Drents

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'Drents' language-area
'Drents' language-area

Drents is a collective term for the dialects which are spoken in Drenthe a province of The Netherlands. The dialects like they are still spoken by half the population of Drenthe are Nedersaksisch variants.

[edit] Dialects

As stated above, all dialects from Drenthe are classified as Nedersaksisch, but that is the only common linguistic factor there is. Though, most of the local languages exist in multiple forms and usually varies by village or town, for Drents it is so much the case that linguistically speaking "Drents" is not really a language or dialect on its own. The dialects from the north and the east (see below: 'Noordenvelds' and 'Veenkoloniaals') are usually considered to be Gronings, the dialects from the south-west are 'Stellingwerfs', and the dialects in a few villages along the southern border with the Grafschaft Bentheim (Germany) are considered to be Sallands (Because they have a umlaut in the diminutives).

The foundation Stichting Drentse Taol makes a distinction between seven main variants of Drents within the province, based upon the research made by G.H. Kocks, the main editor of the Woordenboek der Drentse Dialecten (Dictionary of the Drentse Dialects):

  • Noordenvelds
  • Veenkoloniaals
  • Zuidoost Zand Drents
  • Zuidoost Veen Drents
  • Midden Drents
  • Zuidwest Noord Drents (Also see Stellingwerfs)
  • Zuidwest Zuid Drents

[edit] Examples of usage

Emmen dialect: We moet'n nie zo haast'n.
Standard Dutch: We hoeven ons niet zo te haasten.
English: We do not have to hurry.
Ruinen: een tweej drai vier vaif zees zeeve aach neuge tein
Noordenveld: ain twai drai vaier vief zes zeum aacht neegn tien
Ruinerwold (about 10 km from Ruinen): iene tweie dreie veere vieve zesse zeum achte neegn tiene
Standard Dutch: een twee drie vier vijf zes zeven acht negen tien
English: one two three four five six seven eight nine ten