Re: Aesthetics

On Monday 22 October 2007 01:18, Lars Finsen wrote:
> Den 20. okt. 2007 kl. 23.44 skreiv Daniel Prohaska:
> > "I also consider Geran to be a very beautiful language, not so much
> > the
> > standard language as much as its rich an diverse dialects. Have you
> > ever
> > heard South Tyrolean? I'm sure you would reconsider after hearing
> > the locals there talk!
>
> I agree very much. South German dialects especially can be totally
> fascinating. Spoken High German has a very unpleasant ring to me,
> however, at least in many speakers.
>
> Northern dialects are interesting too, but in principle perhaps the
> Low German ones are dialects of Dutch and not of German? Or perhaps
Dutch, according the the Old English book I'm reading at the moment (Old
English: A historical linguistic companion, by Roger Lass), is a combination
of Ingvaeonic (Old English/Frisian/Old Saxon) and Istvaeonic (Old
Franconian/Old Frankish/Rhinelander) dialects.  Some Dutch words are
Ingvaeonic in form "vijf" OE "fif", OHG "finf", whereas others are
non-Ingvaonic "gans" OE "gos", OHG "gans".

Old Saxon is easily readable for anyone with a reading knowledge of Old
English; the early Christian missionaries (eg Saint Boniface) from England to
the Saxons reportedly had very little trouble understanding their speech.

And then there's that Frisian/English rhyme:

"Good bread and good cheese is good English and good Friese."
"Good butter en green tzieze is good English en good Friese."

Also:
"Bûter, brea, en grien tsiis is goed Ingelsk en goed Fries."
"Butter, bread, and green cheese (is) good English and good Frisian."

Of course, when we extend the query to Afrikaans, we find a language that is
reportedly a mixture of Dutch and something else - probably Frisian, Old
Saxon and Rhinelander dialects - judging from the higher status non-Hollander
individuals in the Cape in the early days.

It's a fascinating study.

> Dutch in principle is a dialect of German? There is a Dutch navy and
> army, though...
>
> LEF
--
Clinersterton beademung, with all of love - RIP James Blish
-----
Gaul is quartered into three halves.  Things which are
impossible are equal to each other.  Guerrilla
warfare means up to their monkey tricks.
Extracts from "Schoolboy Howlers" - the collective wisdom
of the foolish.
-----
Mau e ki, he aha te mea nui?
You ask, what is the most important thing?
Maku e ki, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
I reply, it is people, it is people, it is people.

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