LL-L "Morphology" 2003.02.23 (09) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
 L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
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From: Dan Prohaska <daniel at ryan-prohaska.com>
Subject: Morphology

Reinhard wrote:

> I am sure it doesn't come as news to you when I say that the dual is still
> used in Icelandic.  (I am not sure about Faeroese.)

You are correct in that Icelandic has preserved morphologically the old
Germanic dual form; it is, however, used as the plural form and has lost its
dual meaning. The old plural is used only in the most stylised of
literature,
prayers, the Bible etc.

The same transference from the old dual (in plural usage9 has also occured
in
Faeroese, not, however, in the remanants of Shetland and Orkney Norn.

All the Bavarian/Austrian dialects (except Alemannic Vorarlberg) have also
transferred old dual forms to plural meaning, especially the 2nd person dual
=> 2nd pers. plural, as in:

<Gria eing!>     (or:<enk>, or: <enkh>, etc.)    "Hello!"

<Seits e  deppert?!> "Are you (pl) stupid/crazy"

<E hats owa muang aa do.>  "you will be there tomorrow, (won`t you?)"

These forms are often replaced with "standard" (High) German forms when
moving towards a less regionally coloured style:

<Gria  eich!>

The suffixed <e> in <seits> (you are) (cognate to dual <git> in Old English)
remains in colloquial Austrian German and is only replaced in the most
formal
contexts )such as the news on TV/Radio etc.):

<Ihr seids aber morgen auch da.> instead of
<Ihr seid aber morgen auch da>

> Are you referring to Frisian varieties of Germany, specifically North
> Frisian?

<wat> and <jat> are the North Frisian forms.

Dan

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

Dan, thanks a lot for the response above.

So then I assume that _enk_ and _Enk_ as second person plural and second
person general polite pronouns in Westphalian Lowlands Saxon (Low German)
are also derived from a dual form.  In the North Saxon dialects we have _ji_
and _Se_ instead (the latter being German-induced, replaced older _Ji_).

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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