LL-L "Language varieties" 2007.09.16 (03) [E]

[Lowlands-L List]

L O W L A N D S - L  -  14 September 2007 - Volume 03
Song Contest: lowlands-l.net/contest/ (- 31 Dec. 2007)
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From: Douglas Hinton <douglas.hinton at gmail.com>
Subject: LL-L "Names" 2007.09.16 (01) [E]

Hello, this is my first offering to the Lowlands List. I can't guess the
origins of the name Grung except to say that some quick research shows that
it's a family name strongly associated with Bergen.
What I wanted to offer was the strong connections of danish with  other NW
European languages. Being a native English speaker, but fluent in danish,
has been very helpful in reading dutch, low German, and Frisian. Much more
so for my wife, who speaks danish, English, German, and french fluently. As
an experiment I copied a text in Old English and asked if she could read it.
She could, easily, although I couldn't. Also in Holland she could read the
language  well.  Although I have a tin ear for both language and music I
think I could learn to at least read Dutch well in a couple of months, but
maybe never learn to speak it.

As to Frisian it has been hard to hear it spoken. There's a radio station in
Husum , Germany that's said to have a two hour Frisian program every Friday.
I listened to it on the web, but heard only music played that day. Maybe
their Frisian speaker was on holiday. I have listened to a radio station on
the web from Holland that spoke West Frisian. The little I've heard spoken
in Frisian reminds me of the West Jutland Danish dialect, but softer and
more pleasant to the ear.   I have also searched in the university library
for books on Frisian, but found nothing of use.
Regards, Douglas

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

Hello, Douglas!

What a kick to see you taking the plunge! Hjærtelig velkommen på listen og
til "sludrehjørnet"!

Yes, I know from my own experience that people that know Continental
Germanic languages as well as Modern English have a much easier time with
Old English, certainly with Middle English.

As for Frisian, much depends on which Frisian you are talking about.  I
would go as far as saying that there are Frisian languages, not only
dialects:

   - West Frisian [Westerlauwersk Frysk]
   - East Frisian
      - Sater(land Frisian) [*Seeltersk*] (the only survivor)
   - North Frisian
      - Continental/Mainland North Frisian
      - Hoorning Frisian of Goesharde [Gooshiirder fräisch/freesch]
            - Northern
            - Central
            - Southern (extinct since 1980)
            - Wiedingharde [*Wiringhiirderfreesk*]
         - Halligen (Tideflats Islands) Frisian [Freesk, Halifreesk
         ]
         - Mooring/Bökingharde Frisian [*Böökinghiirderfrasch*]
         - Karrharde North Frisian [Karrhiirderfreesch]
         - Insular North Frisian
         - Sylt North Frisian [Söl'ring]
         - Föhr North Frisian [Fering]
         - Amrum North Frisian [Öömrang]
         - Heligoland North Frisian [Halunder]

West and East Frisian are somewhat mutually intelligible, but on the written
level there is interference because of different orthographic bases (Dutch
vs German). The Continental/Mainland North Frisian varieties are mutually
rather easily intelligible and ought to be considered dialects. They are
mutually poorly intelligible with the Insular varieties, which are mutually
also not very well intelligible among themselves.

If you are interested in sound recordings and texts in any Frisian varieties
of Germany I suggest you contact the Nordfriisk Instituut (
www.nordfriiskinstituut.de/).

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
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