Abstract
This paper investigates the online presence of Low German, a minority language spoken in northern Germany, as well as several other European regional and minority languages. In particular, this article presents the results of two experiments, one involving Wikipedia and one involving Twitter, that assess whether and to which extent minority languages are used on these websites. The article argues that minority and regional languages are not only underrepresented online due to a combination of historical, linguistic, sociological, and demographic reasons, but that the overall architecture of the World Wide Web and its most visited websites is such that smaller languages do not stand a chance to gain a meaningful online presence.
Highlights
The Low German LanguageLow German, called Plattdeutsch by its speakers, was once the dominant language spoken in northern Germany
By the 14th century, Low German had become a lingua franca in northern Europe, in the Scandinavian countries, due to the power of the Hanseatic League (Hanse), a confederation of merchant guilds that had its centers in the north German cities of Lübeck, Hamburg, and Bremen
Low German was replaced in northern Germany by Standard German and underwent a massive loss of prestige along with it
Summary
Low German, called Plattdeutsch by its speakers, was once the dominant language spoken in northern Germany. Low German was replaced in northern Germany by Standard German and underwent a massive loss of prestige along with it. The reasons for this were manifold and have frequently been cited in the research literature (Sanders, 1982; Stellmacher, 1990). Experts (Möller, 2008) estimate that the current number of active Low German speakers in northern Germany is approximately at 1.1 – 1.2 million. This number, it might sound impressive, will barely guarantee a viable future for the language. Most Low German linguists describe the status of Low German in the 21st century as moribund to a high degree (e.g. Wirrer, 1998)
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