Re: nationalists, languages and dialects

hazchem wrote:

If you are a child and you go to school and none of the teachers ever
speak the language or dialect that you use in the home, if you never
see your language or dialect written down, if you never hear a radio or
TV program in your language or dialect, then it is not surprising that
when you have children of your own you don't speak to them in that
language or dialect. Fewer and fewer people speak the language or
dialect, and it will come more and more to resemble the 'standard'.

Wrong. That applies to languages, but not dialects. And before someone asks 'what is the difference betwwen a language and a dialect', it is not relevant here.

This is why so many languages or dialects die out all over the world.
There is no logical reason why we should help to preserve these.
Logically, we should all speak just English to ease communication. So
don't ask me for a logical reason why we should preserve them. I just
think the world is a poorer place the fewer language/dialects and
cultures we have. I think that if one of the more divergent dialects of
Basque dies out because of only standardized Basque being spoken
outside the home, then the Basque nationalists will have achieved
something that Franco never could.

You are incredibily inane if you think that 'standardized Basque' could be the reason for the demise of any 'one of the more divergent dialects of Basque'.
As is the case with all the languages you mentioned, what is 'being spoken outside the home' 'only' is the dominant language of the country, in this case, spanish. English in Wales and Ireland. French in Britanny, Flanders, Alsace-Lorraine, Occitania, 'Iparralde'. Not 'standard basque', 'standard welsh', 'standard gaelic', 'standard dutch', 'standard german', 'standard occitan' or 'standard basque' once again.

If, for some reason, over time, a dialect of basque is replaced by 'standard basque', it's a good sign for diversity. It's a sign that it hasn't been replaced by 'standard' spanish/french. 2 perfectly good languages with the only defect that they're less than 3.

I know that some nationalists might be shocked by what I have just
said. Maybe they should think about their attitudes and they might
realise they have been wrong.

I think you should watch your back lest whatever language you learnt 'outside the home' kills the language you learned 'at home'.
--
am

laurus : rhodophyta : brezoneg : smalltalk : stargate
.

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