisfy you? :D

[Inese]

Our language is very important! You know , we have only 1,6 million native Latvian speakers and we are threatened by Russian language and Russian population in our country!!We have the same situation as the Estonian people. But a good thing is that many Latvian know about the problem and talk Latvian with pride. :nod We have Latvian dialects also :

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/Latvaldialekti.svg/800px-Latvaldialekti.svg.png

[Hrolf Kraki]

I think this question is more for minorities who speak a different language than the country's official language like basques, catalans, welsh(?), etc.
As for my language, it's not really in danger except for Brazil. There is a spelling agreement that we signed with Brazil that changes some things in portuguese. For example we now have to write "direto" instead of "directo" or "perceção" instead of "percepção". I refuse to do it however, as do many people from here.

Spelling changes are bullshit. I prefer British spellings and have been flipped shit about it by professors in the past. Apparently 'whilst' isn't proper American English. Bah! However, the stupid English spellings like doubt, debt, et. al. should be reverted back. I can't recall what doubt was, but debt was spelled 'dette'. The new German reforms regarding the ß are also irritating. I HATE writing 'Ich weiß, dass...' rather than 'Ich weiß, daß...'. I suppose I'm indifferent about the Danish changes since I'm not as familiar with the language and the reform took place like 100 years ago. I must say though, I prefer på over paa. But then again to go back with the old, I like gjennem over gennem. Ok, I'm done. :p

[Atlas]

Yes it's important, but it's not English that I'm worried about, rather other European languages - German, French, Italian etc etc.

[Hrolf Kraki]

Our language is very important! You know , we have only 1,6 million native Latvian speakers and we are threatened by Russian language and Russian population in our country!!We have the same situation as the Estonian people. But a good thing is that many Latvian know about the problem and talk Latvian with pride. :nod We have Latvian dialects also :

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/Latvaldialekti.svg/800px-Latvaldialekti.svg.png

Inese, feel free to open a new thread about Latvian language and dialects if you're so inclined. I have great interest in the Baltic languages, but know practically nothing about them. :)

[Hrolf Kraki]

Yes it's important, but it's not English that I'm worried about, rather other European languages - German, French, Italian etc etc.

German, French, Italian, etc. aren't going anywhere. They'll be around for a long time to come, but they do risk angloization. New words are often left untranslated when entering into a foreign language from English. For example, the Germans often say 'Jogging' and 'Layout' and other such things instead of German equivilants. It becomes natural when speaking so terms such as Dauerlauf and Entwurf begin to start sounding more clumsy. This is not good.

[Lysander]

Is it significantly different from today's Greek langauge? I wonder if it sounded more "Finnish" than now :D

Aye. Many people who have studied ancient Greek become disappointed when they really don't understand any modern Greek at all.

You can hear it's related much like you can with say German and Dutch but it's still "pure Greek to me" if you catch my breath :).


German, French, Italian, etc. aren't going anywhere. They'll be around for a long time to come, but they do risk angloization. New words are often left untranslated when entering into a foreign language from English. For example, the Germans often say 'Jogging' and 'Layout' and other such things instead of German equivilants. It becomes natural when speaking so terms such as Dauerlauf and Entwurf begin to start sounding more clumsy. This is not good.

I'm not so sure what to think about that. Fact of the matter is however that it is perfectly natural for languages to absorb new words especially for new inventions such as TV and computer from other languages. English vocabulary is largely Latin/French and alos some Greek but the grammar and "basic language" is still Germanic.

Anyway, that's how it has always been, unless the new words don't work at all in the language. From what I know Icelandic is different enough from English so that they have standardized own made-up words for new inventions.

It's not the words per se that are threatening to the language, it's more the fact that English is becoming so well known and is, at least in Europe, a status symbol. Many commercials in radio and TV are in English because of this. This poses a threat for smaller languages such as the Baltic and north Germanic ones.
This might sound far off BUT do not forget how Latin killed off dozens of languages in the west and Greek did the same in the east because of the status you got from speaking it.

And lastly German, French, Spanish etc. aren't going anywhere, they are too large so no need for "you people" to worry.

[Hrolf Kraki]

Anyway, that's how it has always been, unless the new words don't work at all in the language. From what I know Icelandic is different enough from English so that they have standardized own made-up words for new inventions.

English and Icelandic used to be mutually intelligable 1000 years ago. Icelandic is derived from Old Norse and it is a fact that out of the 100 most commonly used English words, 100% of them are of Germanic origin. (I haven't the source on hand, but I can cite this if called upon to do so.)

It's not the difference that's a factor, but their determined preservation of their language. For example, damn near everyone in the western world uses Telephone or at least something very close. Icelandic uses Simi which is derived from an Old Norse verb meaning 'to call'.

However, I will say that recently 'fock' was added to the Icelandic dictionary, having the same meaning as the English 'fuck'.

[Lysander]

English and Icelandic used to be mutually intelligable 1000 years ago. Icelandic is derived from Old Norse and it is a fact that out of the 100 most commonly used English words, 100% of them are of Germanic origin. (I haven't the source on hand, but I can cite this if called upon to do so.)
Yep. The whole "basic" English language is of Germanic origin as I said. But still 1000 years is a long time in linguistics and Icelandic sounds nothing like English nowadays.
It sounds more like the old English chronicles. And since the Icelanders have been largely isolated they have preserved a more archaic language. 800 years ago Norwegians, Swedes and Danes would have understood them, today they do not.



It's not the difference that's a factor, but their determined preservation of their language. For example, damn near everyone in the western world uses Telephone or at least something very close. Icelandic uses Simi which is derived from an Old Norse verb meaning 'to call'.
Well that's all jolly too :). Whatever floats their dragon ship ;).
I personally don't mind telephone either, languages evolve whether we like it or not.


However, I will say that recently 'fock' was added to the Icelandic dictionary, having the same meaning as the English 'fuck'.
Yeah it's getting pretty universal :).

[Aleksey]

Lithuanian although being one of the most conservative language is slowly losing its conservativness.. but in general it's not endangered :)

[The Lawspeaker]

Lithuanian although being one of the most conservative language is slowly losing its conservativness.. but in general it's not endangered :)
Yes. I have heard that it is being regulated with a firm hand by a language regulation body.
Thank heavens for that as Lithuanian is not exactly listed amongst the most widely spoken languages in Europe.

[Óttar]

For example, the Germans often say 'Jogging' and 'Layout' and other such things instead of German equivilants. It becomes natural when speaking so terms such as Dauerlauf and Entwurf begin to start sounding more clumsy. This is not good.
I especially hate Der Sound instead of der Klang, der Song instead of das Lied, das Game instead of das Spiel etc. ad nauseam.

Detestable! :rolleyes2:

[Aleksey]

Lawspeaker, why 'thank heavens'? Lithuanian's a beautiful language, it's truely a piece of art, although being the most archaic of all living languages it is VERY hard to speak normally (not to mention the speaking part)

[The Lawspeaker]

Lawspeaker, why 'thank heavens'? Lithuanian's a beautiful language, it's truely a piece of art, although being the most archaic of all living languages it is VERY hard to speak normally (not to mention the speaking part)
Thank heavens that there is a fine regulating body protecting it. :) We have the Language Union but I have the feeling that they are not doing much to protect our language.

[Aleksey]

Language Union is just a formality ;) Mostly - ESP, GER, ENG, ITA are used in EU.. :/ OH ZE EBILNESSES!
<3 language diversity.

[The Lawspeaker]

Language Union is just a formality ;) Mostly - ESP, GER, ENG, ITA are used in EU.. :/ OH ZE EBILNESSES!
<3 language diversity.
I am not a big fan of language diversity. I prefer to protect my own language.

[Aleksey]

Why? the more diverse world is the more people become tolerant.. :) for instance - I doubt you can speak/write Frisian, right? though in general it should be Dutch(local varieties of it as well)+Frisian

[The Lawspeaker]

Why? the more diverse world is the more people become tolerant.. :) for instance - I doubt you can speak/write Frisian, right? though in general it should be Dutch(local varieties of it as well)+Frisian
I can't speak Frisian and I am ashamed of it as Frisians are equal partners in our country and they are able to speak and write our language as good as their own and we should learn it too.

And I don't believe in his false notion of "tolerance" and "diversity". Living in a multicultural society I can see the damage that it does to us everyday.

[Aleksey]

Damage in what way? :)

[The Lawspeaker]

Damage in what way? :)
Crime, increasing corruption, discrimination against us native Dutch, overpopulation, racial damage by intermixing, the damage of our culture, the introduction of foreign loanwords in our beautiful rich language, the disapearing of local traditions and customs. The list is endless.

[Aleksey]

Hm, you must be right, but not only Dutch is the native language of Holland ;)
Cheers!

[The Lawspeaker]

Hm, you must be right, but not only Dutch is the native language of Holland ;)
Cheers!
Tell me something I didn't know ;) Dutch (as exists today) is a formal language created from the dialects of Brabants and Hollands. Which were in turn dialects from Low German.

[Comte Arnau]

I care, probably more than I should, given that my country is not an independent state. In the whole of Europe, but even more in the case of those nations who didn't achieve sovereignty due to the course of historical events, resistance to linguistic assimilation is essential for the preservation of an ethnicity.

[Aleksey]

Are you Catalan? or Basque? :) Either of those two languages are beautiful, it may sound weird but all languages are musical to me :D Wouldn't mind studying either Catalan or Basque (Basque would be better <3)

[Loxias]

Standard French is quite far from being endangered at the moment. However, I would hope that Cajun French (even if it's not my mother tongue) doesn't disappear from Louisiana, it seems very endangered.

[Psychonaut]

However, I would hope that Cajun French (even if it's not my mother tongue) doesn't disappear from Louisiana, it seems very endangered.

It's an incredibly hard thing to preserve too. My grandparents grew up deep in the bayous and spoke nothing but Cajun French until their teens, yet my mother, somehow, never leaned to speak it and, thus is my understanding of French quite limited. It doesn't at all help that Cajun is an entirely oral dialect of French and isn't even taught in Louisianian schools. My wife, for instance, went to school in Louisiana, where French is compulsory, but was taught Parisian, rather than Cajun, French.

[Comte Arnau]

Are you Catalan? or Basque? :) Either of those two languages are beautiful, it may sound weird but all languages are musical to me :D Wouldn't mind studying either Catalan or Basque (Basque would be better <3)

If you're referring to me, I'm a Catalan, although I have some Basque and Upper Aragonese ancestry. So I could say I'm a Pyrenean.

If you know other Romance languages, Catalan shouldn't be difficult, as its central position makes it relatively close to all of them. Basque, on the other hand, is a very hard language to learn. And just forget about mastering it. :D

[Aleksey]

Basque is pretty, I'd like to study it, but the lack of resources on it is just.. disappointing, Catalan as far as I can understand is closely related to Occitan or? I know that with my Spanish Catalan will be a mystery in any way :D

[Comte Arnau]

Basque is pretty, I'd like to study it, but the lack of resources on it is just.. disappointing, Catalan as far as I can understand is closely related to Occitan or? I know that with my Spanish Catalan will be a mystery in any way :D

Well, obviously there are not as many resources for Basque as for the major languages, but there are quite a few, both online and offline. I'm studying it, btw, although at a slow personalized pace. :D

And yes, Occitan is the closest to Catalan, different but very understandable when written. If you speak some Spanish, that's useful, but better if you speak some French or Italian too, because there's also too much 'non-Ibero-Romance' vocabulary in Catalan.

[Allenson]

To answer the original question: of course, it's a vital part of any folk. That being said, I don't think that English is going anywhere anytime soon.

As Barreldriver mentioned, there are local versions of English all over America that are in danger of dying out, including up here in northern New England. The TV world has standardized our way of speaking across the US and local variation is on the wane.

Also, I've always kind of wished that English was not the world's lingua franca. Being so, in some ways, makes it a little less special to me.

[Treffie]

I must commend Barreldriver in his endeavour to learn the learn the language of his ancestors - Welsh :thumb001:

What do you say, Barreldriver - feel confident enough to have a Skype chat yet? :)

[Aleksey]

If you want, I could translate lessons of Irish (southern dialcet, though I'd rather call it a separate lang, or at least a dilectual continuum) from one Russian forum to these sites ;) Btw could some post some useful links for Basque? :)

[Comte Arnau]

Btw could some post some useful links for Basque? :)


http://www.buber.net/Basque/Euskara/

[RoyBatty]

Interesting. I believe it's also important to preserve a nation's script such as Cyrillic in Serbia.

Preserving the language is obviously vital. It's part of the national identity and once the language "goes" so does the identity.

The script is equally vital. I have seen a number of articles where Zionazi Soros vassals (self-proclaimed Anglofag "political commentators", "academics" and "journalists") were agitating for the removal of Cyrillic script in Serbia.

Not too long ago there were similar calls for Russia to stop their attempts at implementing a Cyrillic DNS system because of supposed "technical complexities" and the difficulty for non-Russians to access Russian websites etc. Well, if it's so hard for the dumbasses to access a Cyrillic site they probably had no business being there in the first place!

Don't let Soros and his US State Department mafia destroy your language, script and culture.

[Scyldwulf]

Also, I've always kind of wished that English was not the world's lingua franca. Being so, in some ways, makes it a little less special to me.

I agree with this.
It doesn't make it less special though, I don't think, because with it being so widely spoken, it gives us a sense of pride in the fact it has grown so large internationaly... But it does take a little bit away from it being 'our own'.

It's pushed me to want to learn Old English, but I have not the patience, and I'm a lazy bugger :laugh:
Even after learning Old English, it could never be applied to general conversation, with it being an old language missing many modern words... And there would be no one to make conversation with, baha.

[Óttar]

It's a damn shame the Boston Brahmin dialect is dying out. It's the best damn dialect in the US bar none!