LL-L "Language varieties" 2001.10.19 (02) [E/LS]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 19.OCT.2001 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
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From: Dialect differences
Subject: LL-L "Resources" 2001.10.18 (02) [E]

Dear Lowlanders,

the Low Saxon spoken in northern and central Emsland (NW Germany, right at
the Dutch border, south of Eastern Frisia) can be divided into three
different dialects. These three dialects correspond with the former three
"Landkreise" (counties) of Aschendorf/Askendoerp, Huemmling/Huemmling and
Meppen/Moeppen.

I wonder if the significant differences are due to an enduring influence of
the former tribes who settled here. If so, these influences would have
survived roughly 1500 years. Here are some examples:

Aschendorf:
"gaohn", "vandaoge", "maoken", "laoten", "laote", "staon", "trekken", "doerp"

Huemmling:
"gaan", "vandaage", "moken (o!)", "laaten", "loote (o!)", "staan", "luuken",
"darp"

Meppen:
"gaohn", "vandaage (a!)", "maaken (a!)", "laate (a!)", "staon", "trekken",
"doerp"

English:
"to go", "today", "to make", "late", "to stand", "to pull", "village"

Common in all three Emsland varieties -and also in East Frisian (Low Saxon)
and Dutch- are words like: "proten" (to speak), "mooi"(beautiful, pretty,
nice). These words however do not appear in Low Saxon dialects which are
spoken in regions east of Emsland (e.g. Oldenburg/Ollenborg or the area
between Bremen and Hannover).

While the influence of Frisian immigrants on the Huemmling dialect is obvious
(darp, luuken), it is not clear to me why the pronunciation in the Meppen
area is so systematically different from that in former Kreis Aschendorf. Is
it a relic of the Amsivarians who inhabitated the region before it became
Saxon? According to some historians the Amsivarians where integrated into the
Saxon tribe, others claim they were expelled and moved southward deep into
what is now Northrine-Westphalia. And what about the influence of the Chauks
on our region? Is anybody familiar whith the history of North-West Germany?

Do our words like "proten" (to speak) prove that the Emsland dialect of Low
Saxon is not purely saxon based?

I'm looking forward to answers and discussion.

Hyazinth Sievering

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Language varieties

Beste Hyazinth,
Schöön vun Di to höörn (baven).  Ik heff daarto gau 'n Fraag', sachs 'n
"dummerhaftige": Wat de de Amsivaren weern, wat för Minschen sünd dat west, un
is dat bekannt, wat för 'n Aard Spraak de bruken, ehr dat se versassischt
weern?
Grötens,
Reinhard/Ron

Dear Hyazinth,
Good to hear from you (above).  I have a quick and probably "stupid" question
about what you wrote: What type of people were the Amsivarians, and is it
known what sort of language they used prior to being Saxonized?
Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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