Low Lusatian German
| Low Lusatian | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Germany |
| Region | Brandenburg, Saxony |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-2 | ger |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
Low Lusatian German (in German: Niederlausitzer Mundart (also English: Low Lusatian Dialect)) is a variety of Central German spoken in northern Saxony and southern Brandenburg within the regions of Lower Lusatia (Cottbus) and the northern part of Upper Lusatia (Hoyerswerda). It is well-defined from the Low German dialects around and north of Berlin as well as the Saxon dialect group of present day Saxony and the Slavic language of the Sorbs.
Both regions were strongly influenced by different dialects, especially after World War II. Refugees from East Prussia and Silesia settled there after their dispossession from former German areas. After the foundation of the German Democratic Republic and an economical development because of a stronger extraction of lignite people from Mecklenburg, Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt moved to the Lusatia region to benefit from the development. Due to this influence of other German dialects Low Lusatian never formed a too strong variaton from standard German. For people moving now into this area the dialect is easy to learn and influences their spoken language quite fast.[citation needed]
Language
In Low Lusatian German, regional specific words are missing. It contains syncops and apocopes which are used in nearly every German dialect. The only clearly remarkable articulation is the guttural "r". It causes that "-er" always sounds as "-a".
| English | Standard German | Lower Lusatian German |
|---|---|---|
| water | Wasser | Wassa |
| hammer | Hammer | Hamma |
| sister | Schwester | Schwesta(r) |
In the beginning of a word the "r" is always soft spoken, but furthermore it is nearly not audible within a word. The same effect can be seen on the letter "e" which is also - mostly - vanishing in the endings, the changing of "au" [Error: {{IPA}}: unrecognized language tag: aʊ] to "o(h)/oo/u" and the stretching of "ei/ai" to "ee".
| English | Standard German | Lower Lusatian German |
|---|---|---|
| to rake | harken | haakn |
| to work | arbeiten | abeitn |
| to buy | kaufen | kohfn |
| as well | auch | ooch |
| on | auf | uff/off |
| up-and-down | auf und ab | uff un(d) app |
| one | ein (m.), eine (f.), eines (n.) | een, eene, eens |
| peewee | Kleine | Kleene |
In sentences where the "i" is spoken short it is mostly formed to a sound similar to the standard German "ü" [Error: {{IPA}}: unrecognized language tag: y] or [Error: {{IPA}}: unrecognized language tag: ʏ]
| English | Standard German | Lower Lusatian German |
|---|---|---|
| table | Tisch | Tüsch |
| church | Kirche | Kürche
(in smaller villages the word Kerke is used.) |
| cherry | Kirsche | Kürsche |
Another sign is a different form of the perfect.
| English | Standard German | Lower Lusatian German |
|---|---|---|
| it was switched off | es wurde abgeschaltet | es wurde abgeschalten |
Example Sentences
| English | Standard German | Lower Lusatian German |
|---|---|---|
| The hammer lies on the table. | Der Hammer liegt auf dem Tisch. | De Hamma liecht off'n Tüsch. |
| I don't know this either. | Das weiß ich doch auch nicht. | Des weeß ich doch ooch nech/nich. |
| We are inside the house? | Wir sind im Haus? | Sin'ma im Haus drinne? |
References
- Astrid Stedje (1987). Deutsche Sprache gestern und heute. Universitätstaschenbuchverlag
- Columns of regional newspapers written in Low Lusatian German (http://www.lr-online.de)