Laly, have you received the answer? Are you going to Sochi?
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Laly, have you received the answer? Are you going to Sochi?
Thanks for your detailed elaborations!
It for the first time makes me aware of the possibility of either a conscious different assessment or an confusion in the context of the usage of Latin.
You lump together "Latin/Walloon (aka welche)/French" and do thus put Latin at the account of French.
Now, in fact Latin was widely used throughout all of Germany in official documents, sciences, publications etc. for most of the time. I even guess that prior to 1400 just a minority of all texts in Germany were written in German language. Even Lutheran sermons were printed in Latin in the beginning of the 17th century (I have such).
Afaik no one till now has ever concluded from these conditions that the language in Germany was anything else than German (and Frisian, Wendish etc.), let alone something that has to be put to the account of welche/French.
By using the same standards as for the assessment of Flandres (except Brusseles), would you then say that "Latin/Walloon (aka welche)/French" is a legit indigenous language to Germany?
Spoiler!
Dear rothaer, sorry, I brought confusion!
I meant that until around 1200, it’s only Latin that was used in the different administrations on the territory of Belgium. Then, Latin continued to be used, but always less, and vernacular languages became more in use in the administration. I didn’t mean that Latin, Walloon and French are the same language. I meant that they are distinct languages and after Latin lost the exclusivity, there was multilinguism in the administration, all these different languages being used in the administration in the more Romance part, while in the Flemish part, where most of the population spoke Flemish, except a lot of elites, of nobles, that spoke French, the administration worked in Latin, in Flemish and in French. On the other hand, this multilinguism was not found in Brussels, where we can say Flemish had the exclusivity for a very long time.
I don’t consider that French is a natural, legit indigenous language for Germany. But I dare saying that it is, for Flanders, because:
- It was, already in the Middle Ages, an important language in Flanders, in terms of culture, as it was spoken a lot among the elites, the nobles.
- Until nowadays, a lot of Flemish elites, nobles, for ex. in important cities such as Ghent, Antwerp, like to say their first language is French. They consider themselves first as “francophone Flemings”. They are called “fransquillons”.
- The Flemish soul expressed itself greatly, hugely in French. Number of very important Flemish authors wrote in French, for ex. Emile Verhaeren, Maurice Maeterlinck, Jean Ray, Michel de Ghelderode. Even the Flemish Legends, founding texts of Flemish national identity, the great Flemish epic poems, which are a real masterpiece of European and of world literature, were written in French, by Michel de Coster. If Flemings read them in Dutch, then it’s not the original language, but a translation.
It’s amazing that you own such Lutheran sermons from the XVIIth century in Latin! Luther did a lot for the benefice of the vernacular language!
My dear rothaer, thank you a lot for referring to this book by Fabienne Scheer! It is very interesting and I managed to translate the text. It explains very well, in details the language policies, from the Middle Ages until now in Luxembourg. There were some periods in which German was used in the administration, but since the Middle Ages until now, French has prevailed in this field, where it is now the only reference for the legislative texts. French has since this medieval time, been an important cultural language among the elites there.
Thanks a lot, Laly.
I understand that it’s a lot about French proper in Flanders. Actually also that Luxembourg evaluation by Scheer that I first saw today helped to imagine some of these introductions of non-local mother tongue languages aa administrational languages.
Actually also the Prussian king Frederic the Great spoke French at his court and expressly considered German a language just for peasants. Such things make it not easy to immediately distinguish between some temporary usage out of fashion and a real regular usage among the nobility etc.
Dear rothaer, thank you very much for everything! Thank you for sharing Scheer's text, it is so enlightening! I see what you mean concerning this diglossia and the distinction to do with a temporary usage of a language, a trend.
And I highly disagree with what Frederic the Great said about the German language. It is scandalous! German is such a beautiful, amazing language of culture and also a highly spiritual language and I really regret I can't speak it.
Well it's not that much money for someone living in a Belgium, but it's not a small amount for clothes or fashion only, per month. I don't think books are that expensive. Wemen and fashion. I spent much more per month than you do and I have like 3 pair of pants I wear for years.
I see.Quote:
I objectively think I haven't travelled much, for ex. in comparison with many of my relatives. I would like to travel like once a month.
I had some questions in reputation comments. I'll answer here.
- I don't have a common bank account with my husband. I have a separate bank account, on which my husband normally deposits a bugdeted amount of money. Usually, if I need more, he gives me what I need. But lately, he has given me very little money. Otherwise, I can ask my mother for money. Both my husband and my mother are indeed concerned about my abilities to manage money.
- As for my mother's career, she was a European Union official, working at the European Commission.
- I believe my sister was born like one year after my parent's marriage.
Where does your money go, if you spend so much, if I may ask?
A lot of books I have cost around 20 euros, I'd say, then there are very beautiful books, art books, that are more expensive. Sometimes I can spend several more thousands a month, just for fashion. It has already been like 2,000/week.
Then, I didn't count the charged activities I do like going to the cinema, to the restaurant, to some charged receptions, the exhibitions I visit, home decoration, the travels...
Why don't you drive a car? I almost can‘t imagine this as I have been driving since my 18th year of life. (miracle I survived, I had several crashes)
Does your sister have the same political and ethnologic views like you?