LL-L "Language varieties" 2003.07.24 (03) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 24.JUL.2003 (03) * 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) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Justin Renquist <justinrenquist at hotmail.com>
Subject: Niederdeutsch dialects (LS) in Hanover aand Vechta?


Hello

We’re planning on hosting a 16 yr old female German student for this school
year, and I have some questions about her potential linguistic background.

She grew up in Hanover, and has lived now for several years in Vechta,
coming from an upper middle class professional family.

Is it likely that she speaks plattdetusch with friends from school or
family, and hochdeutsch at other times? Or is it more likely that she would
have a passive knowledge of plattdeutsch, understanding it, but due to her
family’s economic class, only actually speaking hochdeutsch?

What are some examples of plattdeutsch as spoken in the Hanover/Vechta
areas? Grammar, basic hello/goodbye/etc, pronouns etc?

I imagine many of the pronunciation differences between plattdeutsch and
hochdeutsch are vowel shifts? Falling somewhere between hochdeutsch and
Nederlands.


I hope she will be able to teach me a little more about plattdeutsch during
her school year with us…as my own knowledge in the Germanic languages is
hochdeutsch, ABN, Letzeburgesch and some Flemish.


Thanks,

Justin Renquist in Seattle

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

Hi, Justin!

Welcome to Lowlands-L and its vocal minority (in case I have not already
said so)!

Of course, your guest could be a rare exception, but, considering general
trends as well as her age and her socio-economic background, I would be very
surprised if she knew any Lowlands Saxon (Low German) or even more about it
than you already know.

As far as I know, the LS dialect of Hanover (Hannover) is a far-western
member of the Eastphalian group which shares a lot with the Mark-Brandenburg
dialects east of them.  One of the morphological features of the Eastphalian
dialects is consistent _-k_ in the objective case forms of singular personal
pronouns, thus _mik_ 'me', _dik_ 'thee', _sik_ 'him-/her-/itself' (vs _mi_,
_di_ and _sik_ respectively in other dialects).  Among the more striking
phonological features are extensive _-e_ preservation as well as diphthong
preservation where other dialects have umlauted monophthongs; e.g., _Liute_
'people', 'folk' (vs _Lüde_ > _Lüüd'_, _Lü_, _Lüe_ in North Saxon, cf.
German _Leute_ and Russian _люди_ (_ljudi_)).

The dialect of Vechta, as far as I know, is a southwestern member of the
North Saxon group, situated not far from the boundary of the Westphalian
group (or might it be a member of the latter?).

If you wish, I'd be happy to answer some questions or give you some LS
pronunciation demonstrations sometime, considering that both of us are in
the Seattle area.  We might be able to exchange experiences with hosting a
teenager from abroad.  I went through that with my niece.  It was ... well,
interesting.  Good luck with that one!  ;-)

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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