LINGUIST List 14.242

Thu Jan 23 2003

Books: Lang Description: Matras, Reershemius

Editor for this issue: Marisa Ferrara <marisalinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. LINCOM.EUROPA, Low German (East Frisian dialect): Matras, Reershemius

		
Title: Low German (East Frisian dialect)
			
Publication Year: 2003
Publisher: Lincom Europa
 http://home.t-online.de/home/LINCOM.EUROPA/
			
Availability: Available
 
Author: Yaron Matras, University of Manchester 
Author: Gertrud Reershemius, 

Paperback: ISBN: 3895868450, Pages: 70 pp., Price: USD 34.50 / EUR
32.50 / GBP 21.10

Abstract:
			
Low German is a direct descendant of Old Saxon, and as such part of
the West Germanic dialect continuum. It was once a major language of
trade and administration around the North Sea and Baltic coasts. Its
gradual decline began around the fifteenth century, and it has been
retreating ever since, giving way to High German. Low German dialects
continued nonetheless to be the dominant vernaculars in rural
communities of northern Germany until a generation ago. The decline in
the importance of agriculture and local, family-based economies has
since weakened the language yet further. Low German is now an
endangered language, with few fluent speakers among the younger
generations, and only very rare cases of children acquiring it as a
first language.

The description is based on the dialect of the Krummhorn community, a
cluster of rural settlements in Germany's northwestern district of
East Frisia on the north sea coast. East Frisian Low German has a
number of unique features which distinguish it from the better
documented varieties of Westphalia or Schleswig-Holstein. It is
characterised by a series of isoglosses in lexicon, verb morphology,
and especially phonology, which features extensive
diphthongisation. The book takes an historical perspective, outlining
the major developments in phonology and morphology.

The chapters on syntax and the tense system take a discourse-oriented
approach, drawing on a corpus of recorded conversation and
narratives. A sociolinguistic introduction surveys the present-day
state and status of the language.
			
Lingfield(s): Historical Linguistics
		Language Description
			 
Subject Language(s): Plautdietsch (Language Code: GRN)
			 
Written In: English (Language Code: ENG)