LL-L "Language varieties" 2012.07.29 (01) [EN]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L - 29 July 2012 - Volume 01
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From: Ingmar Roerdinkholder <roerd096 at PLANET.NL>
Subject: LL-L "Language varieties" 2012.07.28 (02) [EN]

Beste Luc (en andere laaglanders),

Very interesting. I'm convinced that the Wilamovians consider(ed)
themselves as Non-German, but of Flemish, Dutch and Anglo-Saxon origin. And
probably that is true for a great part of the original settlers. But in
their language I don't see much traces of that, it looks really German, not
even with a mixture of Low German. Only one word, "an" or "ana" = and,
instead of an expected German "und" or "un" stroke me as a possible Western
word.

Met vriendelijke groet,
Ingmar

Beste Roger (and other Lowlanders),
>
> I posted an article from "Knack-magazine" about Wilamowice (the very name
> refers to a Western origin < Willem) some 10 years ago on this list. In the
> meantime, a book has been published on the language situation of this
> village,
>
> "The Making of a Language: The Case of the Idiom of Wilamowice, Southern
> Poland" by Tomasz Wicherkiewicz
>
> providing very convincing evidence to prove the Lowlandic origin of its
> populace. Sure, layers and layers of (High-)German linguistic influence
> have been superimposed on a Dutch substrate, but nonetheless the core is
> not German, not even Middle German.
>
> Numerous reasons are given in this book (amongst others, Flemish law,
> Flemish units of area for the size of land), but most important for me is
> the perception of the inhabitants themselves, they have always wanted to
> trace back their origins to Flanders, Frisia and Scotland...and are also as
> such regarded by their neighbours, not only by Poles but also by German
> speakers in Bielsko-Biala who have never considered them as being of German
> stock.
>
> See for yourself:
>
> http://books.google.be/books?id=LuPGek6L4gIC&printsec=frontcover&hl=nl
>
> Kind greetings,
>
> Luc Hellinckx, Halle, Belgium
>

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

Ingmar,

You wrote:

Only one word, "an" or "ana" = and, instead of an expected German "und" or
> "un" stroke me as a possible Western word.
>

Quite possible. Besides, I find quite possible that the original settlers
came from Western Europe.

Note also that Mennonite Low Saxon (Plautdietsch) as dialectical or
idiolectical variation of *on* and *en* for 'and'.

Note also the Vilamovian poem found in Wicherkiewicz's description:

De fremda Loit, se hon an wing verstanda,
Ma docht, har wär vo England har.
Dos is kaj Wuinder; denn de Welmeßejer,
Die stemma jou vo derta har.

My translation:

Outsiders (= Germans) understood (just) a bit.
They thought he came from England (= Britain?).
No wonder, since Vilamovian folk
Originated there, after all.

And note the first instance of *har* meaning 'he'!

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
Seattle, USA

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