Low German language (2024)

In Fritz Reuter

…of Mecklenburg, are written in Plattdeutsch, a north German dialect.\n

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dialect of

    • Lower Saxony
      • Low German language (1)

        In Lower Saxony: People

        …Low German dialect known as Plattdeutsch. The latter, a dialect closely related to Dutch, Frisian, and English, is quite distinct from the official High German (see also German language). Some regional literature is still written in this dialect, and it remains the language of the home in much of the…\n

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    • Schleswig
      • Low German language (2)

        In Schleswig

        …portion of Schleswig speak a Low German dialect, while the majority in the Danish portion of the region speak Danish.\n

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    influence on

      • Danish language
        • In Danish language

          …common gender, and acquired many Low German words, prefixes, and suffixes from contact with the traders of the Hanseatic League. In the 18th century a mildly puristic reform led to the replacement of many French loans by their native equivalents (e.g., imagination was replaced by indbildning; compare German Einbildung), and,…\n

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      • English vocabulary
        • Low German language (3)

          In English language: Vocabulary

          For centuries a form of Low German was used by seafaring men in North Sea ports. Old nautical terms still in use include buoy, deck, dock, freebooter, hoist, leak, pump, skipper, and yacht. The Dutch in New Amsterdam (later New York) and adjacent settlements gave the words boss, cookie, dope,…\n

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      • German language
        • Low German language (4)

          In Germany: Languages of Germany

          …known as Low German, or Plattdeutsch, historically was spoken in all regions occupied by the Saxons and spread across the whole of the North German Plain. Although it has been largely displaced by standard German, it is still widely spoken, especially among elderly and rural inhabitants in the areas near…\n

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      Also known as: Niederdeutsch, Plattdeutsch

      Learn about this topic in these articles:

      Assorted References

      • comparison to High German
        • In German language

          …either the High German or Low German dialectal groups. The main difference between High and Low German is in the sound system, especially in the consonants. High German, the language of the southern highlands of Germany, is the official written language.

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      • use by Reuter

      dialect of

        • Lower Saxony
          • Low German language (13)

            In Lower Saxony: People

            …Low German dialect known as Plattdeutsch. The latter, a dialect closely related to Dutch, Frisian, and English, is quite distinct from the official High German (see also German language). Some regional literature is still written in this dialect, and it remains the language of the home in much of the…

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        • Schleswig
          • Low German language (14)

            In Schleswig

            …portion of Schleswig speak a Low German dialect, while the majority in the Danish portion of the region speak Danish.

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        influence on

          • Danish language
            • In Danish language

              …common gender, and acquired many Low German words, prefixes, and suffixes from contact with the traders of the Hanseatic League. In the 18th century a mildly puristic reform led to the replacement of many French loans by their native equivalents (e.g., imagination was replaced by indbildning; compare German Einbildung), and,…

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          • English vocabulary
            • Low German language (15)

              In English language: Vocabulary

              For centuries a form of Low German was used by seafaring men in North Sea ports. Old nautical terms still in use include buoy, deck, dock, freebooter, hoist, leak, pump, skipper, and yacht. The Dutch in New Amsterdam (later New York) and adjacent settlements gave the words boss, cookie, dope,…

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          • German language
            • Low German language (16)

              In Germany: Languages of Germany

              …known as Low German, or Plattdeutsch, historically was spoken in all regions occupied by the Saxons and spread across the whole of the North German Plain. Although it has been largely displaced by standard German, it is still widely spoken, especially among elderly and rural inhabitants in the areas near…

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          Low German language (2024)

          FAQs

          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.

          Is Low German similar to Danish? ›

          Like Norwegian and Swedish, Danish was significantly influenced by Low German in the Middle Ages, and has been influenced by English since the turn of the 20th century.

          What is another word for Low German? ›

          The word Plautdietsch translates to "flat (or low) German" (referring to the plains of northern Germany or the simplicity of the language).

          Is Low German the same as Pennsylvania Dutch? ›

          European origins. A linguistics map of Dutch/German Europe: Low German is red, including Netherlands Dutch, and High German is blue and green, including Pennsylvania Dutch and Palatine.

          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.

          Is Low German a dead language? ›

          Low Germanwas once spoken widely across northern Germany and is considered the indigenous language of this region. In the 20th century, Low German began eroding on such a massive scale that the European Union added it to its Charter of Endangered Languages in the 1990s.

          Can Dutch people understand Low German? ›

          The results show that Dutchmen understand more High German than Low German and that subjects from the border area understand more Low German than subjects from other parts of the country.

          Where is Low German spoken today? ›

          Low German is a West Germanic language spoken mainly in Northern Germany and the northeastern Netherlands. The dialect of Plautdietsch is also spoken in the Russian Mennonite diaspora worldwide.

          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.

          How do you say hi in Low German? ›

          Moin, moi or mojn is a Low German, Frisian, High German (moin [moin] or Moin, [Moin]), Danish (mojn) (mòjn) greeting from East Frisia, Northern Germany, the eastern and northern Netherlands, Southern Jutland in Denmark and parts of Kashubia in northern Poland.

          Is Low German easy to learn? ›

          However, the Low German dialects from western Germany are the easiest to understand, as they show a certain level of uniformity. Eastern dialects are often harder to understand, and they often contain more High German words or general influence.

          How do you say "please" in Low German? ›

          Ick heet ______ . (ick HAYT _____ .) Please. Thank you.

          Do Amish speak German or Dutch? ›

          The vast majority of Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonites across North America speak two languages fluently, Pennsylvania German (popularly known as Pennsylvania Dutch) and English.

          Where is the purest German spoken? ›

          The purest Standard-German to be spoken is considered to be the one spoken in Hannover. I haven't been too much in the north, but in the Ruhr Area standard German (or something very close to it) is also the norm.

          Where did Low German originate? ›

          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.

          What German language is closest to English? ›

          Consequently, the impact of various languages has transformed English into a distinctive blend of Germanic and Romance tongues. Dutch, Frisian, and German stand as the nearest kin to English, with Frisian holding the strongest resemblance.

          Is English High German or Low German? ›

          Low German is most closely related to Frisian and English, with which it forms the North Sea Germanic group of the West Germanic languages.

          References

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