South Guelderish

Kleverländisch ( Ndl Klever Lands ) is a North Low Franconian dialect group in North Rhine -Westphalia and in adjacent areas of the Netherlands. This dialect is closely related to the Südgelderschen (Zuid- Gelders ) and finds its continuation in the south-eastern Ostbergischen.

As an alternative term is used in Germany today Northern Low Franconian.

Roof languages

Kleverländisch was due to its varied rich history to the late 19th century under the strong influence of the Dutch language and has been covered by it. As a result, the dialect was written with Dutch grammar and spelling. Therefore, long time was Kleverländisch also known as German Dutch ( Nederlands Duits nld. ) known.

About the close degree of relationship between the Lower Rhine, which also includes the Kleverländische heard, and the Netherlands wrote the German scholar Willy Sanders:

" The close relationship of the Lower Rhine to the present Dutch have their natural reason in the common Low Franconian language character. In association with the early integration of politico-territorial nature (such as the duchy of Guelders with its four quarters ' Roermond, Nijmegen, Arnhem and Zuphen ) this resulted in the in the lower Rhine still until this century a Dutch of closely related language type, volksläufig just " Dutch " was spoken. "

The German scholar Theodor Frings thought this regard even further. He urged the general integration of the Lower Rhine into Dutch:

"One should the Lower Rhine north of the line of the sound shift, so in Geldern, beat Mörs, Kleve, the Netherlands. "

Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages the Lower Rhine was one of those areas where the Middle Dutch language was used. In the 15th century began with the Cologne expansion of the Rise of the Middle German, more precisely the Altkölnischen, and from the 16th century of High German in the Low Franconian language area.

16th century

1544 Cologne had introduced the German Luther for his domain, and thus the modern German literary language also extended to the north and west. Cologne extended his linguistic sphere of influence far into the future from the Netherlands. Thus arose in the 16th century with the Uerdinger line a new balance border between the Cologne and the Low Franconian dialects Ripuarian and as a consequence the present Limburg dialects that stood between the low- and medium-sized German and purely transitional dialects were.

But the introduction of the written German language ended at the borders of the Habsburg Netherlands, to which the House of Habsburg was 1524 and 1543 also acquire the northern provinces between the years. In this " Burgundian " the French heritage was the major language of culture. In the seven northern provinces, however, a low Frankish / Dutch written language had gained significant influence, which was based on the dialects of the provinces of Holland and Brabant and the far radiated into the room of the Lower Rhine in the 16th century ( Brabant expansion). Such was the state of the Lower Rhine, and partly also the Westphalian dialects of West Munster country and in addition strongly under the influence of Brabantish -Dutch written language.

17th Century

In the 17th and 18th centuries the political boundaries of the Lower Rhine were redrawn. In 1614, Prussia was able to buy his first possessions on the Lower Rhine, where it took its heritage in the Duchy of Cleves, among others.

In the Peace of Utrecht in 1713, the Habsburg Quartermaster Roermond the old duchy was divided funds (since 1543 in Habsburg) among its neighbors:

• Prussia received the largest part of the upper quarter. It received the offices boiler ( with the larger communities boiler, Venray, Horst, Sevenum, Well, Afferden and Middelaar ) Straelen funds ( with the larger municipalities ' money and Rayen ), Wachtendonk and Krickenbeck the exclave Viersen. These areas formed the Prussian quartermaster.
• The Netherlands received the largest part of the Office Monfort with the enclaves of Venlo, Beesel and Nieuwstad. This area formed the Static Quartermaster.
• The House of Habsburg was able to keep only a small part of the Office Monfort for his sphere of influence. It retained the communities Roermond, Swalmen, Elmpt, Niederkruechten and Wegberg. In addition, the communities Meijel, Nederweert, Weert, Wessem, Kessenich, Obbicht, Herten and Maasniel were acquired. These areas formed the now Austrian Quartermaster. (see also Austro funds )
• The Duchy of Jülich was able to acquire and integrate that had previously belonged to the Office Monfort Erkelenz the enclave. This area was also called Jülisches Quartermaster.

With the incorporation of the Lower Rhine area in Prussia there also the German was formally introduced as a written language. But the German was able to prevail only different in those areas. The Lower Rhine region and belongs to the Cologne District Rheinberg was thus the end of the 18th century, under competition between two high - culture and languages, while in the county of Moers, including the time compared to today tiny town of Krefeld was the only German.

The rechtslippische territory of the former Duchy of Cleves was already bilingual. In addition to the Germans and Dutch was used; only in the former town of Wesel officials and their surrounding areas alone, the German was used. The Klever area between lip and Maas was also bilingual, in which case the Netherlands clearly has been given preference. But the city of Kleve and the Palatine settlements were dominated by the written German language.

In the area of the Duchy of sponsorship, the Dutch dominated against the Germans. In gelderischen Quartermaster the Meuse already played the role of a linguistic border: While the area south of the river with the places Venray and Horst almost exclusively used only Dutch, so used to the right of the Meuse and in the enclave Viersen already also the German to a limited extent. This area was therefore only predominantly Dutch-speaking. The gelderischen low quarters (which today is essentially the Dutch province of Gelderland account ) used only the Dutch.

Belonging to Cologne District Rheinberg was also bilingual at that time, but was being given to the Germans preferred. The former gelderische enclave Erkelenz used in contrast to the rest Duchy of Jülich predominantly Dutch.

19th century

Between 1803 and 1810 the Lower Rhine area was incorporated into the French Empire. The left bank of the Rhine in 1806 the department of Roer and east of the Rhine, with the exception of the city of Wesel incorporated into the Department lip. Wesel and its surrounding area was added to the Roer department. The right bank area was connected in the same year to the newly appointed and enlarged Grand Duchy of Berg. But this area in 1810 but was annexed and incorporated into the French Empire. The German was follow its replaced by French as the official language. The Lower Rhine in turn favored the Netherlands, which now came out as the top language again. Here, the German was pushed back even from those of the Lower Rhine areas where it was previously used mainly.

In 1815 the boundaries of the Lower Rhine and the Meuse, were as a result of the Vienna Congress, redrawn. The re- affiliated to Prussia Lower Rhine area now formed the province of Jülich -Cleves -Berg, and there was German prescribed as the sole high-level language. 1824 this province was merged with the southern neighborhood of Frankfurt " Province Niederrhein " to the new Rhine Province. 1827 Dutch was banned as a church language at the urging of Prussia by the Bishop of Münster. One year later, was to be taught in schools of Prussian Upper pensions on the basis of a decree of the provincial government only in High German.

In the revolutionary years of 1848/49 was attempted by the government to push back the Dutch specifically from that area. The Netherlands was only admitted as a culture and language of the Reformed Church.

Between the years 1817 and 1866 a Protestant Church ( United Church ) was established in Prussia, the united Lutheran and Reformed doctrine. As a result, was in the Lower Rhine and the Reformed worship alone hold on German, Dutch and thereby lost slowly in this region his former rank. By 1870, but it was on the Lower Rhine still possible to submit applications and the like in Dutch authorities and offices.

After the German Empire (1871 ) the use of German was admitted on the Lower Rhine with all authorities and offices only. However, this met with resistance from those of the Lower Rhine populations, which were heavily influenced by Reformed as the Netherlands and who had previously served as church language Dutch. These populations were based more closely to the neighboring kingdom. They wrote in the meantime also a strong embossed Lower Rhine variant of Dutch, and this Dutch more by the High German influence some of the official standard language of the neighboring kingdom from. So still a long time Dutch was used by the population in addition to the Germans, even though this was not admitted. Also Dutch was used in some communities until about 1900 as a school language or taught next to the German as a second language.

20th century

From about 1900, the German had become established as the dominant language on the Lower Rhine roof and replaced the Dutch. Only the group of Altreformierten cars still Dutch as a language of the Church, until this was abolished in 1936 by the Nazis.

Limitation by isoglosses

The delineation of the Kleverländischen to other related idioms is extremely difficult. Thus, the linguistic differences between the Kleverländischen and the adjacent Gelderischen are example so low that today both language variants sometimes as Südgelder ( i) sch ( Ndl Zuid- Gelders ) summed it from the ( North ) Gelderischen dialects ( Gelders - Overijssel) demarcate the Gelder country. However, there are also in the Netherlands, a dialect area that called itself the Zuid- Gelders and represents the one - Brabantish gelderisches transition area.

However, a differentiation from Brabant is difficult as this, especially since the 16th century had a great impact on the Lower Rhine. So the Kleverländische, the Gelderische and Brabant were united under the umbrella term Brabants on several occasions.

Today mainly isoglosses are used to delimit the Kleverländischen of related idioms:

The Uerdinger line (ik / I - isogloss ) south of Venlo separates the Kleverländische from Limburg. Sometimes, but, especially in the Netherlands, also the Diest -Nijmegen or houden / keep - line taken (by ou / al - isogloss ). This isogloss separates the Dutch Germanists considers the Kleverländische the neighboring Brabant and the other Dutch dialects. For this, the ij / ie- isogloss (so-called mijn / premium line) is used in the German Germanists majority, which is also known as ijs / ies - isogloss. The weakening to the north unit plural line (so-called " Westphalian line " ) finally separates the Kleverländische of Lower Saxony.

Dissemination

For Kleverländischen include:

• The spoken on the Lower Rhine Klevisch - Weselische and the dialects of the Western ( Rhenish ) Ruhr (Mülheim an der Ruhr, Duisburg, Oberhausen )
• The dialects of Ostbergischen can - purely formalistic ( Uerdinger line on the one hand and Westphalian line in the east on the other hand as the boundary line in the West) - be included. However, these are now regarded as a separate dialect group of Lower Franconia, on the one hand the Ripuarian in the area around Mülheim an der Ruhr ( Mölmsch ), Essen -Kettwig and Essen-Werden, on the other hand, the area around Langenberg Westfälische influences are already characterize it differently strong influences. The cited below under " Samples " Wenkersätze are certainly not exemplary of the ostbergische dialect group.
• The in the region Noord -Limburg ( NL) dialects spoken.
• The dialect of Venlo (NL, me - quarters ).
• The dialect of Cuijk ( NL).
• The vernacular of " Liemers " region ( NL).

Samples

• " Ek heb still Efkes afgewaachd if dat, wach'e min sedges wold. " "I've waited just what you wanted to tell me. "
• ( Hook size ) " Ik heb nog even afgewacht wat U / je me zeggen wou. "

• " In the winter, the dry leaves flying around in the air. "
• ( Hook size ) "In de winter Waaien drug bladeren rond de in de luchtfoto. "

• " It sounds the same on to snow, then the weather will be better. "
• ( Hook size ) "Het zal zo ophouden met sneeuwen, dan wordt het weer weer beter. "

• " He died four or six weeks ago. "
• ( Hook size ) " Hij is four indices of weken geleden gestorven. "

• "The fire was too hot, the cakes are so burned completely black down there."
• ( Hook size ) "Het vuur what te heet, de koeken zijn aan de onderkant helemaal zwart aangebrand. "

• "He always eats the eggs without salt and pepper. "
• ( Hook size ) " Hij eet de Eitjes altijd zonder zout en peper. / Hij doet de Eitjes altijd zonder zout en peper eten. "

The city's St. John Johann Wassenberch led in the 15th and 16th centuries, regularly records of local and world events, which provide information about the former language in the Lower Rhine:

Dialect and written language

In the 12th century came in the Rhine -Meuse delta - the field, the Kleverländischen and the Limburg dialects are spoken in the today - is now called the rheinmaasländische written language. While this had many elements of regional dialects, but is not the same as this. The Lower Rhine Platt was the language spoken of - often illiterate - ordinary people; Rheinmaasländische the other hand, was the written language ( written language ) of upscale estates and offices. Rheinmaasländisch Latin had largely replaced as a writing language, until it lost its importance in the 16th century; one hand in favor of the over Cologne propagating northward " High German ", on the other hand in favor of an emerging in today's Netherlands own written language. However, could this "High German written language " is not spread equally fast everywhere on the Lower Rhine. Over a longer period existed in some cities ( inter alia in Geldern, Kleve, Wesel, Krefeld ) German and Dutch side by side, and decrees were issued in both written languages ​​.

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