Minister for Culture Eric Thill on Wednesday updated lawmakers in the Chamber of Deputies about progress made on the national action plan for the promotion of the Luxembourgish language. Speaking about the 50 measures that are part of the plan, Thill described Luxembourgish as a “lived expression of our heritage” and a “cornerstone of our identity and our cohabitation”.
Minister Thill thus provided insight into notable figures around the use of the Luxembourgish language. For instance, an average of 2,800 people per day consult the Luxembourg Online Dictionary (LOD) while spellchecker.lu sees around 6,000 daily users.
Given the demand, the Centre for the Luxembourgish Language intends to continue expanding its offer of digital language tools. Further measures are therefore being developed to help people learn to use Luxembourgish in their work environment, the first focus group being healthcare professionals.
A second focal point of the plan is visibility, with a moving exhibition on Luxembourgish, which was already set up in 23 different locations in the Grand Duchy, now poised to move abroad to major cities in the Greater Region. In a written statement, Minister Thill noted that a permanent exhibition is also in the making.
Finally, the minister used the opportunity to announce the first ‘Day of the Luxembourgish Language’, which is to take place in autumn, though no concrete date was given by the politician. He also announced that the ‘Luxembourgish Word Atlas’, compiled by Alain Atten, is set to be unveiled on 19 March 2025.
