Language ban in Slovakia

[Moros]

It doesn't affect tourists, it doesn't affect foreigners.

Yes it does. But barely.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Whilst I do feel sorry for the tourists (what if they don't speak Slovenian?), a big meh from me too. Balkan nations like Slovenia simply missed out on the nineteenth century, and have some catching up to do.


How did the Italians came to speak Italian? And the Swedes Swedish? With the exception of Iceland and other assorted lumps of rock, states create nations, not the other way round.

Although one could question the wisdom of going all 19th century on minorities anymore. What Europe needs, is not the EU, but Belgium. The most civilized state in Europe, and which provides the only workable solution - even though it is unworkable and proof they are all barking mad up there.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Damn, I guess I'd better cancel that trip to Slovakia then.

[Mithrandir]

Damn, I guess I'd better cancel that trip to Slovakia then.

Good point! What about the tourists?

[Adrian II]

Good point! What about the tourists?

Good question. The real answer of course is that most tourists won't notice anything since they don't speak Hungarian or Romany.

[Incongruous]

Pathetic and utterly racist, what a bunch of bloody fools, this will do stability in eastern Europe no end of harm, what with bloody fascists popping up everywhere, including Hungary, who will no doubt begin demanding hostile nationlist measures.

For God's sake, what on earth are Eastern Europeans smoking?

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Whilst I do feel sorry for the tourists (what if they don't speak Slovenian?), a big meh from me too. Balkan nations like Slovenia simply missed out on the nineteenth century, and have some catching up to do.


How did the Italians came to speak Italian? And the Swedes Swedish? With the exception of Iceland and other assorted lumps of rock, states create nations, not the other way round.

Although one could question the wisdom of going all 19th century on minorities anymore. What Europe needs, is not the EU, but Belgium. The most civilized state in Europe, and which provides the only workable solution - even though it is unworkable and they are all barking mad up there.

Well, Wales is trying to go Welsh-only again now, so I think the fad is over Loius.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Well, Wales is trying to go Welsh-only again now, so I think the fad is over Loius.

Yes, well, that's still not sufficient reason to spell my name in Welsh. It's 'Louis the Fat', not 'The fad Loius'.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Yes, well, that's still not sufficient reason to spell my name in Welsh. It's 'Louis the Fat', not 'The fad Loius'.

Um, sorry, I assume you're joking, but you used a sad smiley.

[Louis VI the Fat]

My smilie usually indicates a joke. What's more, their use is part of the joke. The format is always the same. I accuse others of being stupid while making an utter fool of myself:

'Tsk. Am I the only refined intellectual here who knows that the capital of Slovakia is Montenegro? Sheesh. '


I shouldn't explain my jokes. I've got only three. One of which will be of no use any longer.

[LeftEyeNine]

So apparently Slovakia is out of plans since I may face unpleasant consequences as a tourist.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

My smilie usually indicates a joke. What's more, their use is part of the joke. The format is always the same. I accuse others of being stupid while making an utter fool of myself:

'Tsk. Am I the only refined intellectual here who knows that the capital of Slovakia is Montenegro? Sheesh. '


I shouldn't explain my jokes. I've got only three. One of which will be of no use any longer.

Well, if it mattered that much you could PM me. Clearly, I have not been the butt of one of your jokes before, sorry again.

[Moros]

Um, sorry, I assume you're joking, but you used a sad smiley.

Should read the Louisianisms for dummies book, it's rather good if I may say. Or am I the only one who reads books out here?

[Viking]

And the Swedes Swedish?

In the good old days, almost the entire Scandinavia spoke the same language. Had nothing to do with nation building. The Sami still speak Sami though; perhaps you should look at that instead.

[Louis VI the Fat]

In the good old days, almost the entire Scandinavia spoke the same language. Had nothing to do with nation building. The Sami still speak Sami though; perhaps you should look at that instead.

Yes, and the entire Latin world spoke Latin once. Nevertheless, after different languages had formed, the 'langue d'oc' was eradicated from France just as much as Sweden eradicated Danish from Helland, Blekinge and Skåne. Both are clear examples of nation-states eradicating the minority language in their south. Just as Slovakia is doing now. The Slovakians are simply a century behind the times.

Sometimes linguistic unification works. Sometimes it doesn't. The Sami, the Flemings and various other nature peoples in Europe and the colonies have proved remarkably succesfull in resisting the imposition of civilized languages.


Edit: Stop apologizing, Phillipus! I am just having a laugh!

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Edit: Stop apologizing, Phillipus! I am just having a laugh!

I'm English! That's like asking a fish to stop swimming!

[Louis VI the Fat]

Oh ****. Why didn't I remember that. Apologising for others stepping on your toes and all that. I could've exploited that a bit more. What a waste of an opportunity to discover what shades of purple this pale Englishman's face can manage. Bah.



AND I AM NOT STALKING YOU, MOROS! JUST BECAUSE I AM WRITING THIS ON MY LAPTOP PARKED IN THAT RED RENAULT OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOUSE IN PILSEN DOES NOT MEAN I STALK YOU, ALLRIGHT!?

I do not even think you can see me from where you're sitting now on the second floor in the back of your house...

[Moros]

AND I AM NOT STALKING YOU, MOROS! JUST BECAUSE I AM WRITING THIS ON MY LAPTOP PARKED IN THAT RED RENAULT OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOUSE IN PILSEN DOES NOT MEAN I STALK YOU, ALLRIGHT!?

I do not even think you can see me from where you're sitting now on the second floor in the back of your house...

So that means it wasn't lightning I saw when putting on my pyjama's?

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

In the good old days, almost the entire Scandinavia spoke the same language. Had nothing to do with nation building. The Sami still speak Sami though; perhaps you should look at that instead.

I think this is a Myth, Old Norse was only Norse, not some universal language. We know this, because when you settled here you brought many languages and dialects with you.

[Viking]

Yes, and the entire Latin world spoke Latin once. Nevertheless, after different languages had formed, the 'langue d'oc' was eradicated from France just as much as Sweden eradicated Danish from Helland, Blekinge and Skåne. Both are clear examples of nation-states eradicating the minority language in their south. Just as Slovakia is doing now. The Slovakians are simply a century behind the times.

Sometimes linguistic unification works. Sometimes it doesn't. The Sami, the Flemings and various other nature peoples in Europe and the colonies have proved remarkably succesfull in resisting the imposition of civilized languages.

Very apt, of course; but to be picky, I don't think the Scanian (Skåne) dialect was outlawed. To this date, I like to think that most Norwegians are able to tell whether a Swede comes from Skåne or not.

I think this is a Myth, Old Norse was only Norse, not some universal language. We know this, because when you settled here you brought many languages and dialects with you.

There was Old West Norse and Old East Norse. The point was though how much modernity has had an influence on the lingual unity. In Norway at least, I am pretty certain that the different Norwegian dialects at the time (if any) must have been more intelligible than what they are today. Modern western Norwegian and eastern Norwegian are about as different from each other as standard Swedish is from either.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

There was Old West Norse and Old East Norse. The point was though how much modernity has had an influence on the lingual unity. In Norway at least, I am pretty certain that the different Norwegian dialects at the time (if any) must have been more intelligible than what they are today. Modern western Norwegian and eastern Norwegian are about as different from each other as standard Swedish is from either.

Mutual intelligability exists on multiple levels, the level at various periods between Scandanavia and England is instructive, as is the level within England. In both cases, I believe it depended on how far and often you traveled, but unity only comes with a written standard. When that was achieved in Norway I'm not sure, but it can't be before Cnut started using English missionaries to convert the populace.

[HoreTore]

Mutual intelligability exists on multiple levels, the level at various periods between Scandanavia and England is instructive, as is the level within England. In both cases, I believe it depended on how far and often you traveled, but unity only comes with a written standard. When that was achieved in Norway I'm not sure, but it can't be before Cnut started using English missionaries to convert the populace.

HAH!

We don't have that either!

We have a total of three official written languages; bokmål(the norwegian version of danish), nynorsk(a mix of all the dialects, to make that it's unreadable for everyone) and sami.

Anyway, the fact is that there is just as much "huh?" going on when a norwegian and a swede talks to each other as it is when someone from Bergen and Trøndelag(or heaven forbid - western Telemark...) talks to each other.

Except that the swedes are idiots and don't understand anything. But that was kinda implied, methinks...

[Viking]

Mutual intelligability exists on multiple levels, the level at various periods between Scandanavia and England is instructive, as is the level within England. In both cases, I believe it depended on how far and often you traveled, but unity only comes with a written standard. When that was achieved in Norway I'm not sure, but it can't be before Cnut started using English missionaries to convert the populace.

Yep, but otherwise Hungarian is mutually intellibigle with Slovakian, dragging Scandinavian into this does not become quite as apt. As HT said, lingual unity has not yet been achieved in Norway (even if you exclude the Sami), neither spoken nor written. As I said though, I'm pretty certain that the unity was much greater in the Viking age, both written and spoken. After the Black Death, Norwegian as a written standard gradually went pretty much extinct. As the language got resurrected in its written form in the 1800ds; two competing variants arose, and both still exist today (one is closest to mentioned western Norwegian, other to eastern Norwegian).

Point is: not all countries of today came to an apparent lingual unity via discriminating minorities.