Languages In Luxembourg: National Identity In A Trilingual Space

Luxembourg's linguistic situation can be defined, albeit rather simplistically, by the fact that several different languages are used simultaneously in several different forums and media, whether it is written or oral, judicial or educational, radio or television. Names of shops and streets, menus and such appear primarily in French (with some Luxembourgish added underneath in recent years), whereas much of the media is printed and broadcast in German, although French is also apparent here in cultural articles and social announcements. Instead of what can be considered to be a linguistic norm for a nation, where one country speaks one language, the Grand Duchy represents a vast area of multilingualism, however this is also hugely different to many other countries who speak several languages, the main disparity being that in the majority of these countries, the different languages are reserved to specific geographical regions or are considered as a dialect, rather than an official language. Luxembourg breaks away from this convention by overlapping its inherent trilingualism in a manner which can almost be said to be that of a hierarchy.

With regard to communication, one language is spoken throughout the country: Luxembourgish. It represents a significant symbol of Luxembourgish identity and is the everyday language of choice for speaking. The language is of a Germanic descent, however it has sufficiently evolved and transformed over time to become suitably distanced from its parent tongues and to be considered a different language, and as such it is no longer readily understood by native Germans. The language itself has enough changes in syntax, vocabulary and turns of phrase to distinguish itself as separate from German, although a German speaker might understand some words and some constructions. Where French is concerned, the opposite issue is true, i.e. that a speaker of French might understand better certain turns of phrase if the vocabulary is readily available to them. In this way it can be somewhat true to say that Luxembourgish is French spoken in German

Having several languages in one's arsenal at any one time is extremely beneficial, but there are also drawbacks, especially when it comes to the Luxembourgish language and actually creating it on paper. A Luxembourgish writer is sadly almost certainly fated to suffer literary sterilization when attempting to physically write in Luxembourgish. This has lead to a flourishing lyrical poetry and theatre scene conducted in Luxembourgish, being that they are primarily prime areas for oral communication and critique. Certainly, Luxembourgish writers who write in German give a certain local flavour to their work by using a language known to all native Luxembourgers but which still retains typical Luxembourgisms. Writers who write in German also have the advantage of using a language which is closer to their mother tongue than French is. In this respect, writers in Luxembourg who choose to use French as the main language in their works are regarded somewhat less favourably. These writers face the problem of writing in what is essentially a completely foreign language to them and their readers, as it is further distanced from the other two official languages in the country. In addition this completely foreign language has been nurtured and cultivated in a Germanic territory. The writers who use French would perhaps be more ideally suited to the title of critic or essayist, where these two terms hold equally high esteem in both Franco and Germanic realms.

Luxembourgish is currently in a state of flux. The sentiments of Luxembourgers range from pride in the face of oppression during the Second World War, to modern-day quasi-nationalistic resolution, to basic joy that they have Luxembourgish at their disposal. Language laws have been passed, although they served only to make official what the citizens already felt - that Luxembourgish was (and is) a language of great importance to them, that it represents a significant portion of their national and social (given the transparent European borders that we see nowadays) identity. Luxembourgers are very much in control of their language and the ideology that has been linked to it through years of historical, legal and economic multiculturalism. It is not that the Luxembourgish language represents a precursor for total cultural assimilation in the country, but rather that it is a part of who they are as a country, as a nation, and as a people.

Cycling in Mallorca

Bicycles are a common means of transport in many countries of Northern Europe despite the bad weather.

Take the city of Hamburg as an example; I used to be one of the many thousands who travelled by bike everyday, with an average daily temperature of 12ºC and about 190 days of rain a year, with three months of frost during winter One can imagine how I was looking forward to cycling in Mallorca when I moved here... average temperatures of 21ºC, only 74 days of rain annually, lots of sun, and only a few hills in the low land of Palma.

But reality is different For seven years now I have been driving around Palma on a motor scooter or in the car Palma is the town with the most cars per capita in Spain, and numbers are growing The city planners react by constructing more streets and underground car parks, and the towns and villages of Mallorca are lacking the infrastructure which could make cycling play an important role in decongesting the traffic The bicycle as a means of transport is virtually non-existent - neither in the heads of the politicians nor in the heads of the majority of the population The lack of bike lanes, combined with precarious roads and aggresive drivers, make cycling in Mallorca very dangerous.

The few existing bike paths do little to change the situation in general One can now, for example, cycle along the bay of Palma, from El Arenal to Magaluf on a newly constructed cycling path But this track is only good for leisurely rides as there are no connecting bicycle lanes to other areas.

More recently the Town Hall of Palma has provided the users of several car parks with rental bikes free of charge If you park your car below the cathedral or near the Avenidas, you can hire a bike cost free - a new model of the park-and-ride system! Available also are child seats, helmets, and bike baskets But when you head out and find yourself in the middle of the heavy Palma traffic, it can be terrifying The only place to feel safe is in a few of the quieter, narrow alleys in the historic city centre.

If you do not want to use your bike as a means of transport but enjoy cycling as a hobby or sport, improvements are being made and options are expanding Only recently has the Balearic Government constructed about 235 km of new cycling paths, enabling one to explore a vast stretch of flat, rural countryside between Inca and Campos with the trusty bicycle While this is mainly intended for touring and racing cyclists, there are also special tracks for mountain bikers.

Excellent conditions throughout the mountain region, ranging from moderate paths to more challenging cross-country routes.

Mallorca is an ideal training ground for professionals When Northern Europe battles the cold and frost, cyclist flock to Mallorca for its superb biking conditions Year after year, racing teams such as the T-Mobile team come here to train for the the flat stages in the hinterland, and for mountain stages in the Tramuntana Moreover, many teams participate in the important tour round Mallorca in January as they start the new racing season.

Mallorca has managed to breed some top quality local professional cyclists of its own and is proud of the cycling racing team which will represent the Balearic islands when they compete in the Tour de France in 2005.

The Balearic Department of Tourism estimates that approximately 70,000 tourists come to Mallorca each year to take part in organised cycling trips The tour operators set up groups that vary in degrees of difficulty or daily kilometers and that are usually conducted by former professionals.

We have seen them, be it on the old or the new road to Llucmajor, on the steep and winding routes to Cap Formentor, or on the Avenidas in Palma Mallorca is simply paradise for cyclists so lets hope that the trend of improving facilities will continue while encouraging motorists to be a little more patient of our leisure and sporting cycling fans.

Dr. Helen Cummins is the Editor of abcMallorca Magazine a high quality guide to Mallorca printed in three languages including informative Articles about Mallorca, up to date Events Guide and a Business Directory.