Low Prussian

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Low Prussian (Niederpreußisch), or simply Prussian (Preußisch), is a dialect of East Low German that developed in East Prussia. Simon Dach's poem Anke van Tharaw, the best known East Prussian poem, was written in Low Prussian. Plautdietsch, a Low German variety, is included within Low Prussian by some observers. Due to the expulsion from East Prussia of Germans after World War II, Low Prussian can be considered moribund, if Plautdietsch is excluded from it. Plautdietsch has several thousand speakers throughout the world, most notably in South America and Canada.

1 Varieties of Low Prussian
2 Low and Old Prussians
3 Low Prussian and Lithuanian
4 References
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Varieties of Low Prussian

1. Übergangsmundart zum Ostpommerschen
2. Mundart des Weichselmündungsgebietes (around Gdańsk)
3. Mundart der Frischen Nehrung und der Danziger Nehrung
4. Mundart der Elbinger Höhe
5. Mundart des Kürzungsgebietes (around Braniewo)
6. Westkäslausch (around Pieniężno)
7. Ostkäslausch (around Reszel)
8. Natangisch-Bartisch (around Bartoszyce)
9. Westsamländische Mundart (around Baltiysk)
10. Ostsamländische Mundart (around Kaliningrad, Polessk and Snamensk)
11. Mundart des Ostgebietes (around Chernyakhovsk, Klaipeda and Sovyets)

[edit] Low and Old Prussians

In Low Prussian, many Old Prussian words were preserved.

Low Prussian	Old Prussian	Latvian	Lithuanian	Standard German	English
Flins	plīnksni	plācenis	blynas	Pfannkuchen	pancake, scone, biscuit
Kaddig	kaddegs	kadiķis	kadagys	Wacholder	juniper
Kurp	kurpi	kurpe	kurpė	Schuh	shoe
Kujel	kūilis	cūka, mežacūka	kuilys, šernas	Wildschwein	boar
Margell, Marjell	mērgā	meiča	merga, mergaitė	Magd, Mädchen, Mädel	maiden, girl
Paparz	papartis	paparde	papartis	Farn	fern
Pawirpen	(from pawīrps)	algādzis, strādnieks	padienis	Losmann	freelancer
Zuris	sūris	siers	sūris	Käse	cheese

[edit] Low Prussian and Lithuanian

In addition to the words of Old Prussian origin, another source of Balticisms was Lithuanian. After the migration of Lithuanians in the 15^th century, many Lithuanian loanwoards appeared in the Low Prussian dialect.

Low Prussian	Lithuanian	Standard German	English
Alus	alus	Bier	beer
Burteninker	burtininkas	Wahrsager, Zauberer, Besprecher	magician
kalbeken	kalbėti	sprechen	to talk
Kausche, Kauszel	kaušas	Schöpfkelle, Trinknapf	dipper
Krepsch, Krepsche, Krepsze	krepšys, krepšas	Sack, Handsack, Ranzen	basket
Lorbas	liurbis	Tölpel, Tolpatsch, Waschlappen	loser, fumbler
Packrant	krantas, pakrantė, pakraštys	Rand, Küste	edge, coast
Pirschlis	piršlys	Brautwerber
Wabel, Wabbel	vabalas	Käfer	bug