LL-L "Expressions" 2002.01.10 (07) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 10.JAN.2002 (07) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Jim Krause <sodshanty at HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Idioms and their Low Saxon Low German Equiv.

Being a relatively new student of Low Saxon Low German, I am curious about
finding an equivalent expression for the English "I like that."
In High German I learned to say "Es gern mir viel."  "It pleases me much."
Does the Low Saxon Low German expression "Daut wudd mie scheen goone."
equate?  So it would seem to me, but what do I know?
Jim

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

Jim, you wrote (above):

> Being a relatively new student of Low Saxon Low German, I am curious
> about finding an equivalent expression for the English "I like that."
> In High German I learned to say "Es gern mir viel."  "It pleases me
> much."

That's incorrect.  _Gern_ (like Northern Low Saxon _geern_ [gE.I3n] ~ [gi:3n],
Dutch  _graag_) is not a verb but an adverb.  It describes a verb in the sense
of "with pleasure," e.g., _Ich schreibe gern_ ("I write with pleasure") 'I
like to write', 'I enjoy writing'.  The expression _Ich habe das/es gern_ ("I
have that/it with pleasure"), now sounding somewhat stilted to many, means 'I
like that.'  You may also say _Das/es gefällt mir_ ("That/it pleases me") 'I
like that/it.'  Also possible, probably under Northern, i.e., Low Saxon,
influence, you can say, _Das mag ich_ or _Ich mag das/es_.

In Northern Low Saxon ("Low German", _Neddersassisch_, _Nedderdüütsch_,
_Plattdüütsch_), you may express the same by saying _Ik mag dat_ ([?Ik max
dat], from the verb _mögen_ ['mø:g=N] 'to like').  It sounds perhaps a little
more eloquent to say _Dat seggt mi to_ ([dat zECt mi 't`oU], "That/it says me
to," from the verb _toseggen_ ['t`oUzEg=N] "to to-say" = 'to please').  Also
possible, more in the sense of "to esteem," is _Ik hool daar wat vun_ ([?Ik
'ho:l dQ:3 vat fU.n], "I hold there what/something from"), something like 'I
hold it/that in high esteem' = 'I like it/that' (from the verb _hol(d)en_
['ho:l=n] 'to hold', cf. Dutch _Ik houd van dat_ and Afrikaans _Ek hou van
dit_ 'I like that').

Please remember that there are many different kinds of "Low German"s and no
standard variety.  ("Low German" is what some of us call "Low Saxon," the
descendant of Old Saxon, but in Germany many include, unscientifically so,
Limburgish dialects under the misleading label "Low German.")

Because of what you have written in an earlier posting and in your attempt
above ("Daut wudd mie scheen goone"), I assume that by "Low German" you
specifically mean Mennonite Low Saxon ("Low German"), also known as
_Plautdietsch_, which is the only surviving group of Eastern Low Saxon
dialects of Western Prussia (at the Vistula Delta, now in Northern Poland).
These Mennonite dialects (and some consider it a single dialect with variants)
have some very striking "eastern" characteristics and also more "High" German
influences.  I am by no stretch of the imagination a specialist of
Plautdietsch, although I understand it well, but I would hazard to guess that
"I like that" would be something like *_Daut jefault mie_ (from the verb
_jefaule(n)_ 'to please').  I hope one of our Plautdietschers will be so kind
as to correct this, if not confirm it.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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