Low German

Contents

English

Alternative forms

• Low-German

Etymology

Because northern Germany (Low Germany), where it is spoken, is lower in elevation than southern Germany.

Noun

Low German (uncountable)

1. A West Germanic language spoken in Low (i.e. Northern) Germany and north-eastern parts of the Netherlands, and formerly also in large parts of eastern and north-eastern Europe, which developed out of Middle Low German from Old Saxon; often treated as a dialect group of German (or Dutch) for convenience, but widely recognized as a separate language.
2. (linguistics) Any of a number of West Germanic languages, primarily spoken in northern Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, that did not undergo the High German consonant shift; the group thereof.
3. (nonstandard) Any of many German dialects that are not the official standard although they are usually referred to only to as "Platt".

Synonyms

• (West Germanic language, descended from Old Saxon): Plattdeutsch, Low Saxon, Nether-Saxon; New Low German, New Low Saxon, New Saxon (as opposed to Middle Low German or Middle Saxon and Old Low German or Old Saxon)

Antonyms

• (West Germanic languages that are not High German): High Dutch, High German (includes numerous Upper German and Middle German/Central German dialects from which standard High German mainly developed)

Hyponyms

• (West Germanic language, descended from Old Saxon): Dutch Low Saxon (variety or varieties in the Netherlands); Low Prussian; Mennonite Low German, Plautdietsch (variety spoken in America, etc.)

Derived terms

• East Low German (German: Ostniederdeutsch)
• West Low German (German: Westniederdeutsch)

Translations

West Germanic language

• Armenian: ստորին գերմաներեն (storin germaneren)
• Catalan: baix alemany (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 低地德語, 低地德语 (dīdì Déyǔ)

• Danish: nedertysk n, plattysk (da) n, nedersaksisk n
• Dutch: Nedersaksisch (nl) n, Nederduits (nl) n (in a stricter sense)
• Estonian: alamsaksa
• Faroese: lágtýskt (fo) n
• Finnish: alasaksa (fi), alasaksi (fi)
• French: bas allemand (fr) m
• Galician: baixo alemán m
• Georgian: ქვემოგერმანული (kvemogermanuli), ქვემოგერმანული ენა (kvemogermanuli ena)
• German: Niederdeutsch (de) n (in a stricter sense), Niedersächsisch (de) n, Plattdeutsch (de) n
• Icelandic: lágþýska (is) f, niðursaxneska f, plattþýska f
• Irish: Gearmáinis Íochtarach f
• Japanese: 低地ドイツ語 (ja) (teichi Doitsu-go)
• Khmer: អាល្លឺម៉ង់ក្រោម (aalləɨmɑŋ kraom)

• Low German:

  Dutch Low Saxon: Platduuts (nds), Nedersaksies (nds), Nedersaksisch (nds)

  German Low German: Plattdütsch (nds) n, Plattdüütsch (nds) n, Platdütsch n (Netherlands), Nedderdüütsch (nds) n, Neddersassisch n

  Low Prussian (Niederpreußisch): Plattdietsch (nds) n

  Westphalian (Westfälisch):

  Münsterländisch: Plattdütsk n

  Eastphalian (Ostfälisch): Plattduitsch n

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: lavtysk m, nedertysk (no) m, plattysk m, platt-tysk m, nedersaksisk m

  Nynorsk: lågtysk m, nedertysk m, plattysk m, platt-tysk m, nedersaksisk m

• Plautdietsch: Plautdietsch (nds) (often refers specifically to the Mennonite Low German variety)
• Polish: dolnoniemiecki (pl) m
• Portuguese: baixo alemão m
• Russian: нижненеме́цкий (ru) m (nižneneméckij) (язы́к)
• Saterland Frisian: Läichdüütsk
• Scots: Law German
• Serbo-Croatian: donjonjemački
• Spanish: bajo alemán (es) m
• Swedish: lågtyska (sv) c, plattyska (sv) c, nedersaksiska c
• Turkish: Aşağı Almanca (tr)
• West Frisian: Nederdútsk n, Platdútsk n

See also

• Ingvaeonic
• Low Franconian
• Low Germany
• North Sea Germanic

Further reading

• Ethnologue entry for Modern Low German, nds
• Ethnologue entry for Middle Low German, gml
• Ethnologue entry for Old Low German, osx
• Wikiwöörbook: Low German Wiktionary, for all Low German dialects (and Plautdietsch)
• Plattmakers: Low German dictionary with both English and German translations

Anagrams

• angleworm, lawmonger