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Well, Irish (aka Irish Gaelic) and English are official, national languages of Ireland, and are both official EU languages as well, even though practically all Irish-speakers also can speak English 100% fluently.
Yes, so it is. As people living in Hamburg (Germany) are called Hamburger, no kidding nor April fool !!!!
Yes, because "hamburger" has a different meaning in German. The same way someone from Berlin is called Berliner, or someone from Cologne, in German Koeln, would be a Koelner, and from Frankfurt - Frankfurter.
Frankly, I don't think it should be an official language of the EU.
It really is just a Moselle Franconian dialect that is considered a separate language for political reasons. The main reason I'm against it is that they'd have to translate every single piece of legislation into Luxembourgish. Funnily enough, Luxembourg's laws itself aren't even available in Luxembourgish or German. French only. So, the EU would have to spend a lot of money on something they haven't even done themselves.
Quote:
Originally Posted by elnina
Yes, because "hamburger" has a different meaning in German. The same way someone from Berlin is called Berliner, or someone from Cologne, in German Koeln, would be a Koelner, and from Frankfurt - Frankfurter.
The meaning of "hamburger" is exactly the same in German. It means "someone or something from Hamburg" just like in English.
A Hamburger could be this or this. A Berliner could be this or this. A Frankfurter could be this or this (well... technically only in Austria ). And so on.
My question is, if extremely closely related languages like Swedish and Danish, or Czech and Slovak, can be official, seperate EU languages, then why can't Luxembourgish?
Interesting question. People from Sweden, Norway and Denmark speak to each other in their own language, as a rule, but that doesn't imply that they are fluent in the language of the people they are talking with.
By the way, danish and norwegian are the closest in vocabulary and grammar. Swedish is more different than the other two in that regard.
Yes, because "hamburger" has a different meaning in German. The same way someone from Berlin is called Berliner, or someone from Cologne, in German Koeln, would be a Koelner, and from Frankfurt - Frankfurter.
Hamburger in Denmark is cured or smoked ham in America.
The meaning of "hamburger" is exactly the same in German. It means "someone or something from Hamburg" just like in English.
A Hamburger could be this or this. A Berliner could be this or this. A Frankfurter could be this or this (well... technically only in Austria ). And so on.
Interesting question. People from Sweden, Norway and Denmark speak to each other in their own language, as a rule, but that doesn't imply that they are fluent in the language of the people they are talking with.
By the way, danish and norwegian are the closest in vocabulary and grammar. Swedish is more different than the other two in that regard.
All true. But a Standard German speaker will not understand much of someone speaking Luxembourgish as its not mutually intelligible, so that is further from Standard German, than Danish is from Swedish.
Luxembourgers however can speak Standard German also because they learn it in school, but the languages are not intelligible (as I have been told by Germans).
Question to German speakers: If its said that Luxembourgish is just a Moselle Franconian (Moselfränkisch) dialect that is a language for political reasons, can't it also be said then that Dutch is just a Low Franconian (Niederfränkisch) dialect that also is a language for political reasons?
Because Swedish, Danish, Czech, Slovak are national and official languages from different countries. You cannot ask Danish people using Swedish, or Czech peopel using Slovak, and vice versa, in an EU meeting, even if these languages are extremely closed each other.
It's not the case of Luxembourg where they recognize French and German as their national and official language, so their official language is already on the list of the EU official language.
It will be like that unless one date the Luxembourgers decide to require the EU to register Luxembourgish as an EU official language. However, it can add a considerable budget to cover the interpreter's fees for all EU meetings and translation' fees of all EU official documents, which is the last thing that the European people would need in this actual economic situation ! Wonder what does Jean-Claude Juncker think of that?
Well he most likely would be in favour considering that he's from Luxembourg
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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Quote:
Originally Posted by viribusunitis
Frankly, I don't think it should be an official language of the EU.
It really is just a Moselle Franconian dialect that is considered a separate language for political reasons. The main reason I'm against it is that they'd have to translate every single piece of legislation into Luxembourgish. Funnily enough, Luxembourg's laws itself aren't even available in Luxembourgish or German. French only. So, the EU would have to spend a lot of money on something they haven't even done themselves.
The meaning of "hamburger" is exactly the same in German. It means "someone or something from Hamburg" just like in English.
A Hamburger could be this or this. A Berliner could be this or this. A Frankfurter could be this or this (well... technically only in Austria ). And so on.
The Germanic base of Luxembourgish is the same Mosel-Frankish dialect that is spoken in the Sued Eifel. French has been infused since Napoleon took Luxembourg. The cadence is similar to Dutch.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MagnusPetersson
All true. But a Standard German speaker will not understand much of someone speaking Luxembourgish as its not mutually intelligible, so that is further from Standard German, than Danish is from Swedish.
Luxembourgers however can speak Standard German also because they learn it in school, but the languages are not intelligible (as I have been told by Germans).
Question to German speakers: If its said that Luxembourgish is just a Moselle Franconian (Moselfränkisch) dialect that is a language for political reasons, can't it also be said then that Dutch is just a Low Franconian (Niederfränkisch) dialect that also is a language for political reasons?
My first encounter with a native, in the Grand Duchy, was a woman. I wanted to know if I was on the correct road to Echternach after some confusing signs. I attempted to say the town name with a German ch & she laughed & said "You must speak English. Don't worry, we can't pronounce that the way the Germans do. We call it eshternock." I heard many people in Luxembourg & the Eifel laugh that "the 'Germans' can't understand us." I heard Dialekt & Luxembourgish many times. One of my grandfathers came from the Sued Eifel & I look like that side. If people didn't hear me speaking to my traveling companion I was approached in the local language 100% of the time during 2 trips.
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). And so on.
