Bergish dialects
Bergische languages in the broader sense
The in Bergisch Land, a region of North Rhine -Westphalia, spoken dialects.
These include in particular:
- West Bergisch ( Heinberg, Mönchengladbach ) and low Bergisch in the Dusseldorf area, in the district of Mettmann, in Solingen and Remscheid, belonging to the province of Limburg or südniederfränkischen dialect group,
- Ostbergisch in Mülheim an der Ruhr ( Mölmsch ) Kettwig, Will, Wuppertal, Radevormwald, Hückeswagen, Wipperfuerth and Gummersbach, which belongs to the Kleverländisch, which are the most south-eastern part of the North Low Franconian group, as well as
- The Ostripuarischen dialects to Bergisch Gladbach and Leverkusen, in the past, large parts of the former district of Mülheim am Rhein, which are the Kölschen extremely similar and are therefore referred to together with others as a land Kölsch, and
- Designated in the area between the present Bergisch Gladbach and victory or Rösrath to east of Waldbroel and about victories as südbergisch.
The collective term " Bergisch " for this so very different dialect groups associated language varieties is not a linguistic classification. It derives more ago from the political history of the county mountain and the self-perception of the inhabitants of the Bergische Land.
Linguistically, the Ostbergischen dialects are seen as transitional dialects of Westphalia, which is part of the Low German language area, which extends to Schleswig -Holstein and Mecklenburg. The East and West Bergische languages are part of the Lower Franconian language area, which also includes the Dutch and Afrikaans. The Südbergischen varieties, however, are members of the Central German -speaking countries, which in turn is part of High German, which stretches as far as Austria and Switzerland.
The isoglosses that separate the different Bergische dialects from one another, are part of the so-called Rhenish fan. They are part of the continental West Germanic dialect continuum in which spatially neighboring dialects usually have only a few differences from each other, whereas with increasing distance mutual intelligibility is continuously decreasing.
The words of the Bergische dialects are described in the Rhenish dictionary.
Bergische language in the strict sense
In the strict sense is understood Bergisch especially the (West) bergischen dialects in the district of Mettmann ( such as the Velberter Platt), in Solingen and Remscheid. These form a separate, clearly defined dialect group within the Limburg. ( See above )
Excerpt from: Georg Wenker (1852-1911): The Rhine Platt [ 1877; in original orthography ]
We have now found only two dialects, 1 ) the Lower Rhine from Uerdingen down the Rhine to the Dutch border, 2) the Westphalian, occupying a long strip on the border of the province of Westphalia. What shall we do with the area between the Uerdinger and Benrather line? There is also a special dialect here? No! But the platform, which is spoken here, is a mixture of the north and south adjacent dialects. Hence it is that with in this whole area, so in the circles Geilenkirchen, Heinberg, Erkelenz, Kempen, Gladbach, Crefeld and the northern half of the circle Neuss, also in the right bank districts Dusseldorf, Mettmann and the northern half of Solingen and Lennep almost every second, third place of Dialect sounds strikingly already changed. And this is especially true of the left side of the Rhine and the flat strip to the right of the Rhine near Dusseldorf, for the simple reason that in the whole flat area could the nations mingle much easier than in the mountains. Therefore, we can draw with certainty only in the mountains, in the so-called Bergische, some boundary lines. And as we want to use the words and Rhine wine. In Dusseldorf saying known Rhing and Wing, also in the neighborhood; but as soon as start the mountains, east of Ratingen, Hilden, you can hear Rhien, Vienna or Rhinn, Winn, and thus we are in Bergisch Dialect. But this is again divided into 4 Unterdialecte: 1) the Solinger, 2) the Remscheid, 3) the Mettmanner, 4) the Wülfrather Dialect. The Mettmanner and Solinger has ehr, ÖCH, ühr for High German her, you, your, the Wülfrather and Remscheid but already divine and ÖNK. The two northern, Mettmann and Wülfrath, use me and you held me and you, just as it is also in Dusseldorf says: dat I tell you! or geff me dat! Never: dat I 'll tell you! or: geff me dat! In Solingen as in Remscheid but Dialect ' s called as in High German: me and you who's on the question? and me and you who to the question? The Solingen has Winn, Rhinn, the other three dialects but Vienna, Rhien. The best, however, the four bergischen dialects differ by the way they form reduction words, like sticks, houses, trees, benches. If the reduction words: aims to investigate so you have to give in two eight: 1 ) you have the words on k, ch, g, ng terminate, disconnect exactly from all others, these take a different ending as the others; but that will only therefore, because you can not comfortably say Büchchen, Tüchchen, Aeugchen and you a letter to facilitate has therefore must insert; 2 ), but care must be taken in the reduction words on how the majority is formed. Now can be found in the four dialects bergischen following significant differences in the reduction of the words: