Twents

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Twents (or Tweants; sometimes known as Twentsch) is a West Dutch Low Saxon dialect spoken in Twente, a Dutch region near the German border, although it is also spoken in the nearby German border regions. Its speakers also refer to Tweants as Plat.

Native speakers have a distinct accent when speaking Dutch, and are hence easily recognized. Particularly the distinct pronunciation of the 'O' is renowned. The language is also known for its wealth in proverbs:

Loa moar kuul'n, 't löp wa los – Never mind, it will sort itself out.
As 'n tied komt, komt 'n ploag – When the time comes, the trouble comes. Don't worry before the trouble starts.
Ie könt nich bloaz'n en 't mel in 'n moond hoal'n – Literally, you cannot blow and keep the flour in your mouth. 'Bloaz'n' also means 'to brag', so its real meaning is the same as "put your money where your mouth is"
Hengelerweend – Wind from Hengelo, a haughty attitude.

In contrast to many other dialects, Twents is still commonly used, mainly because there are a fair number of poets writing in it and the traditional stubbornness of its speakers.

Johanna van Buren (poet)
Willem Wilmink (poet, songwriter)
Herman Finkers (comedian)

Also the Bible has been translated into Tweants.

The Van Deinse Instituut in Enschede is an organisation mainly for Twents and the Culture of Twente. Recently, it has enjoyed an extra revival thanks to a soap in Tweants: "Van Jonge Leu en Oale Groond" ("Of young people and old property").

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