SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN-ROOTS-L Archives

Archiver > SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN-ROOTS > 2000-12 > 0975868195


From: david strommen <>
Subject: Re: [S-H-RTS] Language
Date: Sun, 03 Dec 2000 18:29:55 +0000
References: <001a01c05cfc$5580eb00$ec92bece@default>


The language of northern Germany is usually considered low german, and as you get close to the danish border there are enclaves of Frisian. There are also areas in the north where Danish is the language. In southern Germany you find dialects of high german. High German and Low German are not
dialects of each other but separate languages, some refer to low german as Low Saxon in an attempt to be more correct. High German has become much more prominent in the past years in all of Germany where some have even said the younger generation doesn't want to use Low German any longer because they
feel it is an inferior language, or language of the uneducated. But for centuries low german was the language of trade in the north countries including scandinavia.

"Grimes Tommy L." wrote:

> Does anyone know just exactly what language was spoken in the northern part of germany and then also the southern part of the country. My grandmother always said that there was a HIGH german and a LOW German dialect. Any help would be appreciated. Does anybody know anything about this out there?


This thread: