LL-L "Language varieties" 2001.11.21 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 21.NOV.2001 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 Web Site: <http://www.geocities.com/sassisch/rhahn/lowlands/>
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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
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From: "Ian James Parsley" <parsleyij at yahoo.com>
Subject: LL-L "Language varieties" 2001.11.21 (01) [E]

Rudi,

I would refer you to:

www.geocities.com/indoeurop/atree.html

This completes the journey through time and space in
all directions for all branches of Indo-European - at
least when the site's operating!

Another issue I might try to explain to get us moving
is the so-called 'Wave theory' (often known even in
English by its German name, 'Wellentheorie').

This is where a language change occurs, for example
the movement of /t/ to /ts/ and /s/ in High German, or
the 'rhotacism' (/s/ to /r/ in certain positions, as
occurred in several languages), or even grammatical
features (such as the tendency towards non-synthetic
[ie those formed with an auxiliary verb such as 'to
be' or 'to have'] past forms being faster in some
German dialects than others).

Such changes occur in a certain dialect (even located
in a single village or homestead), and then branch
outwards. This means that dialects on the outer edge
of any so-called 'dialect continuum' change less
quickly, because they are not affected by so many
'waves'.

This would explain, for example, why a High German
speaker from central Germany might suggest that Swiss
German sounds not entirely unlike Dutch - some
phonological and probably even grammatical patterns
have remained unchanged on the 'outer edge' of the
continental Germanic continuum, despite changing
towards the centre.

I hesitate to disappear too far off topic, but this
also, for the record, explains some similarities
maintained in Celtic and Indic languages that are not
maintained elsewhere among Indo-European tongues.

mvg,

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Ian James Parsley
www.geocities.com/parsleyij
+44 (0)77 2095 1736
JOY - "Jesus, Others, You"

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

Rudi, Ian, Lowlanders,

I agree that the site Ian mentioned is useful, certainly on the elementary
level.  However, please be aware that there are some inaccuracies.  For
example, on the Germanic languages map the Low Saxon area is shown as far too
small.  It ought to extend farther west into the Eastern Netherlands and
farther east all the way over to the German-Polish border (cf.,
http://www.geocities.com/sassisch/rhahn/low-saxon/lowsax-engl.htm).  I have
now made the webmaster aware of this the second time.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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