LL-L "Phonology" 2004.03.15 (03) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 15.MAR.2004 (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: Stella en Henno <stellahenno at hetnet.nl>
Subject: LL-L "Phonology" 2004.03.14 (01) [E]

> From: Gary Taylor <gary_taylor_98 at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Phonetics
>
> Dear all
>
> Sorry bit linguisticky - Most of the Germanic languages have aspiration
> after the voiceless plosives, however Dutch doesn't. What came first
> aspiration or no aspiration? And if aspiration came first, any ideas why
> Dutch lost it's aspiration? And also, are there any Low Saxon or Frisian
> dialects in the Netherlands (or elsewhere) which share this feature of
> non-aspiration?
>
> Cheers for any feedback
>
> Gary
>
Hi Gary,

Westerlauwer Frisian does not know it, although the neighbouring Low Saxon
dialects of Groningen
do know it (and are "mocked" for their pronouncation, which is quite marked
from the point
of view (or should I say hearing?) of Dutch or Frisian speakers. I have
heard this aspiration
in Saterfrisian and with some North-Frisian speakers myself, but whether
this is German influence
or autochtonous, I do not know. Others on the list (among which native
speakers of said varieties)
can be better judges of that...

Regards

Henno Brandsma

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

Thanks for letting us know about W. Frisian and Groningen Lowlands Saxon,
Henno.  This is important, considering that these dialects, like those of
Eastern Friesland, Emsland and parts of the Oldenburg area, have Frisian
substrates.  (In other words, these dialects are spoken by people whose
ancestors were Frisian speakers.)

How about Stellingwerven Lowlands Saxon (_Stellingwarfs_), which is spoken
in Fryslân (i.e., Netherlands Friesland)?  I assume it too has Frisian
substrates.

So we can say for now that in the northwestern region aspiration reaches as
far as Fryslân.

Please note that in Modern North Saxon dialects, aspiration applies only to
the beginning of a stressed syllable (i.e., syllable with primary stress, in
compounds also to those with secondary stress).  This is similar to
mainstream American and Australian English.  In contrast, it applies in
*any* syllable in English dialects of Southern England and in Standard
German.  The North Saxon aspiration rule applies in Missingsch (German
dialects on Lowlands Saxon substrates) and in distinctly Northern German
dialects as well, is one of those features that make German dialects sound
"northern," though few people are intellectually aware of this detail.

Henno, please consider also the possibility that W. Frisian *lost*
aspiration under Dutch influence.  Perhaps looking at it this way rather
than focussing only on acquisition (probably under Saxon influence) should
not be dismissed either.  However, I am not saying that I necessarily
subscribe to this hypothesis.

I am currently leaning mostly toward the hypothesis of aspiration spread
from Saxon (rather than from "German") in the case of Frisian varieties
also.  For one thing, aspiration is rare in the far west, and many Dutch
dialects have Frisian substrates.  Another thing is that aspiration is a
common feature in North Saxon, including the dialects of the original Saxon
region (today's Holstein, Dithmarschen and parts of Schleswig), and also in
Southern Jutish and in Danish.  Thus, aspiration may have spread in a
fan-shape fashion southward with the spread of Saxon, and this feature did
not survive in most of the varieties at the geographic extremes.  Also,
aspiration is strong in Southern England, the areas of original Saxon
colonization in Britain, based on immigration primarily from what are now
Holstein and Schleswig.  It may have been introduced via Old Saxon and
perhaps Old Anglish (originally used north of Saxon).

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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