LL-L "Language varieties" 2004.03.21 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 21.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: Ben J. Bloomgren <godsquad at cox.net>
Subject: LL-L "Resources" 2004.03.18 (07) [E]

Ron wrote:
> > We need a book like this for Lowlands Saxon (Low German) as well, folks.

Reinhard, you have probably already covered this point, but what
differentiates Low Saxon languages from Low German ones?
Ben

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

Ben,

Let me try to put this in a nutshell.  (And, please, everyone, feel free to
chime in!)

"Low German" is a very ambiguous term.  It can mean any of three things:

(1)
A language branch within West Germanic.  This has two sub-branches: (1)
Low(lands) Franconian (now Dutch, Zeelandic, Flemish, Afrikaans, etc.) and
(2) Low(lands) Saxon (now the Lowlands Saxon dialects that have Old Saxon as
their common ancestor).

(2)
The "Low German" dialects of Germany, a catch-all name for all Low
Franconian and Low Saxon dialects used in that specific country and in what
in the past used to be eastern regions under German dominance.  (This
includes the Mennonite dialects.)

(3)
The Lowlands Saxon dialects only, including or excluding those used in the
Netherlands.  (Many of those German people that do recognize that the
dialects of the Eastern Netherlands are at least closely related to those of
Northern Germany but at the same time refuse to call the ones in Germany
"Low(lands) Saxon" often refer to those of the Netherlands by their Dutch
name "Nedersaksisch" instead of German "Niedersächsisch," making this a very
silly name game.)

The traditional genealogical model in German academia is "Old Saxon > Middle
Low German > Modern Low German."  So, the Saxon language magically becomes
"German" at one point in time.  Noticing the inconsistency of this, some
people (probably those relying on German government funding) started
consistently "erring" on the side of "German" by using the model "Old Low
German > "Middle Low German > Modern Low German," with reference to the
Saxon-based dialects.  So the Saxon language has been renamed entirely to
make it German, and there is no more mention of "Saxon."

I hope this helped.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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