LL-L "Language history" 2009.07.25 (03) [EN-NL]

Sat Jul 25 19:15:29 UTC 2009

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L O W L A N D S - L - 25 July 2009 - Volume 03
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From: Roger Thijs, Euro-Support, Inc. <roger.thijs at euro-support.be>
Subject: LL-L "Language history" 2009.07.25 (01) [EN]

Can the bitonality in the *Limburgish - Ripuarian - Moselle-Franconian
language areas* be historically explained?
Below a long story about the evolution of the area.

a - The nortthern part of Gaul was called *Belgium* in Ceasars' time.
The*language
* of the area was reputedly *different *from that of the core-Gauls, but all
further comments on that reported language are rather speculative.

Quote from the Latin version and translation of Caesars De bello Gallico,
copied from H. J. Edwards, Caesar, The Gallic War, Harvard U.P., chapter I,1
*Gallia est omnis divisa in partis tres, quarum unam incolunt Belgae, aliam
Aquitani, tertiam qui ipsorum lingua Celtae, nostra Galli appellantur.*
Gaul is a whole divided into three parts, one of which is inhabited by the *
Belgae*, another by the *Aquitani*, and a third by a people called in their
own tongue *Celtae*, in the Latin* Galli*.
*Hi omnes lingua, institutis, legibus inter se differunt.*
All these are *different from another in language*, institutions, and laws.
*Gallos ... a Belgis Matrona et Sequana dividit.*
The Galli (Gauls) are separated ... from the Belgae by the Marne and the
Seine.
*Horum omnium fortissimi sunt Belgae ... proximique sunt Germanis,,qui trans
Rhenum incolunt, quibuscum continenter bellum gerunt.*
Of all these people the Belgae are the most couregeous... they are nearest
to the Germans dwelling *beyond* the Rhine.
*Belgae ab extremis Galliae finibus orriuntur; pertinent ad inferiorem
partem fluminis Rheni; spectant in septentrionem et orientem solem.*
The Belgae, beginning from the edge of the Gallic territory, *reach to the
lower part of the river Rhine*, bearing towards the north and east.

What language did the Belgians speak? Did they all speak a very same
language? Many think it was a mixture, more Celtic to the South, more
Germanic to the North, but that's all speculative. There are elements in
toponomy, explained as Gallic-Celtic.

b- As to comments by Van Looy in his edition of "De bello Gallico":
Starting the* 9th and 8th century BC* the *Celts,* from there former core
territory in Southern-Germany and Bohemia, *started penetrating* in Gaul
(and on the British Isles) and expelled, decimated or absorbed the original
population.
We don't know what language was spoken before the Celts moved to the West.
I guess only the *Basque language* still survives as a pre-Celtic language.
Since the last Ice age (The Weichsel/WÃ¼rm ice age) closed the Pleistocene
period around *11.500 BC* only inhabitants *after that period* likely
settled *permanently* in our area.

c - When we look at maps illustrating editions of Caesar's De Bello Gallico,
we see the *Eburones* positioned in the Cologne-Limburg area and the *Treviri
*in the Moselle area. The land of Eburones is part of the Belgian part, the
Treviri teritory belongs to a North-Eastern protrusion of the core-Gaul
part.
The Eburones were murdered out, as to Caesar's reporting, and were later
replaced by other tribes, as e.g. the Tungri in Belgian Limburg.
Some state the *Tungri *came from over the Rhine, others state that
Eburons who survived changed the name of their tribe into Tungri.

d - Later it became apparently popular for tribes in the North to clain a
Gemanic origin:
Quote from the Latin version and translation of Tacitus' Germania, copied
from M. Hutton, Tacitus' Germania, Harvard U.P., chapter 28
... *Treviri et Nervii circa adfectationem Germanicae originis ultro
ambitiosi sunt, tanquam per hanc gloriam sanguinis a similitudine et inertia
Gallorum separuntur.*
The *Treviri *[Moselle area] and *Nervii *[area Bavai - Cambrai] conversely
go out of their way in their ambition to claim a *German origin*, as though
this illustrious anchestry delivers them from any affinity with the indolent
Gaul.
Can we conclude that, if they were of Germanic origin, they *lost their
language*, since the do not base their claim on language appearance?

The tribal names and the names of the chiefs were celtic though.
Defenders of a germanic color stated that this doesn't prove anything and
that it was just fashion of the time to take celtic names.
Some checks (with Delamarre):
The tribe of the *Eburons*: those who beat with the yew/taxus
    o-irl ibar, bret ivor, welsh efwr
their chief *Ambiorix*
    ambi: from both sides;   ambio: separated territory
    rix: king
For the *Treviri *<-- Treueri <- tre-uori   guiding - over water
For the Nervii:  ? ner = male, power

Some resources for *the "Gallic" language*:
- a scientifically conceived dictionary: Xavier Delamarre, *Dictionnaire de
la langue gauloise, Une approche du vieux-celtique continental*, 2e Ã©dition,
2003, Paris, Errance, ISBN 2-87772-237-6, 440 pp.
- an easy reader, focus on influences on the French language: Pierre Gastal,
*Sous le FranÃ§ais le Gaulois, Histoire, vocabulaire, Ã©tymologie, toponymie*,
2002, Le Sureau, MÃ©olans-Revel, ISBN 2-911328-07-8, 221 pp.
- a descriptive grammar with quotes of texts: Pierre-Yves Lambert, *La
Langue Gauloise, Description linguistique, commentaire d'inscriptions
choisies*, Ã©dition revue et augmentÃ©e, 2003, Errance, Paris, ISBN
-87772-224-4, 248 pp.
- a collection of inscriptions: Joshua Wharmough, *The dialects of ancient
Gaul, prolegomena and records of the dialects*, 1970, Harvard UP, LCCCN
69-12739, SBN 674-20280-5, xxi + 85 + 1376 pp., with:
   - Belgica p 661-843
   - Germania Inferior p 843-984
   - Germania Superior p. 985-1153

e - Hoverver there are already significant attemps by Germani for
penetrating into Gaul in Caesar's time:
Ceasar, de Bello Gallico, ...I, 37
... *Treviri autem pagos centum Sueborum ad ripam Rheni consedisse, qui
Rhenum transire conarentur...*
The Triviri reported that one hundred cantons of the *Suebi *had settled on
the banks of the Rhine, and were attemting to cross te river

f - In Tacitus time were reported as Germani living on the border of the
river Rhine (Germania, 28):
*... Ipsam Rheni ripam haud dubie Germanorum populu colunt, Vangiones,
Troboci, Nemetes. Ne Ubii quidem, quanquam Romana colonia esse meruerint ac
libertius Agrippinenses condoteris sui nomine vocentur, origine erubescunt,
transgressi olim et experimento, fidei super ipsam Rheni ripam collocati, ut
arcerent, non ut custodirentur.*
On the river-bank itself are planted certain peoples indubitably
German: *Vangiones,
Triboci, Nemetes*. Not even the *Ubii,* though they have earned the right to
be a Roman colony, and prefer to be called *"Agrippinenses*", from the name
of their founder, blush to own their Germanic origin: they originally came
from beyond the river, and were placed in charge of the bank itself, after
they had given proof of their loyalty, in order to block the way to others,
not in order to be under supervision.
The first three can be excluded for our tonal area, since they have to be
placed more in the South, as to the comments by Hutton (and Moonen):
- Vangiones: round Borbetumagus (Worms)  (Moonen: Bingen-Ludwigshafen)
- Triboci: round Breucomagus (Brumat) (Moonen: Stasbourg-Mulhouse)
- Nemetes: round Noviomagus (Speyer)   (Moonen; between Strssbourg and
Ludwigshafen)
*... Suebi..maiorem enim Germaniae partem obtinent ...  38*
the *Suebi...* for they occupy the greater part of Germany
Comment by Hutton: Suebi... the Triboci, Vangiones and Nemetes were related
to them.

So we keep for our area the *Ubii*, also *called Agrippinenses*.
cf. "*Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium (kurz CCAA, deutsch: Claudische
Kolonie und OpferstÃ¤tte der Agrippinensier) war der Name der rÃ¶mischen
Kolonie im Rheinland, aus der sich die heutige Stadt KÃ¶ln entwickelt hat.
Die CCAA war Hauptstadt der rÃ¶mischen Provinz Niedergermanien und
Hauptquartier des niedergermanischen Heeres."* from URL:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonia_Claudia_Ara_Agrippinensium

g The area along the river Rhine, Western or Roman side, got '*Germania' *as
denomination for some districts.  It is *not* clear whether this means these
areas were *linquistically "germanized".*
We basically have to do with more languages in the area:
- old german - gallic-celtic - latin - latin vulgus - other?

- Around AD 89 (under Trajanus) we got
*Germania Inferior*: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germania_Inferior
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_der_rÃ¶mischen_vici_in_Niedergermanien<http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_der_r%C3%B6mischen_vici_in_Niedergermanien>
*Germania Superior*  http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germania_Superior
 - During the reign of Diocletianus AD 297 the map was a bit redrafted:
Germania Inferior roughly became *Germania Secunda*
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germania_Secunda
as well as a part went to Belgica Prima.
Germania Superior was split in:
- *Germania Prima* (Germania I) North of Strasbourg
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germania_Prima
- Sequania (*Maxima Sequanorum*) South of Strasbourg, capital BesanÃ§on
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxima_Sequanorum
While KÃ¶ln and Tongeren were in Germania II, Trier was in Belgica I. So our
tonal area was split over 2 Roman districts.
Comment: It is confusing that prima and secunda are sometimes interchanged
in history books.

h. After the big invasions from the East our tonal area was part of *Austrasia
*(426-751)
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austrasia
(with several redivisions and reunifications)
till it became part of Charlemagnes Reign.

g. After Charlemagne's reign our tonal region became part of *Lotharingia.*
Verdun 843 Lotharingia  http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotharii_Regnum
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertrag_von_Verdun
with succesive redivisions in
- 855 division of PrÃ¼m  http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teilung_von_Pr%C3%BCm
- 870 division of Meersen  http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertrag_von_Mersen
- 880 division of Ribemont
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertrag_von_Ribemont
- 959/965/977 Split in Lower and Upper Lotharingia
Lower Lotharingia existed formally till 1190, when it ceased to be a formal
territory: cf. "Sterbeurkunde":
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niederlothringen
Anyhow our tonal area was split:
KÃ¶ln was in Lower Lotharingia, Trier in Upper Lotharingia
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Herzogtum_Lothringen_1000.PNG

h - Since 870 the area was part of the Holy Roman empire,
Major political territories *in the tonal area* in the middle ages:
*County of Loon*, later par of the principality of LiÃ¨ge
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graafschap_Loon
*Duchy of Limburg*, acquired by the Duke of Brabant
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hertogdom_Limburg
*County of JÃ¼lich* (Gullik in Dutch, Juliers in French)
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herzogtum_JÃ¼lich<http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herzogtum_J%C3%BClich>
*Bishopric of KÃ¶ln*
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/KurkÃ¶ln<http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurk%C3%B6ln>
*Bishopric of Trier*  http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurtrier
and East of the river Rhine: *The Duchy of Berg*
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herzogtum_Berg

g - In the West of Germany the transition from Low to High German takes a
long distance, divided in sections delimited by significant isoglosses.:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rheinischer_FÃ¤cher<http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rheinischer_F%C3%A4cher>

One finds in literature that KurkÃ¶ln and Kurtrier had a significant
linguistic impact in their areas.
I guess this may explain the "zonal" transition, with intermediate "poles".

Stevens studied for the South of Belgian Limburg what language elements of
Cologne penetrated in that area (Limburgish Haspengouw) at what time.
He concludes that the *linguistic influence of Cologne* starts *dying out in
the 13th century,* mainly through the increased power and influence from
Brabant:
-- quote:
*... Keulen bisschopszetel voor Zuidelijk Westfalen en aartsbisdom voor ...
het oude bisdom Tongeren-Maastricht-Luik....*
*Zeker is dat de Keulse invloed zich ook nog na de de 12e eeuw heeft laten
gelden, maar na het opkomen van de Brabantse machtsfactor in de 13e eeuw
vindt hij in onze streken geen onbetwist expansieterrein meer en na de slag
bij Woerringen heeft hij zijn hoogtepunt achter de rug, Voor Haspengouw
althans mag aanvaard worden dat met de 14e eeuw de positie van het
Keulerlands (het zgn. Ripuarisch) als "parler directeur" voorbij is.*
-- end quote
Some examples of *Ripuarian elements* that penetrated in Limburgsh
Haspengouw in those early times:
- *bitonality*
- elongation of short vowels before s, ch, f
- vocalisation of ch before t
- the deletion of t/d at the end of words after other consonnants than r and
l
- the elongation of short vowels before rs.

Stevens, *De evolutie van de Haspengouws streektalen*, p. 223-264 in:
Federatie der Limburgse Geschied- en Oudheidkundige Kringen, Limburgs
Haspengouw, 1951, XL + 351 pp.

Regards,
Roger

•

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