History of Low German
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The history of Low German (or Low Saxon) as separate from common West Germanic is less clear than in the High German case. Low German does not participate in the High German consonant shift, but is, on the other hand, affected by the Ingvaeonic nasal spirant law. The Ingvaeonic features and the lack of the High German consonant shift paved the way for a new recognizable West Germanic language. The 19th and 20th centuries saw the rise of High German and a decrease in dialectal variety and use of the language as a whole.
[edit] Old Saxon
Old Saxon, also known as Old Low German, was a West Germanic language. It is documented from the 9th century until the 12th century, when it evolved into Middle Low German. It was spoken on the north-western coast of Germany and in Denmark by the Saxons. It is closely related to Old Anglo-Frisian (Old Frisian, Old English), partially participating in the Ingvaeonic nasal spirant law.
Only a few texts still survive, predominantly in baptismal vows which the Saxons were required to perform at the behest of Charlemagne. The only literary text preserved is Heliand.
[edit] Middle Low German
The Middle Low German language was an ancestor of the modern Low German. It was spoken from about 1100 to 1500, splitting into West Low German and East Low German. The neighbouring languages within the dialect continuum of the West Germanic languages were Middle Dutch in the West and Middle High German in the South, later evolving into Early New High German. Middle Low German was the lingua franca of the Hanseatic League, spoken around the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Based on the language of Lübeck, a standardized written language was developed, though never codified.
[edit] Contemporary Low German
After mass education in Germany in the 19th and 20th century the slow decline which Low German had been experiencing since the end of the Hanseatic league accelerated. Today, efforts are made in Germany and in the Netherlands to protect Low German as a regional language. Various Low German dialects are understood by 10 million people, and are native to around 3 million people around northern Germany. Most of these speakers are located in rural villages and are often senior citizens.
