Low German Language in German Research (2024)

Some people become somewhat incensed when they are told that their ancestors spoke ‘Low German.’ Their response is something like “My ancestors were good people/nobility (or some such thing) and would have spoken good German.” Well, ‘Low German’ is good German; it is just a different language. Unfortunately, this language has the word ‘German’ in its name. Perhaps it would be looked upon more favorably if it had a totally different name, one that reflected its long and noble heritage. But, alas, in English at least, this language must live in the shadow of its more powerful neighbor, Standard (High) German.


Low German is spoken in the north, or 'low' lands, of Germany. Two thousand years ago, there were many Germanic dialects, including Bavarian, Alemannic, Frankish, and Saxon. It is mainly from Saxon that Low German developed. About 1500 years ago, a series of sound changes occurred which started in the southern part of the Germanic-speaking region and slowly spread northward. Various dialect features stopped at different places. These features are still with us today and are the main criteria for delineating modern German dialects. Low German is set off from the High (from the ‘highlands’ of the German-speaking region) and Middle German dialects by not having participated in any of the sound changes. Therefore, it is a very conservative language in many respects. Its consonants sound more like those of English than to those of High German. Low German also looks and sounds very much like its sister language, Dutch.


But what does this have to do with German genealogy? Well, the researcher might come across documents that have Low German features. Most commonly, it will be only names that are Low German, as most areas in Germany switched to High German for official purposes by 1600. Names, such as Schoonmaker, ten Brink, Barkhofen, op de Weeg, Willems and many others betray their Low German origin. If you see one of these surnames, you should believe that the family that carries the name is, or at least had ancestors, from northern Germany. But, because people are now so mobile and move for various reasons, a name itself cannot tell you where a living person is from. However, the form of the name can give you a clue about the origin of an ancestor.


Researchers will probably encounter Low German names when researching in northern Germany. But will they encounter the Low German language itself? Since most officials switched to High German so early and there are not many records from before the switch that are of interest to the genealogist, the answer is probably no. However, once in a while, a researcher will encounter a Low German document. What to do? How hard will it be to decipher and translate the document? These questions can be answered very simply. The difficulty in reading the document depends more on the handwriting than the language. If you can read German or Dutch, you will have no trouble reading Low German. In fact, sometimes it is difficult, even impossible to tell whether a text is in Dutch or Low German.


Here are a few entries from the church book in Wirdum, which is in the very northwestern corner of Germany, very near the North Sea and The Netherlands.


Anno 1657
Rebecca Arnoldi Joh: Schoolmeisters Dochter, Hemke Jacobß d: Vaddersche d. 25. October.


Here we see the Dutch (and English!)-looking School-, where German would have Schul-. Dochter looks Dutch, too, as does Vaddersche.

Haitet, Johan Meteß Sohn, syn Suster Vaddersche. d. 20. Sept.

Although it is sometimes impossible to tell whether a text is Dutch or Low German, there are often clues to tell the reader which language it is. First, this parish is in Germany, which lends support to the idea that the language is Low German. But that is not a determining factor. In this entry we see the word Sohn, which is German. In Dutch, we would expect zoon. Syn is not typical of Standard German and neither is suster. Both are Low German.


Anno 1659
Anneke, Cornelließ Willemß dochter, Hileke Pieter Meuleß
Vrouwe Vaddersche, op Aland gedoopt d. 27. Febrüa:


Here we see Vrouwe, which looks very Dutch, as opposed to German Frau. Vrouwe and Vaddersche display the typical Dutch and Low German initial V for the ‘F’ sound. German has both V and F. Op is a Dutch and Low German word for Standard German auf. Finally, we see gedoopt, where Standard German would have getauft. This is also exactly the same as in Dutch.


These few entries show that Low German was in use in the parish registry in the middle of the 17th century in the German town Wirdum. Although there are other entries which contain more Low German words, such as gestorven, these three illustrate that a researcher with German or Dutch skill will have no trouble reading Low German.


For a more detailed explanation of the sound changes and how they relate to surnames, see this WIKI article: The Dialect Basis of Spelling Variation in German Surnames

or, click here for an article on Languages in the Lower Rhine Area of Germany
or here for Spellings Variants in the Northern Rheinland.
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Low German Language in German Research (2024)

FAQs

Does anyone still speak Low German? ›

Variants of Low German are spoken in most parts of Northern Germany, for instance in the states of Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Hamburg, Bremen, Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony-Anhalt, and Brandenburg.

Can High German understand Low German? ›

The distinction between Low, Central, and Upper German is not so clear cut as many sources say. Most people in Germany can understand at least one of those dialects just as well as Standard German.

What level of German language is required to study in Germany? ›

For studies taught in German, you need to demonstrate at least a C1 level of proficiency in the language, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) or DSH II certification.

Is Low German mutually intelligible with German? ›

When spoken in their purest form, Low German, most Upper German, High Franconian dialects and even some Central German dialects are unintelligible to those versed only in Standard German. However, all German dialects belong to the dialect continuum of High German and Low German.

Do Mennonites speak Low German? ›

They are sometimes referred to as "Kanadier" Mennonites (signifying the Canadian migration) or "Mexican" Mennonites but many prefer to be called "Low German-speaking Mennonites." They speak Plautdiestch, a variation of High German that varies from one locale to another.

Is Low German closer to English? ›

Low German or Low Saxon (German: Plattdeutsch, or Platt) is one of the Germanic languages. It is still spoken by many people in northern Germany and the northeast part of the Netherlands. Low German is closer to the English and Dutch languages than High German (Hochdeutsch) is.

What level of German is considered fluent? ›

The C Levels: Fluency – C1

C1 speakers almost never need to search for a simple word to express their ideas when they speak German. At C1, you will be able to use the language effectively in your social, academic, and professional life.

Can I get a job in Germany without speaking German? ›

There are job opportunities available in Germany for non-German speakers, particularly in international companies or in industries such as IT and finance. However, it is recommended to learn some basic German as it can increase job opportunities and help with daily life in Germany.

Is B1 German enough to work in Germany? ›

Working in Germany

If you´d like to work in Germany you´ll get by if your German is on level B1/B2 (online test). The certificate issued by GLS is recognized by many employers and even some universities in Germany. More about the GLS German language certificate.

Where do you speak Low German? ›

Low German is spoken in the following nine German federal states: Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, Schleswig-Holstein and (the northern parts of) Brandenburg, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saxony-Anhalt.

Is Low German still spoken on Quora? ›

However, the number of speakers has been declining in recent decades, and it is now considered an endangered language. Low German is mainly spoken in northern Germany, particularly in the states of Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and Hamburg.

Is Low German easy to learn? ›

Low German has some vowel sounds that are not known in many other languages so they may be hard to learn.

Can Low German speakers understand Dutch? ›

Although Dutch and German are related, it is very difficult for speakers of the two languages to understand each other.

References

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