Language ban in Slovakia

[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...

[Andres]

I also wonder what they're going to do about the tourists. Imo, they don't qualify as a minority or a language minority, so they are not protected by European legislation

[HoreTore]

I also wonder what they're going to do about the tourists. Imo, they don't qualify as a minority or a language minority, so they are not protected by European legislation

Well, as a potential tourist, I'm not more likely to go on a trip to Slovakia now... I prefer visiting states where they treat each other as humans, not animals.

[LeftEyeNine]

Well, still, being a tourist in Slovakia seems utterly troublesome from now on.

[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.

[Beskar]

Should just adopt English as the official second language. Would solve all the problems everywhere.

[Brenus]

“Brenus - English spouse” with Irish origin!!!!