LL-L "Language varieties" 2003.04.07 (03) [E/German]

[Lowlands-L]

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From: Clark Hapeman <egsidf at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: Low German

Does anyone know about the Plautdietsch language in America?

I know that it is spoken in Canada by the Hutterites, but I was wondering if
anyone knows about it in America.

Also, would anyone consider the Dutch, the Northern German and the English
to be "bretheren" because of their close linguistic and historical
connections? The English are the descnedents of Angles, Saxons, Jutes and
Frisians, so I was just wondering what some others' takes about this are.

Clark Hapeman

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From: R. F. Hahn <admin at lowlands-l.net>
Subject: Language varieties

Welcome to the List, Clark!

Here is a brief version of a reply.

Mennonite Lowlands Saxon (Plautdietsch) *is* still used in the United
States.  This is what was passed on to us by Reuben Epp some time ago with
regard to its speakers and their current distribution:

> Nach Informationen von Sprachforschern sprechen weltweit mindestens
400.000
> Menschen Plattdeutsch als Muttersprache. Sie leben vorwiegend in:
>
> Argentinien (ca. 4.000)
> Belize (ca. 6.000)
> Bolivien (ca. 60.000-80.000)
> Brasilien (8.000)
> Costa Rica (ca. 2.000)
> Deutschland (ca. 100.000)
> Kanada (ca. 80.000-100.000)
> Kasachstan und Russland (ca. 100.000)
> Mexiko (ca. 40.000)
> Paraguay (ca. 40.000)
> Uruguay (ca. 2.000)
> USA (ca. 10.000)

As for linguistic classification, "Plautdietsch" is clearly Lowlands Saxon
(i.e., one of the Saxon-based varieties or groups of varieties that with
some Lowlands Franconian varieties have been lumped together as "Low German"
in German, "Low German also being used as a linguistic label for the branch
to which Lowlands Saxon and Franconian varieties belong).

Plautdietsch is the only remaining viable West Prussian variety.  It
survived in part because it was taken away from its home at the Vistula
Delta (nowadays Poland), while other, closely related dialects of that area
are now extinct or moribund.  Among the characteristics of Plautdietsch are
peculiar short vowel shifts (e.g., a > au, e > a), unrounding of front
rounded vowels (ö > e, ü > i, probably due to Slavic and Baltic influences)
and its strongly mixed heritage, which is typical of Eastern Lowlands Saxon
dialects (with various Germanic, Baltic and Slavic influences), but ("High")
German influences on Plautdietsch are extremely striking, there are Russian,
Ukrainian, English, Spanish and Portuguese influences, and there may be some
Frisian and Dutch relics (given that the earliest Mennonites came from the
Netherlands).  The bottom line, though, is that Plautdietsch is Lowlands
Saxon.  Speakers of other Lowlands Saxon dialects understand Plautdietsch,
certainly after becoming attuned to it.

I strongly recommend reading the following:
Epp, Reuben (1993); _The Story of Low German & Plautdietsch: tracing a
language across the globe_; Hillsboro (USA): The Reader's Press
<psdirect at southwind.net>; ISBN 0-9638494-0-9.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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