LL-L "Sayings" 2002.06.10 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 10.JUN.2002 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 Web Site: <http://www.sassisch.net/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: Sachsen780 at aol.com
Subject: LL-L "Grammar" 2002.06.09 (05) [E]

Hallo jedermann,

while in Emsland in western Niedersachsen, Deutschland last month for
family research, I came to realize that my 1850s
ancestors spoke Plattdeutsch (Old Saxon) when they emigrated to St.
Louis, Missouri and Quincy, Illinois.  My Dad and I learned
a great deal about our family history while there, and even possible
solved the mystery of the orgin of:

Ollie, Ollie oxen free!!

German speakers had never heard this childhood "Hide 'n Seek" expression
which convinced me that if it was of German
(Plattdeutsch) origin, it was an emigrants' game call from long ago.  We
just said it for what it meant, without a thought of
the exact words.

Perhaps the exact wording was:

Alles, alles auch sind frei!!

Any thoughts?

S  T  E  V  E     F  E  L  D

Feld family of 1785-1858 from Herzlake
and Langen--now in Emsland, Niedersachsen,
Deutschland

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

Hi, Steve!

> ancestors spoke Plattdeutsch (Old Saxon) when they emigrated to St.
> Louis,

Old Saxon ceased to be spoken in the Middle Ages.  It developed into
Middle Low Saxon ("Middle Low German") which lasted until the late 17th
century.  The descendant language varieties used nowadays are called
"Low Saxon" or "Low German" in English.

The English name for what is called _Niedersachsen_ in German and
_Neddersassen_ in Low Saxon is "Lower Saxony."  _Deutschland_ (Low Saxon
_Düütschland_) is "Germany" in English.

(By the way, some of us do not like it when people refer to our language
as _Plattdeutsch_ when speaking or writing in English.  Why use the
*("High") German* name (the name in the overshadowing/suppressing
language) when there is an English name?  The equivalent names in the
language itself are _Neddersassisch_, _Nedderdüütsch_ or
_Plattdüütsch_.)

Friendly regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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