LL-L "Language varieties" 2002.10.23 (10) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 23.OCT.2002 (10) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
 L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic
               V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: lingoman at webtv.net <lingoman at webtv.net>
Subject: language varieties

Since we've strayed into Hanseatic pronunciation of High German (well,
of course, the  substrate justifies our straying), I wanted to add a
peculiarity I heard in Hamburg.  More than once, I heard (lower-class?)
speakers use something that sounded very much like Hamboich!  Assuming I
heard correctly, how would you classify this, Ron?  It doesn't strike my
ear as "fein"...

Sean Roach

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

Hi, Sean, Lowlanders!

Yes, "Hambuich" ['hambUIC] or "Hamboich" ['hamboIC] for "Hamburg" ("fein":
['hambURk]) are typical of North German pronunciation, rhyming with that of
_durch_ ([dUIC] ~ [doIC], "fein": [dURC]) 'through', and this applies to all
names with "...burg".

Here is my theory, based on the Lowlands Saxon (Low German) substrate.  LS
of these areas *always* changes non-initial /r/ to a vowel, and it *always*
fricativizes final /g/.  Thus, you have _seggen_ ['zEgN=] 'to say' vs.
_segg!_ [zEC] 'say!', _dörch_ [d9:C] ~ [d9.3`C] 'through', or _Bargen_
['ba:gN=] 'mountains' vs. _Barg_ [ba:x] 'mountain', similarly _Borgen_
['bO:gN=] ~ [bO.agN=] 'fortresses' vs. _Borg_ [bO:x] ~ [bO.ax] 'fortress'.
In LS it is _Hamborg_ ['ha.mbO:x] ~ ['ha.mbO.ax].  Some Missingsch speakers
pronounce or used to pronounce it like that, but, perhaps with the advent of
uvular /r/ in combination with exposure to more southerly German [C]
rendering of final /g/, the fricative has been fronted, and the /r/
therefore had to be vocalized frontally.

Note also that in Missingsch and other not so "fein" North German dialects,
/l/ may get vocalized in the same position; e.g., _Milch_ [me.IC] ("fein":
[mIlC]) 'milk'.  This happens in some LS dialects as well; e.g., _Melk_
[mE.lk] ~ [mE.Ik] ~ [mE:k] 'milk', _Bülg_ [bY.lC] ~ [bY.IC] ~ [bY:C] 'wave',
_Bülgen_ [bY.lgN=] ~ [bY.IgN=] ~ [bY:gN=] 'waves'.  (Note that Dutch
dialects prefer to break up such clusters by means of epenthetic vowels;
e.g., _melk_ ['mEWl at k] 'milk'.)

Hummel, Hummel!
Reinhard/Ron

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