Meuse-Rhenish

Rhein- Maasländisch ( hook size: Meuse- Rijnlands ) gained a great importance for regional and written language of medieval literature ( novels Minne ) Legal texts and chronicles since the 12th century in Rheinmaasdreick. It took shape in the language area of the southeastern dialect group within the Lower Franconian. Rheinmaasländisch a relatively new -used by linguists, geographically insightful term that includes all dialect regions of the Rhine-Meuse Delta is Südniederfränkisch or Limburg on the one hand and North Low Franconian or Kleverländisch other. So you avoided the controversial question of whether the resident dialects now " Dutch" or " German " were.

Written language and dialects

In Rheinmaasländisch is accordingly a written language ( written language ) of upscale items for decrees, regulations, and official correspondence, which arose in the Lower Franconian language area, but from the spoken dialects of the Lower Rhine delineate. As addition to the to "Official German " authored writings today also existed in the Middle Ages in addition to the written language regional and local Low German dialects that developed in the late Middle Ages to the still in modern times both sides of the German - Dutch border resembling dialects.

Replacement of Latin

Rheinmaasländisch was gradually replaced from the Latin hitherto used for decrees priority. In the absence of orthographic and grammatical rules, the notation from place to place and from writer to writer varied; the same town clerk changed over time, their spellings, eg what the linguist George Cornelissen in his book " Small Niederrheinische Language History " has described with examples from cities in the region. While in the money Risch- Kleve space - based on historical regional boundaries after Empire reorganization by Emperor Charles V. - tend to be more similar to the Dutch today known as the written language, in the more southern areas was the influence of the propagating of the electoral Cologne " Ripuarian " noticeable.

Text Examples

The following snippets of text can be easy to recognize the "proximity" of the Rheinmaasländischen the present Dutch recognize how to back the German Niederrhein spoken Platt:

• From an alliance letter of the year 1364 the Count of Cleves to the Dukes of Brabant, Jülich and Aachen ( intelligible in public Provincial Archives Dusseldorf ):

• From a firmly held by the Duisburg St. John Kaplan John Wassenberch in 1517 " weather forecast":

• From the period from the 14th century there from the glory sleeve (part of Krefeld ) traditional documents, but quite different from the spoken language, the local Hölsch Plott. Here is an extract from an estate settlement in 1363 between the Knights of Matthias Huels and his brothers Geldolf and Johann:

High German and Dutch

From the 16th century the importance of Rheinmaasländischen gradually declined; one hand in favor of the propagating of Cologne ago " High German " on the Lower Rhine, on the other hand, in favor of an emerging in today's Netherlands own written language. So the Electorate of Cologne had introduced ( High German similar ) writing language already in 1544 one thing soon had an impact on firms, among others in Moers, Duisburg and Wesel. However, could this "High German written language " in some areas, eg in the money Rischen Quartermaster, due to the bonds prevail only very slowly to the House of Habsburg. Over a longer period existed in some cities (eg in Geldern, Kleve, Wesel, Krefeld ) German and Dutch side by side and decrees issued in both written languages ​​.

From the 18th century the linguistic separation between ( the German ) Lower Rhine ( both Dutch ) Maas area was finally completed. The respective high and written languages ​​went their separate ways. But spoken dialects survived the new boundaries and lasted until modern times.

As was written

The handwritten documents were written down in a personified by the respective writer ( removed the modern Sütterlinschrift resembling ) cursive. On old bills should also be noted that there is no back to the 16th century - in use today - " Arabic " numerals, but the old one, made ​​up of letters Roman Numeral font was used ( sequences of letters for numbers - the number " 0" was unknown and was only by Adam Riese introduced ). This Latin numerals appear to us today manuscript " alienated " so that, as the manuscripts themselves, appear barely legible or understandable for beginners.

Printed publications were written in texture font as it is found in late medieval documents; From the 16th century also in the similar so-called Fraktura.

Note

The scope of the Rhine and Meuse is geographically a triangle. This is in the northeast of the Westphalian dialects, bounded on the north-west of Brabant and in the southwest of Walloon. To the south is the Benrather line limit the scope. While the Dutch and Afrikaans resulting therefrom to the National Council and written languages ​​developed, were the independent Low Franconian dialects back on German territory from the 18th century building opposite the High German. However, there is a rich regional and local vernacular literature - written by personal orthographic peculiarities of each writer; also Lower Rhine dialect between Kleve and Dusseldorf is maintained in dialect circles and plays. In the Rhine -Meuse delta, there are numerous small-scale and local dialects; often cut through dialect boundaries in the course of regional reorganization newly structured urban areas.