Schwätzt du Lëtzebuergesch? *

* Do you speak Luxembourgish?

Did you know that Luxembourgish is one of the official languages of Luxembourg? In fact, it is one of three official languages alongside French and German. Despite fierce competition from such well established neighbours, Luxembourgish holds its own. I hear it many times a day in the supermarket, on the bus, and in Government. It was only officially declared a language in 1984 but has been rapidly increasing in popularity since then.

All three languages are taught at school and therefore most Luxembourgers are trilingual. Multilingualism is part of everyday life in Luxembourg and everyone slips happily from one language to another within the same conversation. This can be both a blessing and a curse for a Brit like me trying to improve her French and German. People love to practise their English and will often help you out while you struggle to find that word which has momentarily slipped from your mind.

As everyone can converse fluently in English, French, and German it seems surprising that Luxembourgish has not faded out of mind. Indeed, in 2013 Luxembourgish was declared ‘vulnerable’ by the   UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger. UNESCO examines the domains in which a language is spoken in order to ascertain the threat to its existence. If a language is restricted to certain domains such as home or school then it is categorised as ‘vulnerable’. Approximately 390 000 people speak Luxembourgish but UNESCO estimate that only around 1/3 of children entering Kindergarten speak Luxembourgish as their mother tongue. However more and more people are learning Luxembourgish as a second or third language. In order to acquire Luxembourgish nationality, one is required to prove an adequate passive and active knowledge of Luxembourgish. This has resulted in increased numbers of people taking ‘language leave’, paid holiday to study Luxembourgish, or putting their children into local schools. Luxembourgish doesn’t look like it will be facing extinction any time soon.

Luxembourgish’s survival is even more remarkable because of its similarity to German. It is a Moselle Franconian dialect of West Central German. To a foreign ear they could easily be mistaken for the same language. Very similar Moselle Franconian dialects are spoken in many of the regions surrounding Luxembourg, including the German Eifel, Arelerland in Belgium, and in parts of Lorraine in France. The use of Luxembourgish and other similar dialects is not restricted by distinct geographical or linguistic boundaries; instead there is gradual change in the way people speak. Linguists call this a ‘dialect continuum’. Even within Luxembourg different dialects of Luxembourgish exist. Until the beginning of the 20^th century, four dialects of Luxembourgish existed. However, due to the increasing usage of Luxembourgish in mass media and teaching in schools, a standardised version of Luxembourgish has emerged. 

Dialect atlas showing different dialects in the Benelux region

Some linguists describe this process as ‘koinéization’: a process by which a standard language arises as a result of contact between two or more mutually intelligible dialects of the same language. ‘Dialect levelling’ is a more accurate description of the linguistic situation in Luxembourg. In this process, linguistic features in the central dialect of Luxembourgish found mainly in Luxembourg City are gradually replacing older dialect features of the regional varieties. Unlike ‘koinéization’ this does not result in simplification or reduction of the language structure but an increased level of phonological (the structure of sounds in a language) complexity. 

So why do the Luxembourgers feel so strongly about their national language? The history of Luxembourg can provide many answers to this question.  Between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries Luxembourg was occupied by four different countries: Austria, Spain, France, and The Netherlands; each of which brought their own Germanic or Romance influences. Following the Treaty of London in 1839, Luxembourg’s current borders were defined and Luxembourgish became an important identity marker. Since the Second World War, Luxembourgish has become a symbol of national identity. Nowadays, as approximately 160 000 commuters a day cross the borders from France, Germany, and Belgium, and almost one half of the country’s population are foreign nationals, it is no surprise that Luxembourgish has high national-symbolic value.

I find Luxembourg’s linguistic patriotism refreshing. Luxembourg is a country that is both proud of its linguistic heritage and accepting of other tongues. Here in Luxembourg, people will communicate with you in which ever language you feel most comfortable with the goal of facilitating communication and establishing relationships.

References:

·         Wikipedia

·         Germanic Standardisations: Past to Present, Luxembourgish; Peter Gilles & Claudine Moulin