Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch dialect

Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch
Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch
Native to	Germany
Region	Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Language family	Indo-European Germanic West Germanic North Sea Germanic Low German East Low German Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch; ; ; ; ; ;
Language codes
ISO 639-2	nds for Low German
ISO 639-3	nds for Low German
Glottolog	meck1238
	Germanic Dialects in 1900 in Germany as of today's borders (7): Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch

Last updated July 26, 2024

Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch is a Low German dialect spoken in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It belongs to the East Low German group.

In the western parts of the language area it is similar to some West Low German dialects, while the eastern parts are influenced by the Central Pomeranian (Mittelpommersch) dialect. It differs slightly from East Pomeranian, which used to be spoken widely in the area that in 1945 became the Polish part of Farther Pomerania and included much more Slavic Pomeranian and Kashubian elements.

Geography

In former Mecklenburg-Schwerin: Schwerin-Rostock-Wismar-Güstrow
In Western Pomerania: Stralsund-Greifswald-Anklam
In former Mecklenburg-Strelitz: Neustrelitz-Neubrandenburg

Grammar

Diminutive

A striking characteristic of Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch is the use of the diminutive suffix -ing (e.g. Poot ‘paw’ > Pöting ‘little paw’, Änning ‘Annie’, lies’ ‘quietly’, ‘softly’, ‘slowly’ > liesing ‘very quietly’, ‘very softly’, ‘very carefully’, ‘nice and easy’). This suffix first appears in modern Low German variations (early 19th century onwards), and is of Germanic origin,^[1] being attested in several other Germanic-speaking areas, such as Westphalian family names Arning, Smeding and Janning.

Pronouns

The personal pronouns in the dialect of Fritz Reuter are as follow:^[2]

		1st person	2nd person	3rd person
		1st person	2nd person	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Singular	Nominative	ick	du	hei	sei	dat ('t)
Singular	Accusative	mi	di	em	ehr	dat
Plural	Nominative	wi	ji	sei
Plural	Accusative	uns	jug (ju)	sei

The reflexive pronoun of the 3rd person is sick, and the possessive pronouns (which are declined like strong adjectives) are:

	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
	1st person	2nd person	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Singular	min	din	sin	ehr	sin
Plural	uns'	jug	ehr

Numbers

Numbers in the dialect of Fritz Reuter are:^[3]

Cardinal numbers	Ordinal numbers
1: ein (en) 2: twei 3: drei 4: vir 5: fiw 6: sös 7: säben 8: acht 9: negen 10: teigen (teihn) 11: elben 12: twölf 13: drütteigen 14: virteigen 15: föfteigen 16: sösteigen 17: säbenteigen 18: achtteigen 19: negenteigen 20: twintig 21: einuntwintig 30: dörtig 40: virtig 50: föftig 60: söstig 70: säbentig 80: achttig 90: negentig 100: hunnert 1000: dusend 10 000: teigen dusend 1 000 000: 'ne million	1.: de irst 2.: de tweit 3.: de drüdd 4.: de virt 5.: de föft 6.: de söst 7.: de säbent 8.: de acht 9.: de negent 10.: de teigt 11.: de elbent 12.: de twölft 13.: de drütteigt ... 20.: de twintigst 21.: de einuntwintigst 30.: de dörtigst 40.: de virtigst 50.: de föftigst 60.: de söstigst 70.: de säbentigst 80.: de achtigst 90.: de negentigst 100.: de hunnertst 1000.: de dusendst 10 000.: de teigendusendst

Verbs

Uncomposed forms in the dialect of Fritz Reuter:^[4]

Infinitive
halen
Present Active
[ick] hal(e)	[du] hal(e)st	[hei] hal(t)	[wi] hal(e)n	[ji] hal(e)t	[sei] hal(e)n
Imperfect Active
[ick] halt(e)	[du] halt(e)st	[hei] halt(e)	[wi] halt(e)n	[ji] halt(e)t	[sei] halt(e)n
Imperative
hal(e)			hal(e)t
Past Participle
hal(e)t

The e in parentheses often gets dropped.

Related Research Articles

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References

↑ Mirjam Schmuck, Personennamen als Quelle der Grammatikalisierung: Der -ing-Diminutiv in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,
↑ Alfred v. d. Velde: Zu Fritz Reuter! Praktische Anleitung zum Verständniß des Plattdeutschen an der Hand des ersten Kapitels des Fritz Reuter'schen Romanes: „Ut mine Stromtid“. 2nd ed., Leipzig, 1881, p. 15
↑ Alfred v. d. Velde: Zu Fritz Reuter! Praktische Anleitung zum Verständniß des Plattdeutschen an der Hand des ersten Kapitels des Fritz Reuter'schen Romanes: „Ut mine Stromtid“. 2nd ed., Leipzig, 1881, p. 18f.
↑ Alfred v. d. Velde: Zu Fritz Reuter! Praktische Anleitung zum Verständniß des Plattdeutschen an der Hand des ersten Kapitels des Fritz Reuter'schen Romanes: „Ut mine Stromtid“. 2nd ed., Leipzig, 1881, p. 17f.

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[1] Mirjam Schmuck, Personennamen als Quelle der Grammatikalisierung: Der -ing-Diminutiv in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,

[2] Alfred v. d. Velde: Zu Fritz Reuter! Praktische Anleitung zum Verständniß des Plattdeutschen an der Hand des ersten Kapitels des Fritz Reuter'schen Romanes: „Ut mine Stromtid“. 2nd ed., Leipzig, 1881, p. 15

[3] Alfred v. d. Velde: Zu Fritz Reuter! Praktische Anleitung zum Verständniß des Plattdeutschen an der Hand des ersten Kapitels des Fritz Reuter'schen Romanes: „Ut mine Stromtid“. 2nd ed., Leipzig, 1881, p. 18f.

[4] Alfred v. d. Velde: Zu Fritz Reuter! Praktische Anleitung zum Verständniß des Plattdeutschen an der Hand des ersten Kapitels des Fritz Reuter'schen Romanes: „Ut mine Stromtid“. 2nd ed., Leipzig, 1881, p. 17f.

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