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Re: CHAT: "La Bandera Estrellada"

From:Nik Taylor <fortytwo@...>
Date:Saturday, August 5, 2000, 3:31
Danny Wier wrote:
> Incidentally, the baby government of the Constitution thought of > whether or not to have an official language (and the US govt has none > to this day). French was considered. Along with German, Latin, Greek > and even Hebrew.
Actually, that's not true. See http://www.snopes.com/spoons/fracture/german.htm The US congress *did* consider requiring bills to be published in both English AND German, but that's as close as they came to an "official language"
> At one time there were more German or Dutch (or any > sort of dialect in between) than English speakers in New York and > Pennsylvania, if I remember correctly.
I don't think that there was ever a majority of German/Dutch speakers in those states. New York was probably majority Dutch early in the Colonial period, and there were groups of German-speakers in Pennsylvania who attempted to concentrate German immigration in their state with the goal of becoming the majority language, but I don't think they ever succeeded in that. -- "Their bodies did not age, but they became afeared of everything and anything. For partaking in any action at all could threaten their precious and ageless bodies! ... Their victory over death was a hollow one." ICQ: 18656696 AIM Screen-Name: NikTailor