this week. Too pessimistic?
The last decades, a new academic field developed taalsosiologie, the
ups and downs of languages in their political and socio-economic
context. When languages die out, and what conditions they must meet
in order to thrive?
Let's look at two examples in Europe, one of a dying language and one
in decline, but saved. It is Occitan, mainly in southern France spoke,
and his sister language across the Pyrenees, Catalonia.
Occitan was the Middle Ages a flourishing language with a rich
treasure of literature and songs. It is even at the court of the pope
in Avignon spoken in the decades that the Vatican was settled.
Until the 18th century French mother tongue of only a large minority
in France, but other languages are passively tolerated. After 1700
the French government actively running at the expense of other
languages promoted, and the other in the death process begins
printing.
If you somewhere in life would come, as you progress on the social
learning or would like to be rich, you had to be French. The language
of the state administration, schools and universities were only
French.
The consequences were disastrous Occitan. Where in 1900 another 10
million first language speakers Occitan was the census of 1999 showed
that there were over 610 000 - all speak French too, and almost
everyone over 40.
Occitan is burnt out. The reason is that his higher functions lost and
without economic utility. It is no longer a language of prestige can
be gained.
Just across the border, it now significantly better with Catalan, the
language in Catalonia and its capital, Barcelona, is spoken. Like
Catalan Occitan were in the Middle Ages a thriving language with a
rich treasure of cultural goods.
But in 1700 was ordained that no official document is written in
Catalan may be. And during the dictatorship of Gen.. Francisco Franco
(1936-1975), Catalan and other minority languages as dialects
considered immature and Spanish at the expense of the other promotion.
Catalonia has gone quickly kreeftegang. Its use in state institutions,
including schools and universities, are prohibited.
What it has done the demographics are unknown - the first taalsensus
is only done in 1975 and then to Barcelona limited. Today there are,
depending on your definition, between 7 and 9 million Catalan speakers
first language television and radio stations, newspapers, magazines
and books in that language.
The University of Barcelona, with the support of the regional
government, Catalonia unashamedly, without other languages at once.
The story of Occitan and Catalan illustrates how a language can die or revived.
The taalsosioloog Joshua Fishman has eight stages in taalsterfte
identified. Afrikaans, it seems, is in the transition from stage one
to two, fortunately far from dead. But Afrikaans is being driven
slowly into the abyss.
In this process, the retention or loss of Afrikaans's higher functions
as a cultural, academic, government and commercial language an
important role.
It is against this background that the hazard lights flashing for
Afrikaans by the way the University, despite the solemn pledges,
hopelessly English.
The tragedy of the situation is that those in the university authority
for verengelsingsproses responsible, can not or will see that the
program's ultimate African funeral planned. All the fine words about
how Afrikaans will be cherished, means just about a round zero while
the practical actions the opposite effect.
Parallel education to the process to a standstill, if the will exists.
All suggest that the slow back on Bosch will not succeed.
Either way, Afrikaans to the U.S. and elsewhere must undergo it
without a huge fight to be. We do owe to our mother.
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