[dot] Translation: KDE op Platt!

[Dot Stories]

URL: http://dot.kde.org/1075485586/

From: elektroschock <elektroschock at linuxmail.org>
Dept: seggmol
Date: Friday30/Jan/2004, @18:59

Translation: KDE op Platt!
==========================

   Thomas Diehl has created a new language project branch
[http://i18n.kde.org/teams/index.php?a=i&t=nds] for a Plattdüütsch (Low
Saxon) translation of KDE [http://www.evermann.de/kde_op_platt/] (ISO
code: nds). The language is spoken in Northern Germany, the Netherlands
and even in parts of the Mennonite Community in the United States and
Paraguay. There are several millions of Plattdüütsch speakers, but Low
Saxon -- stuck in the middle of German, English (Anglo-Saxons!) and
Dutch -- is on the decline in favour of official languages such as
German or Dutch.

     Started as a comprehensive Linux translation project by Jürgen
Lueters quite a while ago, it was decided that KDE would be translated
first. This is due to the popularity of KDE, although Gnome will follow
later. The platt-internalisation project has Sven Hertzberg of
Gnome-Germany on board. Gnome-de also hosts the current mailing list
[http://platt.gnome-de.org/] of the project.
     Up to now 94% of strings in the basic files are translated, but the
project will have to start sustainable translation with more
contributors. Contributions, reviews and user testing is very much
appreciated to make the dream of KDE op platt real. Project coordinator
Heiko Evermann [http://www.evermann.de] counts on you.
     At the Gnu/Linux Informationstage event (5/6  March)
[http://www.lug-whv.de] in Wilhelmshaven [http://www.wilhelmshaven.de],
Germany a project member, Thomas Templin of LUG WHV will organize the
first Friesathlon. Friesathlon refers to Hackathlons and the Frisian
people. A Friesathlon, that means to him a Low Saxon translation contest
and introduction to interested users from the Plattdüütsch Community.
His objective is to show them how to use KDE translation tools and
showcast KDE-op-platt. His secret conspiracy plan is to get more people
involved. Thomas Templin [http://www.gnuwhv.de] still needs some
volunteer staff workers for the event. Probably it will be possible to
create a webstream-connection to a parallel Chemnitz Linuxshow in
Saxony, so Saxons will also get a grip of Low Saxon, a language slightly
more popular than German in Saxonian dialect. :-)
     There is no unified Plattdüütsch dialect, so the project will have
to develop its own dialect. The project chose to be close to the dialect
used in public media. Despite of public discrimination (sometimes
regarded as a rural German dialect) there is little Low Saxon content in
public radio broadcasting. However it will depend on the translators to
create a common ground. Professional linguistic advice is also welcome.
The project is assisted by the well-known linguistic Institut für
Niederdeutsche Sprache, Bremen.
     The translation project also creating a database of computer words.
There is no Plattdüütsch computer vocabulary yet despite words like
Rekner - Computer, Klapprekner - Laptop, Notebook. The project hopes to
add some more unique expressions, enrich and modernize the language.
Some guys of the project even want to learn Low Saxon by translation
efforts. A great experience. Translation work is a good approach to dig
deeper into the phenomenon of language diversity and semantic richness.
     Plattdüütsch (Low Saxon) is a regional language recognized by the
European Regional and Minority Language Charter. It is applied in some
federal states in Germany, so that a government agency is obliged to
reply to citizens in Low Saxon. As the application of the European
charter is still weak in Germany a KDE translated to Palttdüütsch may
increase the adoption of Linux/KDE in administration. The BMI (German
federal ministry of interior) [http://www.bmi.de], very much in favour
of Linux, has to write year reports about the applications of the
Charter, so maybe we could get funding from this goverment agency.
     Although speakers of Low Saxon are able to communicate in at least
one other language such as German, Dutch, Dansk, English it is a
competitive advantage to have a desktop environment available in your
native language. Many young people don't speak the language anymore, but
it easy to learn, and easy to understand, so it makes you feel at home.
We don't underestimate the geek-factor of KDE-op-platt (KDE in Low
Saxon). Especially for the Frisian people it can assist them to keep
their identity despite carrying a Dutch or German passport. Unlike other
people groups in Europe Frisians are non-militant despite continious
public language discrimination.
     Conservative approaches of the past are commonly rejected by the
project, because they only enforced the colonialization of our culture.
We don't want "back to the roots", we want a full-featured and modern
desktop. And living in coastal areas for centuries there is even much
more expericence with shells :-). According to the old Frisian slogan
"Lever dod as slaav"(Better dead than slave) we need a free operating
environment that enables us to exercise and hack our culture. This is
the benefit of an Open Source licensed desktop environment in comparison
with closed source.