Low German

E15027

Low German is a West Germanic language traditionally spoken in northern Germany and parts of the Netherlands, known for its distinct phonology and vocabulary that set it apart from Standard German.

All labels observed (23)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (64)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Ingvaeonic language
West Germanic language
minority language
regional language
alsoKnownAs Low German
surface form: Low Saxon

Low German
surface form: Nedersaksisch

Low German
surface form: Niederdeutsch

Low German
surface form: Plattdeutsch
hasAncestor Middle Low German
Old Saxon
hasCharacteristic distinct phonology from Standard German
distinct vocabulary from Standard German
lacks High German consonant shift
relatively low degree of inflection compared to High German
hasDialect Brandenburgisch
Low German self-linksurface differs
surface form: East Low German

Eastphalian
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
surface form: Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch

Low German self-linksurface differs
surface form: Northern Low Saxon

Low German self-linksurface differs
surface form: Plautdietsch

Low German self-linksurface differs
surface form: West Low German

Westphalian
hasEstimatedSpeakers several million
hasGlottocode lowg1239
hasISO639-3Code nds
hasLanguageBranch West Germanic languages
surface form: West Germanic
hasLanguageFamily Germanic
Indo-European language family
surface form: Indo-European
hasLegalStatus recognized regional language in Germany
recognized regional language in the Netherlands
hasPhonologicalFeature monophthongization of certain diphthongs
preservation of /p t k/ where High German has /pf ts kx/
hasSyntacticFeature use of double negation in some dialects
verb-second word order in main clauses
hasTypicalWord Moin (greeting)
Platt
Snack (meaning talk)
hasWritingSystem Latin alphabet
isMutuallyIntelligibleWith Dutch (partially)
Frisian (partially)
isProtectedUnder European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
isRegulatedBy Institut für niederdeutsche Sprache
isSpokenIn Brandenburg
German Brazilians
surface form: Brazil (Mennonite communities)

Bremen
Canada (Mennonite communities)
Denmark
surface form: Denmark (South Jutlandic Low German communities)

Drenthe, Netherlands
surface form: Drenthe

Friesland
surface form: Friesland (Netherlands)

Gelderland
Groningen
Hamburg
Lower Saxony
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Mexico
surface form: Mexico (Mennonite communities)

Overijssel
Saxony-Anhalt
Schleswig-Holstein
Mennonites
surface form: United States (Mennonite communities)

eastern Netherlands
north-eastern Netherlands
Northern Germany
surface form: northern Germany
subclassOf Germanic language
Indo-European language

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (143)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Groth language Low German
subject surface form: Klaus Groth
Holstein historicalLanguage Low German
Coesfeld localDialect Low German
this entity surface form: Westphalian Low German
Duchy of Bremen language Low German
Amrum hasLanguage Low German
Cuxhaven localDialect Low German
Plön localDialect Low German
Schleswig regionalLanguage Low German
Neumünster localDialect Low German
Bronck hasLanguageOfOrigin Low German
Bishopric of Münster language Low German
Itzehoe localDialect Low German
German typicalLanguageVariety Low German
Heringsdorf regionalLanguage Low German
Bad Bentheim localDialect Low German
East Scandinavian influencedBy Low German
Duchy of Lauenburg languageUsed Low German
Meppen localMinorityLanguage Low German
Eastphalia associatedWith Low German
Low Saxon dialect continuum hasPart Low German
this entity surface form: Oldenburgisch
Low Saxon dialect continuum partOf Low German
this entity surface form: Low German dialect area
Low Saxon dialect continuum hasAlternativeName Low German
this entity surface form: Low German Saxon
Ostfälisch subclassOf Low German
Ostfälisch subclassOf Low German
this entity surface form: West Low German
Ostfälisch languageFamily Low German
Voss (German surname) hasLanguage Low German
subject surface form: Voss (surname)
Bentheim historicalLanguage Low German
Middle Low Saxon followedBy Low German
this entity surface form: Modern Low German
Middle Low Saxon hasDescendant Low German
this entity surface form: Modern Low German
Middle Low Saxon hasDescendant Low German
this entity surface form: Low Prussian
Middle Low Saxon hasDescendant Low German
this entity surface form: East Low German
Gronings subclassOf Low German
Sallaands subclassOf Low German
this entity surface form: West Low German
Sallaands subclassOf Low German
Veluws Nedersaksisch subclassOf Low German
this entity surface form: West Low German