Luxembourg and Letzebuergesch: Language and Communication at the Crossroads of Europe

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg sits at the heart of the European Union, yet it forms a very private and close-knit community. The book addresses that apparent paradox, and shows how it is reflected in and sustained by the linguistic practices of the people who live there, both native and foreign. Letzebuergesch, the country's national language, is most closely related to the German dialects of the western Rhineland and the Moselle river valley, but the country's historical and cultural links with Belgium, the Netherlands, and France are much closer than with Germany. Since the demise of Latin in the late Middle Ages as the language of administration, that role has been filled at various times by the standard varieties of French and German. Declared a protected neutral country in 1867, Luxembourg has been twice invaded by Germany in the twentieth century. But since 1945 French and Letzebuergesch have come to predominate and the use of German has once again receded. It is the unwritten social code governing the use of these languages (and latterly also of English) which gives this volume of specially commissioned papers its focus: the purpose is to provide an insider's view of the community, and of its little-known language. The book contains the most detailed linguistic description of Letzebuergesch so far available in English.