Re: So it is true...


Paul J Kriha wrote:
> Seán O'Leathlóbhair <jwlawler@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:1133447738.383049.56040@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<snip>

> >Is that only since Czechoslovakia split or was it common before?
>
> In the times of the old federal republic the languages were
> often used interchangeably. For example, half the banknote
> denominations were printed in Czech and half in Slovak.
> The radio and TV newscasts were usually given in both
> languages by two presenters alternating between items.

Were they regarded as different languages rather than merely dialects
before the split? I know that there is no good linguistic distinction
but nonetheless people usually have opinions on the matter. Are the
differences much greater than UK to US English? How does the level of
difference compare to the Scandinavian languages?

> That resulted in, apart from active knowledge of one language,
> people having at least good passive knowledge of the other one.
> This is not the case any more. Czech children growing up since
> the eighties don't understand Slovak and vice versa.

Are the two languages really that different? I didn't realise. Here
in the UK, a good bookshop will have several books on Czech. I
struggle to recall whether I have seen a book on Slovak.

> Re your eau de toilette...
> Separate inscriptions in both languages even when the words
> happen to be almost identical are probably de norm these days.
> If nothing else they are a sign of respect for the other state/nation.

But, as we have seen, the Scandinavians do not seem so concerned about
this respect.

I deal with IBM a lot and sometimes I am slightly irritated that they
produce numerous translated versions of material, often distinguishing
even European and Brazilian Portuguese, yet they never bother with UK
or any other non-US English. However, if they did then I may be
offended that they considered me unable to understand a different
variety of English. So, to be fair, they can't win.

> >Does anyone speak Serbo-Croatian any more?
>
> A few university professors of Slavic studies around the world? :-)

Within the former Yugoslavia, has pretty much everyone taken a side?
Are there no unionists left?

> pjk
>
>
> >Or do we have only separate
> >Serbian and Croatian speakers?
> >
> >Seán O'Leathlóbhair

--
Seán O'Leathlóbhair

.

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