(''Nederduitse talen, Niederdeutsche Sprachen'') are any of a variety of
West Germanic Language s spoken in northern
Germany , the
Netherlands ,
Belgium and
Surinam . It also includes
Afrikaans , which is spoken in
South Africa , and
Plautdietsch , which is spoken by
Mennonite communities in
North and
South America . Middle Low German was the
Lingua Franca of the
Hanseatic League .
The term
Low German is sometimes used instead of ''Low Germanic languages''. However, this leads to the confusion between that group of languages and one of its constituents, Low German.
The Low Germanic languages are distinguished from the High Germanic languages principally in that the latter underwent a
Consonant shift in the
700s and
800s .
In High German, /k/, /p/, /t/ became /(k)x/ (only in some dialects), /pf/, /ts/ in initial positions and /x/, /f/, /s/ in medial and final positions.
In Low German (as well as English and Frisian), the old /k/, /p/, /t/ are still there, as in English "better", Dutch "beter", German "besser".
Low German (North Saxon): |
Ik segg et/dat up Nedderdüütsch/Platt(düütsch). |
Low German (Mennonite Plautdietsch): |
Ekj/Etj saje et op Nadadietsch/Plautdietsch. |
Standard Dutch: |
Ik zeg het in het Nederduits/Platduits. |
Afrikaans: |
Ek sê dit in Nederduits/Platduits. |
High (Standard) German: |
Ich sage es auf Niederdeutsch/Platt(deutsch). |
(Eastern) Yiddish: |
Ik zogs oyf niderdaytsh. (.איך זאָגס אױף נידערדײַטש) |
English: |
I say it in Low German/Flat German. |
English is not a Low Germanic language but an
Anglo-Frisian Language .
Note that divisions between subfamilies of Germanic are rarely precisely defined; most form continuous clines, with adjacent
Dialect s being mutually intelligible by listeners and more separated ones not.
In particular, there is not thought to have been any single "
Proto-Low German ". The earliest recorded form of the Low German subgroup is known as
Old Saxon , a member of the
Low German branch.
- Low Franconian
- --- Hollandic (in the Netherlands )
- --- West Flemish (in West Flanders and nearby areas of Belgium, Zeeland in the Netherlands, and France )
- --- East Flemish
- --- Brabantic in Belgium and the Netherlands
- --- Limburgish (in the Netherlands , Germany , and Belgium ) including Limburgs
- --- Zuid-Gelders (in Germany and the Netherlands )
- --- Afrikaans (in South Africa and Namibia )
- --- Surinaams in Surinam (in South-America )
- Low German (sometimes called ''Low Saxon'')
- --- West Low German (sometimes called ''Low Saxon'')
-- Westphalian (in Westphalia , in Germany)
-- Northern Low Saxon (in East Frisia / Eastern Friesland and other parts of Germany)
-- Eastphalian Language
-- Dutch Low Saxon
- ''Gelders-Overijssels en Urks''
Achterhoeks (in Gelderland , in the Netherlands)
Sallands (in central Overijssel , in the Netherlands)
- Midden-Drents (in Drenthe , in the Netherlands)
- Zuid-Drents (in Drenthe , in the Netherlands)
- Gronings (in Groningen , in the Netherlands)
Westerwolds (in eastern Groningen, the Netherlands)
- Stellingwerfs (in Stellingwerven , in Friesland , in the Netherlands)
Veenkoloniaals (in eastern Groningen, the Netherlands)
- Twents (in eastern Overijssel, in the Netherlands)
- Veluws (in Gelderland, in the Netherlands)
North Veluws
''Oost-Veluws''
- ''Kollumerlands''
- --- East Low German
-- Mecklenburgisch-Pommersch (in Mecklenburg )
-- East Pomeranian (in Brazil )
-- Brandenburgisch (in Brandenburg )
-- Low Prussian
