LL-L "Language varieties" 2003.11.27 [E]

Thu Nov 27 16:14:51 UTC 2003

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L O W L A N D S - L * 27.NOV.2003 * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: "Roger Thijs, Euro-Support, Inc." <roger.thijs at euro-support.be>
Subject: Resources: Limburgish from Gemmenich

A couple of days ago I received my copy of the:
"Diksjonäär van et Jömelejer Plat"
(Dictionary of the dialect of Gemmenich).
cf. website referred to in annexed message below

There are quite some linguistic political oddities regarding Gemmenich:

- Officially Jömelejer Plat does not exist, since Gemmenich (now part of
Plombières) is a French-only municipality (as official language for
education and administration). The municipality belonged to the "Platdietse
streek", Nördlich Altbelgien, where German was the church language till
1918. Incorporation of the 10 "platdiets" municipalities in Germany in 1940
and patriotic reaction after the war made the inhabitants declare themselves
French-speaking at the last Belgian language census in 1947 and made these
municipalities part of Wallonia when Belgium got its linguistics territorial
split-up in 1963. However many still talk their plat in-house and they even
have theatre played in "plat" in their village.

- As to Dutch linguitic definitions "Jömelejer Plat" is a Limburgish dialect
of Dutch. Limburgish since Gemmenich people combine "Ich with ch" with
"maaken with a k". This definition is politically appropriate for
Limburgians since it makes the linguistic territory, defined by the "area
between the Ik/ich and maken/machen isoglosses" overlap for 80-90% percent
with the territory of the 2 provinces of Limburg. A "dialect", since the
Dutch Taalunie says so, and declares everything, except Frisian, a dialect
of Dutch, even while studies of "linguistic distance" prove Limburgish is
much more different from Dutch than Frisian is.

- Finally, the dictionary is not "Jömelejer -> French", as one would expect
for this area, but "Jömelejer -> German". Gemmenich is just South of Vaals
(Netherlands) and just West of Aachen (Germany). Famous for sightseeing
there is the tower at the 3-land point (a 4-land point till 1919, before the
territory of Neutral Moresnet became the Belgian municipality of Kelmis).

The complete reference:
Jules Aldenhoff(+), Jean Gerrekens, Pierre Straet: Diksjonäär van et
Jömelejer Platt, 2003, Eupen, Grenz Echo Verlag, ISBN 90-5433-182-8, xxvi +
363 pp.
Mit Unterstützung von:
- Centre d'Etude des Parlers Germaniques de l'Est de la Belgique
- Commune de Plombières
- Regierung der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschafts Belgiens

The latter is an illustration of Belgian assymetries: The "Flemish
government" does not allow the "Belgian French-speaking Community" (with
teritory: Wallonia, and shared: Brussels) to set-up cultural actions in
Flanders. The "German speaking community" though has a deal with the "French
speaking community" that they may support cultural activities on each
other's territory, and this explains while the "Regierung der
Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft Belgiens" could subsidize this dictionary.

Contents of the book:
Einleitung, p. ii-vii
Grammatische Grundregeln, p. vii-x
Konjugation, p. x-xiii
Laute der Gemmenicher Mundart, p. xiv
Begriffserläuterung, p. xv
Abkürzungen, p. xvi
Konjugationstabelle, p. xvii-xxvi
Dictionary Plat-German in 2 cols/page, p. 1-308
Ortsnamen, p. 309-310
Vornamen, p. 311-312
Sichwortsverzeicnis, p. 313-363

Illustrations:

Some place names selected from the list:

Dütschland: Deutschland
Homereg: Hombourg
Jöleke: Goé
Jömeleg: Gemmenich
Lük: Lüttich
Märjeroot: Margraten
Ooke: Aachen
Ööpe: Eupen

Some Christian names selected from the list:

Bäbke: Barbara
Drikes: Heinrich
Graades; Gerardus
Gräädes: Gerardus
Haari: Heinrich
Hajni: Heinrich
Jang: Jean
Käp: Kasper
Keet: Katharina
Keeti: Katharina
Lej: Leo
Scharel: Karl
Tis: Matthias
Tring: Katherina

I couldn't transcribe properly all sounds, since
31 vowel signs are used in the book, as well as
26 signs for consonants and
16 signs for diphtongues.
Bitonality is not transcribed in the book.

Regards,
Roger

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jean Gerrekens" <jean.gerrekens at chello.be>
To: "'Roger Thijs, Euro-Support, Inc.'" <roger.thijs at euro-support.be>
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2003 8:45 PM
Subject: RE: woordenboek

Hallo,

ech han de vröjd öch weete te loote dat ose diksjonäär graad erschääne es e
jene Grenz-Echo Verlag.

Informatsjuene wi en wu dör der diksjonäär jääle könt, vengt dör op ose
website http://users.chello.be/sf15116/Platt.

Tschüs

Jean Gerrekens

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