LL-L "Language varieties" 2008.06.22 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L List]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 22 June 2008 - Volume 02
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From: Roger Thijs, Euro-Support, Inc.
Subject: LL-L Language varieties

Dutch linguists include Limburgish in the Dutch language area. For them the
maken-machen isogloss separates Dutch from German, making the dialect of
Eupen the most Southern variant of Dutch.

In 1815 five cantons at the East of the former French Dept. de l'Ourthe (now
the Belgian province of Liège) were ceeded to Prussia:
- Eupen (before 1795 belonging to the Duchy of Limburg)
- Malmedy (before 1795 belonging to the joint abbey territory of
Stavelot-Malmedy)
- SanktVith, Schleiden and Kronenburg (before 1795 belonging to the Duchy of
Luxemburg)
(From the canton of Aubel the Eastern part of the municipality of Moresnet
became Prussian, the center remained undivided)
In Prussian Rhenania, the Eupen area became a Kreis, Sankt-Vith was absobed
into the Kreis Malmedy.

In 1919 Eupen (including Neutral Moresnet) and Malmedy (including St-Vith)
were, with some minor borderline corrections, ceeded to Belgium. Momentarily
the area belongs to the Walloon region in Belgium. The districts of Eupen
and Sank-Vith form the German language cultural area (with own govenment and
parliament). For the walloon-language district of Malmedy there is a formal
protection of the German minority.

The "Eupener Geschichts- und Museumsverein" publishes a yearbook. I just got
the one for 2008:
"Geschichtliches Eupen", Band XLII, 2008, Grenz-Echo Verlag, Eupen, ISBN
978-3-86712-024-1, 176 pp.

Historical contributions are interleaved with small texts in local dialect.
Below a sample from p. 133-134.
The g -> j substitution is for me rather typical for Ripuarian.
The multiple use of accents may be induced by French and/or Walloon
orthography.

-- quote:
WALTER POMMÉE

D'r oue Dag

Ich jlöev et kömmt an jiterène
Dèe et bis da noch hat geschaft.
Jemeind sönd all die Lü su över séstech
En die dr Düedt noch niet hat wejjeraft.
Me bruckt sech mär ens vör ne Spiejel hen te stelle,
Da sitt me wat et Lèeve hat ûet ôes jemagd.

Wûe früjer wor ene "Locke-Kopp"
Da is nu jar jen Hoor mie dropp.
Da sitt me hie en da en Frattel,
die bo esu groet sönt wie en Dattel.
De Teint sönt och niet mie va mich,
die lije dajlang op jene Desch.
Anstatt se ejen Mull te doene,
sitt me mich ohne Teint da stoene.

Da söent, besaundesch vöel hie Frôhe,
et jans jesicht voll grûete Vaue.
Wat kann me mer dajeje dôene,
Et lonnt niet, no dr Dokter johne,
de jütt dech Rohtschläch noch en noch
of die ôech helpe, bezweifl' ech noch.
Da haut och noch, of Mann of Frôu
Aunder jither Pûet, en Elstero.

(wert wierjemaakt)
-- page 133 / 134
(Hje jet et wiher)

Met Artrose, Rheuma, Gicht,
spart dr aue Dag och nich.
Jett mut ich noch dohn erwäene,
e kitschke dôof is och bo jiderène
ôech mit ene Bröelle ob jen Tüll,
sitt meh hie bo all ôe Lüe.

Frohlü, Mannslü över sestech,
di vör Johre sport jemakt,
die sönt mestens fitt en kräftej
weil se noch vöel Muskelle hannt.
Ne joûe Roht will ich noch jève.
Jüet met jene Kopp hüech dörch et Lève,
Makt alles met, met völ Humor,
da is et Auerwerde vöer jène mie esue schwor.

-- end quote

Enjoy puzzling,
Roger

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

Thanks a lot, dear Roger.

That *is* a very interesting transitional variety. That general geographical
area is rather interesting in that it's a meeting place of Low Franconian,
Limburgish, Low Saxon, and Ripuarian, thus of Lowlands varieties and Central
German.

I take it *geschaft* is an error, should be *jeschaft* 'accomplished'.

The shift g > j is indeed a Ripuarian feature. In Low Saxon it is a feature
of the far-eastern varieties.

If we consider *bezweifl'* (Low Saxon *betwievel*) '(I) view with doubt' a
German loan (*ich bezweifle*), I would consider this variety Lowlandic with
a touch of Ripuarian color.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron
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