LINGUIST List 5.1451

Thu 15 Dec 1994

Misc: PhD/Linguistics at Northwestern, Petition re. Sardinian

Editor for this issue: <>

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1. Gregory Ward, PhD Program in Linguistics, Northwestern University
2. tony chessa, Petition in Sardinian

The Department of Linguistics at Northwestern University has a limited
number of merit-based multi-year financial aid packages available for
outstanding Ph.D. students matriculating in academic year 95-96. Our
graduate program emphasizes theoretical foundations, experimental and
computational methods, and the study of language use. Students have
considerable flexibility in designing their own course of study and are
encouraged to pursue ties to related disciplines.

In addition, special interdisciplinary opportunities are available
through the Ph.D. Program in Language and Cognition and the Ph.D.
specialty in Cognitive Science.

DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS IS JANUARY 15, 1995.

For more information about the program, please write to:

Graduate Admission Officer
Department of Linguistics
Northwestern University
2016 Sheridan Road
Evanston, IL 60208-4090
(708) 491-7020
(email: gwnwu.edu)

For applications and catalogs, please write to:

The Graduate School
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL 60208

Dear editor and networkers of LINGUIST,

First of all, I am grateful to the editor for having distributed the
petition for the Sardinian language and culture. It is also a great
pleasure to have received requests for distributing the petition in
Sardinian. I have translated the original version in Italian into this
language, of which I have received many positive reactions after being read
during two congresses recently held in Paris and in Milan. I also include a
translation in English.

I would like to thank all the persons who have answered me so far. I am
looking forward to many other reactions. Sincerely Yours,

Antonio Chessa

PETISSIONE

 Sos sutiscritos, mescamente sardos emigrados e fizos de emigrados,
isprimen s'indinnassione issoro pro sa detzisione de su guvernu tzentrale,
chi hat negadu sa leze rezionale pro sa "Defensa e promossione de sa limba
e sa cultura de sa Sardinna".
 S'oposissione de su guvernu de Roma e s'apellu a s'Alta Corte han
provocadu sa declarassione de illezitimidade de sos articulos 23 e 24 e de
su titulu IV intreu de su documentu presentadu, chi costituin sa parte
essentziale de sa leze.
 Guvernu e Alta Corte si sun agatados duncas in su matessi fronte pro
preubire defatis sa defensa de sas peculiaridades de sa cultura nostra
zenuina, neghende s'introdussione graduale de sa limba, de sa literatura,
de s'istoria, de sa zeografia de sa Sardinna in sas iscolas.

SOS SUTISCRITOS SUN CUMBINCHIDOS
 chi sa defensa de una cultura antighissima e unica, de sas tradissiones
e balores suos, no si potat dare si no premmesu de sa defensa de sa limba,
de s'insinnamentu de sa literatura, de s'istoria, de s'arte e de
s'archeolozia sua;
 chi sa defensa de sas peculiaridades de sa cultura sarda, gai comente
de totu sas minorantzias limbistigas ispartas in su territoriu nassionale,
costituit unu motivu de braga e de richesa pro su patrimoniu culturale de
sa nassione intrea.

SOS FRIMMADORES DE CUSTA PETISSIONE
 vivende in logos furisteris dae annos meda, sun cussientes e bragosos
de s'interessu chi sos istranzos mustran, no ebia pro sas ermosuras
naturales de sa Sardinna, ma pro s'istoria sua, sas tradissiones suas, sa
limba sua. Proa de cust'interessu est su numeru semper mazore de
universidades in totu su mundu (unas vinti finas ai como) inue sa limba
sarda est istudiada.

DE CUNSEGUENTZIA
 s'indirissan a su Ministru de sa "Pubblica Istruzione", a sas fortzas
politigas pius diligas a nivellu rezionale e nassionale, in modu chi si
fatat totu su possibile pro incluer in sos programas educativos sas
materias iscluidas dae sa detzisione de su guvernu. In modu chi siat
evitada sa possibilidade chi s'istudiu de su sardu reduat a s'istudiu de
una limba morta, e chi s'aberet sa timoria presente in sos versos de su
poete nostru Frantziscu Masala:

 A unu pobulu li podes leare totu:
 Ma si li lassas sa limba
 Custu pobulu sighit a esistere;
 A unu pobulu li podes lassare totu:
 Ma si li leas sa limba
 Custu pobulu no esistit pius.

PETITION

 The undersigned, especially Sardinian families living abroad, express
their indignation for the decision of the central government, which has
rejected the regional law "Preservation and stimulation of the language and
culture of Sardinia".
 The opposition from the government of Rome and the appeal to the High
Court have provoked the declaration of illegitimacy of several articles of
the document presented, which constitute the essential part of the law.
 Government and High Court were thus lined up at the same front in order
to impede the preservation of the peculiarities of our culture, thereby
neglecting the gradual introduction of the language, the literature, the
history and the geography of Sardinia at school.

THE UNDERSIGNED ARE CONVINCED
 that the preservation of a unique and very ancient culture, of its
traditions and values, can only be realised by inserting the language, the
literature, the history, the art and the archaeology into the existing
educational schedules;
 that the preservation of the peculiarities of the Sardinian culture, as
with all the linguistic minorities on the national territory, represents a
motive for pride and enrichment to the cultural patrimony of the entire
country.

THE SIGNERS OF THIS PETITION
 who live abroad since many years, are conscious and proud of the
interest expressed by foreigners, not only for the natural beauties of
Sardinia, but for its history, its traditions, its language. A proof of
this interest is the increasing number of universities worldwide
(approximately 20 until now) at which the Sardinian language is studied.

CONSEQUENTLY
 they apply to the Minister of Culture, to the political forces on
regional and national level that are most sensitive, in order that all the
possible efforts are undertaken to insert the disciplines into the
educational schedules that now are excluded by the governmental decision.
In order that the possibility is avoided that the study of Sardinian would
be transformed into the study of a dead language, and that the anxiety is
averted which is expressed by the verses of our poet Frantziscu Masala:

A unu pobulu li podes leare totu: A people can be taken away everything:
Ma si li lassas sa limba But if you leave its language
Custu pobulu sighit a esistere; This people will live on;
A unu pobulu li podes lassare totu: A people can be left everything:
Ma si li leas sa limba But if you take away its language
Custu pobulu no esistit pius. This people won't live anymore.