LL-L "Language varieties" 2007.04.20 (04) [E]

[Lowlands-L List]

L O W L A N D S - L  -  19 April 2007 - Volume 04

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

Marlou presented a request from someone (assumedly in Eastern Europe) to
identify a Low German variety.

My initial assessment is that it is either a variety of Mennonite Low Saxon
(Mennonite Low German, *Plautdietsch*) or a variety closely akin to it.
Mention of West Prussian (Vistula Delta) origin seems to point in that
direction (this being within the Pomeranian range that had contacts with
Kashubian and Polish besides German), as do the scanty language data.  Most
of the sound shifts are those of Plautdietsch.  Inconsistencies may be due
either to errors or to language mixing. Ukrainian influences were added
after migration to "New Russia," then Russian and, after displacement to
Siberia and Central Asia, also borrowings from Turkic and other languages
(though mostly via Russian).

It would be helpful to know where Mr. Kroeker lives and if his ancestors
once lived in parts of Ukraine that were home to the Mennonite colonies
(Molochna and Khortitza). [See
http://lowlands-l.net/anniversary/plautdietsch-info.php]

The data appear to be fraught with errors (mistakes?), some of it with
Cyrillic script interference (e.g. *eve* for *jeve*).

Below please find my preliminary cleaning and interpretation attempt, with
Plautdietsch data added in green at the end of each entry. Asterisks (*)
indicate tentative reconstructions.

In any case, we ought to steer Mr. Kroeker in the direction of Plautdietsch
resources, including the online dictionary:
http://www.mennolink.org/cgi-bin/dictcgi

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

***

*Farben / Colors: *
schwarz / black: *schwot* (< **swat*) *schwoat*
weiß / white: *wet* (< **wit*) *witt*
blau /blue: *blouwe* (< **blouwe*) *bleiw*
rot / red: *rot* (< **rood*) *root*
braun / brown: *bruen* (< **bruun*) *brun, brün*
[grün / green: *jreyn (< **gröün*) *jreen*]
grau / gray: *gireva* (= **jirew-er* <- **gireyw*) *greiw*

*Lebensmittel / food:*
Milch / milk: *Malt* (= **Maltj* < **Melk*) *Maltj, Malkj*
Kartoffel / potato: *Jatschika* (< **ячика*? / **jaczyka*?) *Eadschock*

Baum / tree: *Beym* ("Bäume"?/"trees"? < **boum*) *Boum (Boom)*

*Tiere / Animals:*
Pferd / horse: *Pead* (< **peyrd*) *Pead*
Kuh / cow: *Kau* (< **kou*) *Kou (Koh)*
Hund / dog: *Hout* (< **hund*) *Hund*
Hahn / rooster: *Hun* (< **haan*) *Hon*
Adler / eagle: *Udler* (< **aadler*) *Odla*

*Einrichtung / Furnishings:*
Fussboden / floor: *Flouwe Flua*
Decke / ceiling: *Dat* (< **Datj* < **Dakj* < **dek*) *Datj, Dakj*
Tisch / table: *Dasch* (< **desch*) *Desch *(< **disch*)

*Verwandte / Kin:*
Mutter / mother: *Mama Mame*
Vater / father: *Papa Pape*
Großvater / grandfather: *Groutpa Groutpa (Grootpa)*
Großmutter / grandmother: *Groutma Groutma (Grootma)*
Sohn / son: *Soen Sähn*
Tochter / daughter: *Dochta* (< **dochter*) *Dochta*
Bruder / brother: *Brouder Brouda (Broda)*
Schwester / sister: *Sjasta* (< **sjester) Sesta*

*Körperteile / Body Parts:*
Kopf / head: *Kop Kopp*
Augen / eye: *Uge Uag, Üag*
Nase / nose: *Noes* *Näs*
Mund / moth: *Mud* (< **mund*) *Mul, Mül*
Hals / neck: *Hols* (< **hals*) *Hauls*
Hand / hand: *Hond* (< **hand*) *Haund*
Beine / legs: *Beyne Been*
Fuß / foot: *Fout* *Fout (Foot)*
Knie / knee: *Chinay* (< **kney*) *Kjney (Kjnee)*

*Verben / verbs:*
weinen / cry: *hiele* (< **hüle*) *hiele*
schreiben / write: *sirieve* (< **schrieve*) *schriewe*
lieben / love: *goud* *(sien) (gout siene?]*

*Sätze / sentences:
*
geben Sie mir / give me (polite): *Jeve si mi* (< **Geven Si mi*)

gib mir / give me (familiar): *Jaf mi* (< **Geev' mi*)

Wir sind zu Gast gekommen / We are visiting: *Wi sind tu hoste kume* (< **Wi
sünd tu Gaste kumen*)

ich gehe weg / I'm leaving: *At go wosch* (< **Ek* *gaa wag*)

Ich liebe dich / I love you: *At saj 'a goud* (<**Ek* *sie di goud*)

einen Augenblick / one moment: *eyn Bloet*

ich / I: *at* (< *atj* < *ekj* < *ek*) *etj, ekj*
du / you (thou): *du du*
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