LL-L "Morphology" 2003.09.27 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 27.SEP.2003 (02) * 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) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Stella en Henno <stellahenno at hetnet.nl>
Subject: LL-L "Morphology" 2003.09.25 (11) [E]

> From: John Duckworth <jcduckworth2003 at yahoo.co.uk>
> Subject: Morphology
>
> Dear Lowlanders,
>
> Apparently some dialects of North Frisian still have dual pronound (e.g.
> Mooring  _wat_ [we two] and _jat_ [you two]). Can anyone give me any more
> examples of dual pronouns or other dual vestiges in Frisian dialects?
Also,
> are there any remanants of the dual in any other Lowlands languages?
>
> Cheers,
>
> John
> Preston, UK.

Yes, Mooring has them:
"wat" (we two), with object case being "unk"
"jat" (you two), object case "junk".
A nice example sentence (with "and" to clarify, not to "add"):
"jat än Jäns kaame diling nuch tubääg"
_ihr beide, du und Jäns, kommt heute noch zurück_

The Wiedingharde dialect (Freesk) to the north of it also has them:
"wät - onk" and "jät - jonk", where the vowel changes are systematic (in
comparison to Mooring), i.e. both come from older *wit and *jit. (also fish
: Mooring fasch, W. fäsk).
There are no special verb forms: just the infinitive, like all plural
pronouns.
They do not occur on the islands, AFAIK.
The dialects to the south of the Mooring area have almost died out, but
probably
they had them as well, and might still do. There isn't too much information
on those
dialects.

I believe no other lowlandic language still has duals, even in Germanic as a
whole they
are rare. I recall that "Oberdeutsch" dialects (like Swiss german) use the
old dual forms
as their normal pronouns, and the normal one died out. I believe that
Faeroese and
Islandic still have duals, as the only remaining languages (among the
Germanic ones).

Old Frisian had "wit" in the West Frisian "oorkonden", according to
Holthausen, also a dual. A nice confirmation of the North Frisian forms.
Also Old Saxon, Old English, Old German and Gothic all have attested forms
as well. But probably you are referring
to modern dialects..In that case, only mainland North Frisian remains.

Henno Brandsma

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


Henno (above):

> "jat" (you two), object case "junk".


Might this _Junk_ be related to objective _enk_ 'you' (plural) and _Enk_
'you' (polite singular/plural) in Westphalian Lowlands Saxon (Low German)
dialects?

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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