LL-L: "Language varieties" LOWLANDS-L, 12.FEB.2000 (01) [E]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 12.FEB.2000 (01) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Roger P. G. Thijs [roger.thijs at village.uunet.be]
Subject: Low Rhenanian

This Saturday morning I was in Kevelaer and in Straelen in the German
Niederrhein area. With "Niederrhein" one refers generally to the area in
Germany between the Netherlands and the West river bank of the Rhine (often
limited to the Northern part of this area).

Curiously, I think, are the Brabantish elements in the dialects:
- second person: __gij__ (versus __jij_- in Dutch and in West-Flemish, and
__de/dich__ in Limburgish)
- diminutives on __-ke__ etc.
Actually the Netherlands Province of Noord-Brabant makes a big bend North of
Limburg towards te river Maas, and is just separated from the Niederrhein
area by a small finger to the North of Limburgish territory William of
Orange got from the Prussians in 1814-1815 for having the river Maas
complete inside his territory.

Historically this area was mainly part of:
the Duchy of Geldern (divided in 1713 in a Prussian, a (Dutch) Republic, an
Austrian and a Jülich part)
and the Duchy of Kleve.
A detailed territorial history, with maps,:
I. Hantsche, Die Geschichte des Herzogtums Geldern im Kartenbild von der
Mitte des 16. bis zur Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts, pp. 162-172, in:
"Geldrischer Heimatkalender 1999" (in stock: bookshop Aengenheyster in
Kevelaer)

The map p. 170 is interesting, it gives the area's in the actual Germany
where Dutch was the koiné in 1789:
"Überwiegend Niederländisch":  the area's around: Kevelaer, Geldern,
Straelen, Rayen, Wachtendonk, Tönisberg, Grefrath, Lobberich, Viersen
"Niederländisch und Deutsch": the area's around Kleve, Goch, Xanthen
"Deutsch und Niederländisch": the center of Kleve.

However, when walking in the streets, one cannot hear a single soul speaking
any Low German related variety. Just High German, and a lot of Turkish
(around the Kebab-Pita restaurants one finds in every street). It looks as
bad for Low German as with Flemish in Northern France. Nevertheless there is
still some literary production in the local dialects (Who's reading it?)

Some samples of litterary "Niederrhein" dialects:

Beedefahrt.

Siech gej es krak, off et ess ow fad,
gon sej naar Kävele ob Beedefahrt.
Na Maria sin Kapälleke dor treck et ör henn,
dor te bäje se in de Senn.

Ok Hollander en Belße komme hier henn,
wenn sej voll Sörg en Not well sinn,
en paar Kerße wöre angemakt ütt guje Grond,
över de Krüßwach wört gemackt ok de Rond.
    (the c in ma(c)ken is used inconsistently in the original)

En Andenken van Kävele wört noch met gebrocht,
an die Liefde thüß wört ok gedocht,
dann noach gouw en Tass Koffie, en en Stöckske Kuk,
dat düt de Pelgerem ok gut.

Dann get et wer op Thüß opan,
die Beedefahrt es nouw gedan,
en blievt man gesond, en hät man völ Glöck,
kömmt man idder Johr naar Kävele wär tröck.

quoted from p. 21 in: Willy Rommen, Kävels Platt, 2. Auflage 1999, no ISBN
(in stock: bookshop Aengenheyster in Kevelaer).

The book is sponsored by publicity in dialect, e.g.:

Moch gej Wors vör et Brot, off Fleiss vör et Meddagete
dörft gej die Schlächterej van Tütten-Thei nie vergete.
Metzgerei Janßen, Biegstroot

--

Sükt gej erne Fiets, denn gut ess en schick
dann got mer gouw noar Fietse-Michalik
Tweerad-Michalik, Annastroot

etc.

However most of the books in dialect on finds, are reprints of quite some
time ago, e.g.:
Theodor Bergmann, Maisüches on Heijblumme, Verlag Butzon & Bercker,
Kevelaer, 1997, Nachdruck der 1948 erschienenen Ausgabe

A sample (p. 37):

Den Droom

Min Moder soag ek vanne Nacht in den Droom -
"Och Moderke, läft gej noch?"
"Ek läf noch on halt ow noch an den Toom,
Dor sett ok ons ganze Kloch:

Ow Sösters all. - On nauw sätt ow es neer!
Wor sit gej so lang gewaest?
Gej wollt mar ömmer oaver ons her
On wej wllen ömmer ow Best.

On es et bej ons ni oawerall nett?
De Kamer ees freß geschrobt,
De Sand gestraut on de Mure gewett.
On gej doer de Waelt heröm lopt.

On gej wellt gar ni mär bej ons sin -
De Waelt es so grot on so wit. -
Mar Ehr on Rikdom on alles es Schin
On glöckeg mekt et ow nit.

As de Wend so flöchteg es Menßegöns,
Sej brengt gänne Frede, gän Glöck.
Dröm bliff bej ons on lott dat Gedöns!"
"Joa Moder, ek komm wär tröck!

Ek komm wär tröck on alles es gut" -
Dor schreckte et Maergesrot
Mej op ütt den Droom - Mej sonk de Mut:
Min Moder on Sösters sin dot.

---

A reprint of a book that is still older: Gahlings & Matenaar, Lieder und
Sprüche aus dem Leben und Brauchtum am Niederrhein, Bass-Verlag, Kleve, 1986
(Nachdruck der Ausgabe von 1936) (in stock: bookshop Bercker in Kevelaer)
(not in Kevelaer dialect but in the dialect of the Kleve area)

a sample:

Jäntje most gôôn bichte,
bichte bej den Kaplôôn.
En duw most hej segge,
wat hej had gedôôn.
Drie keer gelôôge,
drie keer geflukt,
drie keer nej Mooder in 't Bedje gepupt.

an other:

Piep, puup, Jäntje,
ek weet een Mössenest,
Die Alde sin gôôn fliege,
die Jonge puupen in et Nest.

---

In audio form I found (in stock: bookshop Aengenheyster in Kevelaer):

-  cassette: Jupp Tenhaef, Et Hart opde Tong, Arbeitskreis Heimatfreunde
Keylaer
(without text booklet)

- CD: Güno van Leyen, Näß ow Hart (Produziert von Güno van Leyen)
(with text booklet)

a stanza from one of the songs:

Wat wej op Moders Schlöp gelehrt,
Dat doerft ni afftestaerve;
Dat sölle, wij et sich gehört,
Ons Kinder van ons aerve.
On komt ok mehr et Hochdeuts op,
Dat was doch ennen aermen Drop,
Dän Moders Taal vergäten hat,
Sich schamde foer et Kävels Platt.

And back to the relationship with Brabantish: In Straelen (Buchhandlung
Forbriger, Kuhstraße) I found:
Landschaftsverband Rheinland, Stichting Staring Instituut & Landkundliches
Institut Westmünsterland: "Dialect à la carte, Dialektatlas
Westmünsterland - Achterhoek - Liemers - Niederrhein", 1993, 125 pp. + 57
maps.

a sample with link to Brabantish:
map 31: ik "zien" (versus "bun" in the Westmünsterland area)
(Brabantish: ik zijn, Dutch: ik ben; Limburgish: Ich bèn)

Regards,
Roger

----------

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

Roger wrote:

> Curiously, I think, are the Brabantish elements in the dialects:
> - second person: __gij__ (versus __jij_- in Dutch and in West-Flemish, and
> __de/dich__ in Limburgish)
> - diminutives on __-ke__ etc.

I don't think these features are confined to the Brabantish and Low Rhenish
areas.  As far as I know, _gy_ and variants was one of the main forms in Middle
Low Saxon.  It seems to have competed with _jy_ which eventually took over.
Diminutive forms with _-ke_ are common in various Low Saxon dialects.

> However, when walking in the streets, one cannot hear a single soul speaking
> any Low German related variety. Just High German, and a lot of Turkish
> (around the Kebab-Pita restaurants one finds in every street). It looks as
> bad for Low German as with Flemish in Northern France. Nevertheless there is
> still some literary production in the local dialects (Who's reading it?)

As in many parts of Northern Germany, the Low Saxon and Low Franconian varieties
(lumped together as "Low German") tend to live underground, behind closed doors
oftentimes.  So what you hear in the streets is not necessarily the entire
picture.  It is true, though, that the younger generation has been by and large
alienated from the original language(s) of their areas.  Language policies,
educational curricula and social pressure to be successful (= speak "standard")
have taken care of that.  The language(s) tend to be more preserved in rural
areas.  Also, even many people who speak German as their first language like
being entertained/amused by the "quaint" dialects of their areas, which most of
them understand at least, and they would be among those buying the books and
theater tickets.

Regards,

Reinhard/Ron

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