Plautdietsch
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Plautdietsch, or Mennonite Low German, is a language spoken by the Mennonites who trace their roots to the Low Countries and north Germany, but who adopted an East Low German dialect while they were refugees in the Vistula delta area of Royal Prussia (later the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth), beginning in the early-to-mid 1500s. Beginning in the late 1700s, when the region became part of the Kingdom of Prussia, many Mennonites left and created new colonies north of the Black Sea (present-day Ukraine), in an area that Russia had recently acquired in one of the Russo-Turkish Wars (see Russian Mennonites). Many Mennonites migrated to North America — especially Canada and the United States — and Latin America — especially Paraguay and Mexico, — most of them live as rural settlers and added some Spanish and Portuguese words to their own language.
Today Plautdietsch is spoken in Paraguay, Mexico, Ukraine, Germany, Canada (particularly Manitoba and Saskatchewan), Brazil, Belize, and the United States. There are two major dialects which trace their division to Ukraine. These two dialects are split between the New Colony and Old Colony Mennonites. Many younger Russian Mennonites in Canada and the United States today speak only English. For example, Homer Groening, the father of Matt Groening (creator of The Simpsons), spoke Plautdietsch as a child in Saskatchewan in the 1920s, but his son Matt never learned the language.
Certain groups like the Old Colony Mennonites of Mexico have guarded the language better than others. However, as Old Colony Mennonites from Mexico resettle in Canada and the United States, the stability of Plautdietsch in this group may be put to the test in their new homes, especially if the current stigmatisation of Old Colony Mennonites because of their poverty continues, as is the case in some places like Ontario by more prosperous neighbours. This may ultimately lead to an abandonment of the language by even this group in the future.
Writing
The Lord's Prayer in a Low Germanic language (Dutch) and two Low Germanic dialects, Plaudietsch and Low German.
Plautdiets |
Low German |
Dutch |
| Ons Voda em Himmel, | Uns Vader, in Himmel. | Onze Vader die in de hemelen zijt, |
| lot dien Nome jeheilicht woare; | Heiliget is dien Naam. | Laat Uw naam worde geheiligd, |
| lot dien Ritjdom kome; | Dien Riek sall komen. | Uw koninkrijk kome. |
| lot dien Welle jedone woare, | Dien Will doch doon, | Uw wil geschiede, |
| uck hia oppe Ed, soo aus em Himmel; | up Welt as dat is in Himmel. | gelijk in de hemel alzo ook op aard. |
| jeff ons Dach fe Dach daut Broot, daut ons fehlt; | Gäv uns dis Dag, uns dagliks Brod. | Geef ons heden ons dagelijks brood, |
| en vejeff ons onse Schult, | Un vergäv uns uns Schuld, | en vergeef ons onze schulden, |
| soo aus wie den vejewe, dee sich jeajen ons veschuldicht ha; | as wi vergäven uns Schuldners. | zoals ook wij vergeven onze schuldenaren. |
| en brinj ons nich en Vesetjunk nenn, | Un bring uns nich in Versuchung. | en breng ons niet in verzoeking, |
| oba rad ons von Beeset. | Aber spaar uns van de Übel. | maar red ons van het boze. |
See also
- East Low German
- Pennsylvania German
- Hutterite German (not closely related linguistically, but also used primarily by a religious group)
- Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church, a Low German Mennonite Church, Kansas, USA
References
- De Bibel, Kindred Productions, 2003. ISBN 1-921788-97-5
- Epp, Reuben The Spelling of Low German & Plautdietsch, Reader's Press, 1996. ISBN 9638494-1-7
- Epp, Reuben The Story of Low German & Plautdietsch, Reader's Press, 1996. ISBN 0-9638494-0-9
- Rempel, Herman Kjenn Jie Noch Plautdietsch? A Mennonite Low German Dictionary, PrairieView Press, 1995. ISBN 1-896199-13-5
- Thiessen, Jack Mennonite Low German Dictionary / Mennonitisch-Plattdeutsches Wörterbuch, University of Wisconsin, 2003. ISBN 0-924119-09-8
External links
- [Ethnologue report for Plautdietsch]
- [Was ist Plautdietsch] (in German)
- [Plautdietsch-Freunde e.V.]
- [Dialect Literature and Speech, Low German from the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia]
- [Pennsylvania German vs Plautdietsch among Mennonites]
- [Plautdietsch online Dictionary and grammar guide]
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