LL-L: "Grammar" LOWLANDS-L, 13.JAN.2001 (03) [E]

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  L O W L A N D S - L * 13.JAN.2001 (03) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
Subject: Grammar

Dear Lowlanders,

Old Saxon, the ancestor of the Modern Low Saxon (Low German, "Platt")
dialects, still distinguished dative and accusative cases morphologically
and it still had remnants of a morphologically marked instrumental ("by
means of," "with") case:

Nouns:
(m. /dag/ 'day', f. /geev-a/ 'gift', n. /graav-u/ 'grave')

Singular
Nom.:    dag    geva    graf
Gen.:    dages  geva    graves
Dat.:    dage   gevu    grave
Acc.:    dag    geva    graf
Instr.:  dagu   --      gravu

Plural:

Plural
Nom.:    dagos    geva    gravu
Gen.:    dago     gevono  gravo
Dat.:    dagum    gevon   gravum
Acc.:    dagos    geva    gravu
Instr.:  --       --      --

Pronouns:

Singular
         1st   2nd    3rd m.  3rd f.  3rd n.
Nom.:    ik    thû    hê      siu     it
Gen.:    mîn   thîn   is      ira     is
Dat.:    mî    thî    imu     iru     imu
Acc.:    mî    thî    ina     sia     it

Plural
         1st   2nd    3rd m.  3rd f.  3rd n.
Nom.:    wî    gî     sia     sia     siu
Gen.:    ûser  iuwar  iro     iro     iro
Dat.:    ûs    iu     im      im      im
Acc.:    ûs    iu     sia     sia     siu

Middle Low Saxon (Low German) still distinguished dative and accusative in
some forms, at least in writing:

Nouns:
(m. /dag/ 'day', f. /gaav@/ 'gift', n. /gra(a)v/ 'grave')

Singular
Nom.:    dach    gave    graf
Gen.:    dages   gave(n) graves
Dat.:    dage    gave(n) grave
Acc.:    dach    gave    graf

Plural
Nom.:    dage    gave(n) graf/grave
Gen.:    dage    gaven   grave
Dat.:    dagen   gaven    graven
Acc.:    dage    gave(n)  graf/grave

Pronouns:

Singular
         1st      2nd     3rd m.     3rd f.    3rd n.
Nom.:    ik       du      hê         sê        it
Gen.:    mîn(er)  dîn(er) is/sîn(er) êr(e(r))  is
Dat.:    mî/mik  dî/dik   eme/ene    êr(e(r))  eme/en
Acc.:    mî/mik  dî/dik   en(e)      sê        it

Plural
         1st         2nd         3rd
Nom.:    wî          gî          sê
Gen.:    u(n)ser     juwer       êr(e(r))
Dat.:    û(n)s/ösek  jû(we)/jük  em/en/jüm
Acc.:    û(n)s/ösek  jû(we)/jük  sê

It is interesting to note that, where there used to be distinctions, the
dative forms survived to take over common pronominal objective marking in
most modern dialects, at least in North Saxon dialects:

Nouns:
(m. /dag/ 'day', f. /gaav@/ 'gift', n. /grav/ 'grave')

Singular
Nom.:    Dag    Gave/Gaav'    Graf
Gen.:    Dag    Gave/Gaav'    Graf
Dat.:    Dag    Gave/Gaav'    Graf
Acc.:    Dag    Gave/Gaav'    Grav

Plural:

Singular
Nom.:    Dage/Daag'  Gaven  Gräver
Gen.:    Dage/Daag'  Gaven  Gräver
Dat.:    Dage/Daag'  Gaven  Gräver
Acc.:    Dage/Daag'  Gaven  Gräver

Pronouns:

Singular
         1st    2nd    3rd m.   3rd f.   3rd n.
Nom.:    i(c)k  du     he       se       it/et/dat
Gen.:    mien  dien    sien     e(h)r    sien
Dat.:    mi(e)  di(e)  em       e(h)r    it/et/dat
Acc.:    mi(e)  di(e)  em       e(h)r    it/et/dat

Plural
         1st          2nd     3rd
Nom.:    wi(e)        ji(e)   se
Gen.:    u(n)s(e(n))  ju(un)  e(h)r(e(n))
Dat.:    u(n)s        ju      jüm
Acc.:    u(n)s        ju      jüm

Remnants of dative/accusative distinction are still found in some
Westphalian dialects:

/dat huuz/ 'the house':
         sg.         pl.
Nom.:    dat Huus    de Hüüs
Dat.:    dem Huse    de Hüsern
Acc.:    dat Huus    de Hüser

vs. North Saxon:
         sg.         pl.
Nom.:    dat Huus    de Hüüs'
Dat.:    dat Huus    de Hüüs'
Acc.:    dat Huus    de Hüüs'

Sources:
Diether Stellmacher, _Niederdeutsche Sprache_, Bern: Peter Lang, 1990
Wolfgang Lindow, et al., Niederdeutsche Grammatik_, Leer: Schuster, 1998

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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