West Low German

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West Low German
Spoken in:	Germany, Netherlands
Total speakers:	—
Language family:	Indo-European Germanic West Germanic Low German West Low German
Language codes
ISO 639-1:	none
ISO 639-2:	`gem`
ISO/FDIS 639-3:	none
Note: This page may contain IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. See IPA chart for English for an English-based pronunciation key.

West Low German (also known as Low Saxon, especially in the Netherlands) is a group of Low German dialects spoken in Northwest Germany and East Netherlands. Together with East Low German, it constitutes Low German.

1 Dialects
2 Samples

[edit] Dialects

Note that divisions between subfamilies of Germanic are rarely precisely defined; most form continuous clines, with adjacent dialects being mutually intelligible and more distantly separated ones being less so. However, most West Low Saxon dialects are thought to be descended from, or to have been strongly influenced by, Old Saxon.

Dialects of West Low German in Northern Germany:

Northern Low Saxon
- Dialekte der Elbmarschen
- Hamburgisch (in Hamburg)
- Holsteinisch (in Holstein)
- Schleswigsch (in Schleswig)
- Heidjerisch (in Lüneburg Heath)
- Standard East Frisian
- Westniedersächsisch
Eastphalian language (around Hannover)
- Heide Eastphalian
- Main Eastphalian
- Göttingisch-Grubenhagensch
- Elbe Eastphalian
Westphalian language (in Westphalia)

Dialects in the north eastern Netherlands:

Gronings (on Frisian substrate)
- Westerkwartiers (in West Groningen)
- Hogelandsters (in North Groningen)
- Westerwolds (in eastern Groningen)
- Stad-Gronings/Noordenvelds (in Groningen and Northern Drenthe)
- Oldambtsters (in East Groningen)
Stellingwerfs/Steenwijkerlands/West-Drenths (in Ooststellingwerf and Weststellingwerf, in Fryslân and in parts of Drenthe)
- Veenkoloniaals (in eastern Groningen and Drenthe)
Drents
- Midden-Drents
- Zuid-Drents
Twents (in Twente, eastern Overijssel)
Achterhoek (in Gelderland)
Sallands/Zuidoost-Drenths (in central Overijssel, in Gelderland and in Drenthe, resp.)
Urks (in Flevoland)
West Veluws (in Gelderland)
East Veluws (in Gelderland)

This list is not complete.

See also: The Vaterunser shows the Lord's Prayer in standard German.

[edit] Samples

[edit] The Lord's Prayer in Northern Low Saxon (German based spelling)

Unse Vadder in d'n Himmel!

Laat hilligt waren dienen Namen.

Laat kamen dien Riek.

Laat waren dienen Willen so as in d'n Himmel,

so ook op de Eerd.

Uns' dääglich Brood giv uns vundaag.

Un vergiv uns unse Schuld,

as Wi de vergeven hebt,

de an uns schüllig sünd.

Un laat uns nich versöcht waren.

Maak uns vrie vun dat Böse.

Denn dien is dat Riek un de Kraft un de Herrlichkeit in Ewigkeit.

Amen.

[edit] The Lord's Prayer in Veluws Low Saxon: Algemene Schryvwyse (Common writingsystem)

Unse Vort dy in de hemel is

Uyw naam woerdt eheyligd.

Uyw koeninkryk kumt.

Uyw wül geschyd up eerde,

soas in de hemel.

Gev uns uns daagliks brood.

en vergev uns unse schülden,

soas ok wy unse schüldenaren vergeven;

En leyd uns ny in versöyking.

Mer verlos uns van et böse.

Want van Uy is et koeninkryk,

de kracht en de heerlikheyd,

tot in de eeuwigheyd.

Amen.

[edit] The Lord's Prayer in Old Saxon (Heliand, 9. century D.C.)

Fadar ûsa firiho barno,

thu bist an them hôhon himila rîkea,

geuuîhid sî thîn namo uuordo gehuuilico.

Cuma thîn craftag rîki.

Uuerða thîn uuilleo obar thesa uuerold alla,

sô sama an erðo, sô thar uppa ist

an them hôhon himilo rîkea.

Gef ûs dago gehuuilikes râd, drohtin the gôdo,

thîna hêlaga helpa, endi alât ûs, hebenes uuard,

managoro mênsculdio, al sô uue ôðrum mannum dôan.

Ne lât ûs farlêdean lêða uuihti

sô forð an iro uuilleon, sô uui uuirðige sind,

ac help ûs uuiðar allun ubilon dâdiun.

Major Modern Germanic languages
Afrikaans \| Danish \| Dutch \| English \| German \| Norwegian \| Swedish \| Yiddish
Minor Modern Germanic languages
Faroese \| Frisian \| Icelandic \| Luxembourgish
Reg. acknowledged Germanic languages/dialects
Low German / Low Saxon \| Limburgish \| Scots