LL-L "Resources" 2002.11.15 (05) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 15.NOV.2002 (05) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
 L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic
               V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Tony Coyote <tonycoyote29 at yahoo.com>
Subject: LL-L "Resources" 2002.11.15 (01) [E]

thank you very much. i've actually found a copy of one
of those books, on amazon. i think i'll have to order
it used from them or somethin though. oh, one small
question, what does "Hol Fast!" mean? i've seen it
written like a salutation on (i think) another
lowlands web page.

Tony

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

Hey, Tony!

(What a nice Native-American-sounding last name you have!)

You are most welcome -- or _Niks to danken_ ("Nothing to thank (for)"), as
we say.  I'm glad to know that you found something for a start.  Will you
share with us what you decided on?  Also, for the sake of further advice
purposes it would be good to know if you can read German and/or Dutch.

> what does "Hol Fast!" mean?

What does _Hold fast!_ mean?  Exactly what you as an English speaker would
guess when you see it written the way I did: "Hold fast!" (in many dialects
with the /d/ dropped and the /a/ shorter than in English, very must like in
Yorkshire dialect).  Yep, they *are* closely related, English and LS!

The phrase *can* be used as a salutation.  You can use it to mean "Hang in
there!" or "Take care of yourself!"  It may well come from nautical jargon,
referring to holding on to something on a ship in a storm (or else get
washed overboard) -- but that's just a guess of mine.

_Hold fast!_ can also serve as a request to hold on to something or else
loose it ("Hold tight!" or "Hold on (to ...)!", also "Keep up ...!"), for
instance the language, as mentioned by Klaus Groth
(http://www.geocities.com/grothwarken/) in the last verse of "Plattdütsch in
Chicago" (though he spelled it "holt fast"):

Un nu min Spruch, de heet: Holt fast
An plattdütsch Sprak un Art!
Un vœr dat fest: dat’t blöht un waßt
Un jümmer schöner ward!

My translation:
And here’s what I say: “Keep up
Low German ways and tongue!
Maintain it that it blooms and thrives
And grows more beautiful!”

(_Spruch_ is a German loanword, the native equivalents being _Sprook_ or
_Spröök_.)

As you can see, Tony, it's a useful little phrase to memorize.

Good luck and much fun with your language studies!  We'll be here for you.

Grötens,
Reinhard/Ron

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