PLAUTDIETSCH COMMENTS
COMMENTS
Your comments and suggestions about the information and audio files made available on this site are always appreciated. I can be contacted at Jim Derksen Please indicate in your emails if you do not want your comments or suggestions shared on this web site. Otherwise all messages received may be displayed in whole or part on this page. Thank you.
January 31 2013
Greetings from Kansas! I am putting together a cookbook/Plautdietsch sayings for my new daughter inlaw. I am trying to find the rhyme that goes: Peter Penner (not going to say what he did in a bucket) then jumped over the fence. I want to copy that down in Plautdietsch and English. My maiden name is Ediger, so I grew up hearing many, many sayings. Some would never be interpreted for me, because in English they just wouldn't be very nice! Thank you and take care. ~ Kay (Ediger) Wolfer
Hello Kay,
I am very interested in the Plautdietsch sayings that you are attempting to collect and articulate. The www.plautdietsch.ca website has a section Resources: Oral Traditions that currently has very little content. I believe many Plautdietsch speakers would be interested to know more of the oral traditions and sayings that you may have to share. I am not familiar with the particular rhyme you are looking for. Among the many visitors to this site there may be some who would be able to assist. In this regard I invite anyone who has this knowledge to contact me by e-mail (by clicking on my name anywhere on the www.plautdietsch.ca website). Thank you for your question and contribution in advance.
Jim
January 23 2013
Gon Dach: Mien Nomen es Francisco Mejia. Ekj sie von Mexiko. Ekj doo Plautdietsch lieren. Ekj jleich sea PD lieren, uk wan ekj sie nich menonite. Ekj hab dien Websied jegungen, un daut lat sea intressaunt.Wurscht du jleichen weeten wuarom deit een Junge Maun PD lieren? Wan jo, schriew aun diese Adrass <[email protected]> Ekj wensch die aules goodet!
Frauns, von MexikoHello Frauns,
I will answer in English as I am not skilled in writing Plautdietsch. If you are not able to understand English, please let me know as I will attempt a language that works for you. I am curious to know the motivation you have for learning Plautdietsch. I don't imagine this is a common occurrence among young Mexican men. Thank you for your interest.
Jim
Dear Jim,
I appreciate that you took the time to write back. I really want to thank you. I want to let you know that I enjoy learning Plautdietsch. I love spending time with Mennonites. I like to learn about their culture. I visit their colonies very often, two days in the week (Today I was there, and tomorrow I am visiting them again). Regarding to the my motivation to learn PD I just can write one main reason.
Ekj sie eent von Jehova siene Zeijen, secha hast du aul von ons jehieet. Wie nämen sea iernst een Jeboot daut Jesus no siene Jinja befoolen deed. Daut steit en Matäus 28:19, 20 "Geht daher hin, und macht Jünger aus Menschen aller Nationen,[...] 20 und lehrt sie, alles zu halten, was ich euch geboten habe". Daut es daut Hauptuasoak wuarom doo ekj Plautdietsch lieren. Es daut nich intressaunt?
I have been learning low german for almost six years, since I was 15 years old. If my words do not offend you, I would like to ask you to help me to improve, with my low german skills. I have a book on PDF format, which has helped me to learn more, if you want check this book out, just let me know.
Thank you for your time, aules goodetFrauns, von Mexiko
Hello Frauns,
Other than the resources findable on this Plautdietsch website, I am not able to provide any significant assistance to those wanting to learn Plautdietsch. I am interested in the PDF book you have, however. Can you send it to me as an attachment. Perhaps I can provide a link on this website that will make it available to others seeking learning resources. Thank you again.
Jim Derksen
January 21 2013Greetings, Thanks for your call on Saturday. We really appreciate your willingness to advertise our CDs and our fund raising evening.
Our CDs are for sale at the following:Steinbach locations:
Die Mennonitische Post,
The Mennonite Heritage Village Museum,
Payme Foodsin Kleefeld at Schellenberg Hardwarg
inWinkler: Sunny Day
in Altona: Friesen Books
Die Mennonitische Post sends them to all of their stores in other places as well.
Thanks again,
Anna PlettJanuary 16 2013
Greetings, I was looking for an address online and found your website. My husband has recorded some of Arnold Dyck's stories about Koop enn Bua. If you would be interested in adding them to your list of low german things for sale we'd love to give you more information. You could call him - Ron Plett at 204-326-9443 in Steinbach.
We are also hosting a low German variety night Feb. 9, 7 p.m. at the Mennonite Museum in Steinbach. Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door. This is a fund raiser for the Steinbach Evangelical Mennonite church building project. Entertainment is by 3molplaut, Ron Plett, Carol Kroeker and others. I will attach a poster and if you would be able to help us promote this event we would be very grateful.
Thanks,
Anna PlettHello Anna,
I have provided information as to the low German variety night on February 9, 2013 in the events section of the www.plautdietsch.ca website. I have also posted information concerning the audio CDs of Ron Plett's readings of Arnold Dyck's Koop enn Bua novels in the Resources: Other Media Resources section of the website. Since this website is visited by approximately a thousand people each month, most of whom are from other countries, I have provided contact information for Die Mennonitische Post for access by distance customers. Thank you very much for this valuable information.
Jim
December 28 2012
Hi Jim Hope you had a Gesenete Wiehnachten! Allet baste fehe 2013! Warst du Nejahr Koeke aeten? I have checked your site regarding low german practice sessions and it seems no one has joined this activity. There have been several people in Ontario who have asked for Low German classes. Are you interested and available in providing such on line chat rooms? Let me know if you are interested in this and I can spread the information to many people listed on our data base.
Lily
Hello Lily,
You may wish to look at the Conversations: VOIP-Skype section of the www.plautdietsch.ca website. This is a live Internet telephone kind of chat room. This is in the experimental stage and has not yet been announced to the world. We do need a few more people to join in this experiment to get the bugs out. Perhaps you can spread the word so that we can find out how well this system could work. Thank you for your interest and offer.
Jim
November 24 2012
Liewe Jim, etj heb june Jeschichten en dem Internet jesehen. Etj komme uit Russlaund en etj heb twie Johare lang onder Mennoniten jeleft. Etj heb eene Froage fer Jie. Woa tjen etj een plautdietsche Woardebuk finden? Dankscheen,
Igor TrutanowHello Igor,
I can understand your question for me. I will answer in English as I am not skilled in writing Plautdietsch and do not wish to endorse any particular spelling system for Plautdietsch. My guess is that this beautiful language differs somewhat in both oral and written forms depending on which dominant language culture surrounds it in the different parts of the world where it is spoken. As to your question, I believe all the dictionaries I am presently aware of are available through purchasing information or by Internet link on the Dictionaries and Word Lists section of the www.plautdietsch.ca website. Thank you for your question and your very intelligible spelling form of Plautdietsch.
Jim
November 17, 2012
Hi Jim
I learnt Plautdietsch on my mothers knee (sometimes over it getting my ass spanked) in Southern Manitoba and can still carry on simple conversations considering I have ben contaminated with French, Spanish, Vietnamese and Cantonese over the year and am not necessarily good in any one of them anymore.
My father past away about 15 years ago (My mother pasted away about 25 years ago) and robbed me of someone to speak Plautdietsch to on a weekly basis.
All my bothers and sister shunned Plautdietsch and went to English instead due to peer pressure.
I always considered knowing Plautdietsch an asset that needed to be preserved.
I have lived in the Washington DC area for over 30 years and can't find any one who still speaks Plautdietsch-I am told that the closest people live in Ohio
I would appreciate it if:
a) You could direct me to internet sits that provide spoken Plautdietsch on a regular basis
b) If you can search around and find anyone in my area that still speaks Plautdietsch
I'll tag your site on my computer for future reference
Best regards
Bill ReimerHello Bill,
Your story is not unfamiliar to me. Many people, myself included, who learned Plautdietsch in early childhood were separated from that language community and used the dominant language of their country, and so lost fluency and vocabulary in Plautdietsch as adults. Like you, I believe Plautdietsch is an asset that needs to be preserved. Consequently, I have set up the www.plautdietsch.ca website to support its preservation.
I have put links to all the websites I have found that provide any spoken plautdietsch resources on my website, as well as some audio and video files that may help preserve the memory of how to speak plautdietsch. Unfortunately, I am unable to search and find the localition of Plautdietsch speakers and, instead rely on people such as yourself to identify themselves and their location. Again, unfortunately, I am unaware of any Plautdietsch speakers in your locality.
You may wish to look at the Conversations: VOIP-Skype section of the www.plautdietsch.ca website. This is a live Internet telephone kind of chat room. This is in the experimental stage and has not yet been announced to the world. We do need a few more people to join in this experiment to get the bugs out. Perhaps you would be interested in enrolling in this network. If so, please let me know and I will put you on. I hope this new feature will enable people isolated from other Plautdietsch speakers to converse with each other by telephone. Thank you for your interest.
Jim Derksen
November 7, 2012
Hi Jim
I learnt Plautdietsch on my mothers knee (sometimes over it getting my ass spanked) in Southern Manitoba and can still carry on simple conversations considering I have ben contaminated with French, Spanish, Vietnamese and Cantonese over the year and am not necessarily good in any one of them anymore.
My father past away about 15 years ago (My mother pasted away about 25 years ago) and robbed me of someone to speak Plautdietsch to on a weekly basis.
All my bothers and sister shunned Plautdietsch and went to English instead due to peer pressure.
I always considered knowing Plautdietsch an asset that needed to be preserved.
I have lived in the Washington DC area for over 30 years and can't find any one who still speaks Plautdietsch-I am told that the closest people live in Ohio
I would appreciate it if:
a) You could direct me to internet sits that provide spoken Plautdietsch on a regular basis
b) If you can search around and find anyone in my area that still speaks Plautdietsch
I'll tag your site on my computer for future reference
Best regards
Bill ReimerHello Bill,
Your story is not unfamiliar to me. Many people, myself included, who learned Plautdietsch in early childhood were separated from that language community and used the dominant language of their country, and so lost fluency and vocabulary in Plautdietsch as adults. Like you, I believe Plautdietsch is an asset that needs to be preserved. Consequently, I have set up the www.plautdietsch.ca website to support its preservation.
I have put links to all the websites I have found that provide any spoken plautdietsch resources on my website, as well as some audio and video files that may help preserve the memory of how to speak plautdietsch. Unfortunately, I am unable to search and find the localition of Plautdietsch speakers and, instead rely on people such as yourself to identify themselves and their location. Again, unfortunately, I am unaware of any Plautdietsch speakers in your locality.
You may wish to look at the Conversations: VOIP-Skype section of the www.plautdietsch.ca website. This is a live Internet telephone kind of chat room. This is in the experimental stage and has not yet been announced to the world. We do need a few more people to join in this experiment to get the bugs out. Perhaps you would be interested in enrolling in this network. If so, please let me know and I will put you on. I hope this new feature will enable people isolated from other Plautdietsch speakers to converse with each other by telephone. Thank you for your interest.
Jim Derksen
June 25 2012
Could you help me with the correct meaning and spelling of a saying my father, Art P. Frey, used to say to us kids? He would touch the chin and say Kijennakja, the mouth, and say something like mulnakja, the nose, peep naasta, the cheek, root backja, the eye op ochta, and the eye brow, och brochta, and the forehead stear mona and then grab a piece of hair and pull and say shhep shhep (sheep) mein hauptja. I have looked through Kjenn Jie Noch Plautdietsch and the Spelling of Low German and Plautdietsch and not found help.
Connie Frey Sandate.
Ps My parents are gone and I am now a grandmother and want to teach some of these sayings to my son and daughter in law.Hello Connie,
I am not familiar with this saying and I am not skilled enough in Plautdietsch to be able to help. I am extending an invitation to anyone who may be able to assist you in this request by e-mailing me at this website so that I can forward this to you and so that others will benefit by the information. Thank you for your very interesting question!
Jim DerksenJune 2 2012
The webhost for the Plautdietsch Lexicon that Ed Zacharias and I have done has changed the address to http://plautdietsch.22web.org (the .net has changed to .org). Please update your link to this dictionary. Thanks!
Loren KoehlerHello Loren,
my apologies for being so late in updating the link to your site. I have now done this and will make some attempt to let people know they can now access your dictionary through this website. Thank you again for this very helpful lexicon resource on the Internet!
Jim Derksen
April 7 2012
I was in Mexico visiting relative's in Obregon. They were listening to low german cd's about the migration to mexico. I think they had 20 some cd's on this subject. I was wondering if they are available.
Alvin MartensHello Alvin,
I find these Plautdietsch audio resources in Obregon concerning the history of our migration to Mexico most interesting. I have no idea as to whether they may be available. I am inviting anyone who may be aware of these audio recordings to let me know so that I can advise you and others on how to access them. Thank you very much!
Jim Derksen
March 30 2012
Mr. Derksen, My grandparents spoke Plautdietsch. I only remember a few words and phrases. I am writing a series of 4 poems triggered by some Plautdietsch words or phrases. I am hoping to find someone who can tell me how to write and spell these words or phrases. I have consulted Rempel's online dictionary but need some help. Here are the words and phrases in English and/or in attempted transliterations of the Plautdietsch:
1. despair/blue Fe'l äaje (from Rempel) (transliteration attempt: "fuh-lee-uh")
2. What are you doing tomorrow? (transliteration attempt: vot vis dona moya?)
3. I am going to town tomorrow. (transliteration attempt: ich va feta na stadt moya)
4. _______________________ (transliteration attempt: mine yana doma lou) some kind of exclamatory phrase of surprise or dismay
5. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine..." (transliteration attempt: du buts meen zanesheen, meen ancheece zanesheen)--the song (all of it if it is available)
6. You are a snot licker (transliteration attempt: du buts da snotta licher)--coarse, I know, but this is what our devout Mennonite Grandma told us when as kids we asked her how to say something bad in her language
I am wondering if there may be someone who can help me obtain accurate written and oral renditions of these. I am also interested in learning the language. I took three years of German in college and seminary. Are there grammars and vocabulary learning helps, etc.? Thank you for any help you can provide.
Peace,
RockfordHello Rockford,
I'm sorry that my skills do not extend to the transliteration project you have in mind. I am joining in your invitation for others who may be able to assist in your project. As regards grammar and vocabulary resources I would direct you to the dictionary available in this websites Resources pages and to Eldo Neufeld's book on Plautdietsch Grammar listed in the Writings in Plautdietsch section of this websites Resources pages. Thank you for your interesting request.
Jim Derksen
March 29 2012
Hi there - it's been a while since I have looked at your website. I hope you are still there! I have a question regarding my Mennonite sir-name - Penner. I've heard from Germans that Penner means a 'bum' What do the Mennonites say about this, since there are so many in Canada?! Is there a different interpretation in Low German/Platt Deutsch? Thanks! :(
Jackie
ChicagoHello Jackie,
I have checked several sources and I don't believe the surname Penner means "bum" in the plautdietsch language. , Herman Rempel's Low German Dictionary indicates that Süsenjel in plautdietsch means tramp or bum in English. (“Süsenjel - m. (pl - s) bum, tramp, shabbily dressed person, sloppy dresser, hobo”). Koehler and Ed Zacharias' New Plautdietsch Lexicon translates the English "bum" as Noasch, Oasch or Susenjel. I have not been able to find any Plautdietsch translation for "Penner." Should any reader have further information for Jackie's question, please e-mail me and I will put it on this website. Thank you for your question. Yours truly,
Jim Derksen
February 27, 2012
Jon Harder of Mennolink has just advised that Herman Rempel' s automated word for word dictionary has been temporarily unavailable due to server failure and that it will likely be online again sometime this week. For this, we are truly grateful.
February 26, 2012
Update on Herman Rempel' s automated word for word dictionary is, regrettably, that it is no longer available on the Mennolink website. Herman Rempel's dictionary, however is being sold on the Mennolink online books store. I have written to the manager of Mennolink for more information on this development.
January 8, 2012
Hi Jim,
I have frequently used your site, in particular Herman Rempels automated word for word dictionary. It is not working for me currently and I am not sure why. I can open the link for “dictionaries” but cannot open the Rempel dictionary link. Can you help me out please as this is a great resource I use all the time.
Thanks for your time.
Regards,
Will KlassenResponse:
Hello Will Klassen,
I have tested my site out several days running now, and it seems to function well for opening the Rempel dictionary link. I hope this will work well for you now and in the future. However, I can direct you so that you can access it directly by going to the following site:
http://www.mennolink.org/cgi-bin/dictcgi
I hope that I will shortly be able to update my Plautdietsch site, and hopefully then you will be able to access at least one new interactive dictionaries. Thank you for your interest. Yours truly,
Jim Derksen
December 13, 2011
Hi there I am looking for some help to translate one sentence into Plautdietsch.
the sentence is..... "I feel unworthy."
Wondering if you could possibly help me with this???
Thank you,
Anita WiebeResponse:
Hello Anita, Some of the dictionaries that have been produced suggest the words, "one Weat" (without worth), or "nikjswirdijch"space (worth nothing) for unworthy. I would think the sentence "I feel unworthy" could be translated as, "Eck feele one Weat" or "Eck feele nikjswirdich." I hope this is somewhat helpful. I don't think any of these suggestions are completely accurate but they do convey the general idea. Thank you. Regards,
Jim
December 10, 2011
Jim
Spoke it till I was 8 than teasing at school made me quit
Do you know of any audio teaching aid in Plautdietsch
Thanks
Mountainman Canadian BIKER poet and Web Master & Web DesignerResponse:
Hello,
Several audio learning resources are noted in the Learning Plautdietsch page in this website. None of these are actually intended as teaching aids, but they can be helpful. There is also a YouTube video series at <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UmQkIQRThc> ,which is being tested as a learning tool. Thank you for your interest in relearning Plautdietsch.
Yours truly,Jim
December 9, 2011
Jim,
I wrote you a couple of weeks ago about the new online Plautdietsch lexicon. It was set up with a web hosting company which was not supposed to put ads on the pages. However, that changed and now there are ads there, so we have moved the site to a new location.
http://plautdietsch.22web.net
In addition to the lexicon pages, there is also an English-Plautdietsch reversal section, a categories section which sorts words according to semantic domain, a reversed sort section useful for finding rhyming words and a section listing all words by parts of speech.
As I mentioned earlier, please feel free to include a link to this new location on your Resources page.
Loren KoehlerResponse:
Hello Loren,
I am very very pleased with the new Plautdietsch lexicon put up by yourself and Ed Zacharias. It appears to be a very comprehensive and multifunctional tool for those of us who are motivated to use the language. As you have indicated, in your e-mail to me, that I may link to your lexicon on the Resources page of this website, I will certainly do so. Thank you very much for this wonderful work!
Yours truly,Jim
October 7, 2011
Hello Northern Neighbor,
I am in a suburb of Denver, Colorado.
Since my retirement, I have developed an interest in my German ancestry. I now have the time to do a little research. Not for any religious purpose but rater to satisfy my own curiosity. I was fortunate to have lived with my grandparents as a youngster. They spoke a little broken English but conversed otherwise in a dialect of Plautdietsch. When I asked them what language they spoke, the answer was always [phonetically] Plot Dietsch. They were not Mennonites nor Catholic. They attended a Congregational Church in Greeley, Colorado. I suppose the reason being was that it held two services. One was spoken in German the other in English. My approach to trace back their origins to the "old country" is awkward, I have no scholarly background to do analytical studies. My thinking suggests that perhaps their "mother tongue" could hold some clues. What I do know for certain is they came to America around 1912 from a German settlement southwest of Saratov, Russia. Their birth dates were in 1879. My interest is in their families prior migration to Russia. I'd like to find out "where they came from?". There is some historical record that would place our family ancestors in the Isenburg area of Germany around 1765.
My grandfather suffered from palsy after a stroke which left his speech slurred. He told us the family was from "Swartzeland, Swissland, Swaziland" and so on. We could never determine whether he was saying Switzerland, The Black Forest, or the "dark earth area" of Austria.
Our surname is Zeller, which could imply a person from the city of Zell. I found cities bearing the name of Zell in the Schwartzwald, Bavaria, Germany, and Austria. Not much of a lead eh?
Back to the language connection. Can you offer any comments which may help me in my Quest? Any resources? My best help to date has been the Volga German Historical Society in Lincoln, Nebraska. I will spend more time tomorrow looking at your site and listening to your audio tracks.
I hope my lengthy email was not too long-winded for you to endure.
That's what happens when you get old! Thank you.
Reuben J. Zeller
Denver, CO USAResponse:
Hello Mr. Zeller,
The pronunciation you provided for your grandparents language is accurate for the Plautdietsch of my website provided that the "Dietsch" you indicate is Germanic so the "ie" becomes the long E sound as in "tree". If this is true, your language is probably from the eastern north coast of Europe closer to the old Danzig (Gdansk) than to the western German/Dutch/Flemish north coast of the continuum of low Saxon languages. Those low Saxon languages of the west self identify as (phonetically) "platt Doytch". Most but not all the Mennonites who settled first in Prussia and then the Ukraine adopted the low Saxon language of the east (Danzig) before moving to the Ukraine. One of my ancestors came from Germanic Switzerland but then adopted the eastern low Saxon of Danzig before moving to Canada by way of the Ukraine. I hope all of this is at least a little help to you. Good luck.
Regards,
Jim
July 11, 2011
Hello,
I was wondering if you have any updated information regarding learning Plautdietsch since you last updated your website?
I am a teacher and will be in a public school where many of my students will know Plautdietsch and would like to have an opportunity to learn as much as I can to support their learning.
Thanks,
KrisResponse:
Hello Kris,
I regret to say I am not aware of many resources for learning Plautdietsch. I have not had the time to update my website for a long time. Perhaps some of the other websites you can connect with through my website may be able to help. For example PlautCast has started a new project: "Low German Lessons." This can be found at <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UmQkIQRThc>.I would appreciate you advising me of any new resources you discover. Best wishes in your endeavors. Thank you.
Regards,
Jim Derksen
July 10, 2011
Dear Jim,
PLEASE! All Mennonites are not of Low German origin. There were two original Mennonite centers, one in the North (Holland, Friesland, Lower Saxony and Prussia) and a second one in Switzerland and adjacent parts of southwest Germany. Most of the members of this second group emigrated to Pennsylvania in the eighteenth century and in the nineteenth century many of their descendents spread out into the American Midwest and into Ontario. Their southwest German dialects more or less coalesced into what is usually called "Pennsylvania Dutch", but is more accurately called "Pennsylvania German. That dialect is still generally spoken by the Amish (who split off from the southwest German Mennonites over the application of the Meidung ("shunning") early in the eighteenth century). As far as I know most Mennonite congregations in the US and Canada have given up using High German or Pennsylvania German in church services, having replaced it with English.
I have a fair command of both High German and Pennsylvania Dutch but have great difficulty following the occasional Plaut Dietsch sermons at the Mennonite Church I attend (Kleine Gemeinde) in Nova Scotia. Fortunately there is always someone sitting behind me who can furnish me with a written summary of the preaching! At first I thought that I would be able to understand things easily once I learned to make certain shifts of sounds (for example, k > kj, f >p, or s > t) fast enough in my mind, but it has not worked out well that way. I have started a new approach, namely, to simply learn the correct Plaut Dietsch words for basic Christian concepts and build from there.
Anyhow, the important thing is that many, many North American Mennonites have a Swiss or southwest German origin but still maintain exactly the same beliefs and customs as their Russian-German Plautdietsch brethren.
Ven BachmanResponse:
Dear Ven,
Of course, you're absolutely right in correcting me concerning the language of Mennonites. Your account of their origin in Switzerland and adjacent parts of southwest Germany is correct and very helpful. I do have one ancestor, a Mr. Buhler, who originated in Switzerland, but then moved to the Vistula Valley where he and his descendents learned and some still speak Plautdietsch in the diaspora. Mennonites are a very diverse community throughout the world. Thank you very much for your correction. I will see to it that the Plautdietsch.ca website is corrected.
Yours truly,
Jim
July 8, 2011
I am looking for the plautdietsch word for "horseradish". I am of Mennonite descent and my sister and I cannot come up with this word. Out mother used to put a piece of horseradish into the jar in which she made pickles.
Maybe you can help?
Sharon Wiebe
Response:
Hi Sharon,
The Mennonite Low German Dictionary by Jack Thiessen translates horseradish as Maaradijch (there is an umlaut over the first "a")
Thank You,Jim Derksen
June 1, 2011
Hi Jim
I found your plautdietsch web site...very interesting... do you still have a group that gets together to speak the language?
I would like to find a group... I used to speak the language but am very much out of practice.Rosella
Response:
Hello Rosella,
I'm sorry to say that our group in Winnipeg has not met for several years. The winter of our regular meetings however was a very important time of learning how to converse in Plautdietsch. It was also the occasion of making several friends in my neighborhood, with whom I am now able to meet occasionally and speak this good old language. I believe the more one is able to use a language as a means of natural conversation and discussion, the more the language grows and survives. And of course, the greater one's enjoyment of it is.
I am exploring the possibility of facilitating the use of VOIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol, perhaps Skype, to enable those who wish to use the language but are currently isolated in another dominant language/culture and unable to speak to others in Plautdietsch. Watch this site for further developments. Thank you for your interest.
Yours truly,Jim
March 22, 2011
Hallo
i hope you can understand german. if not, i will try it in english;)
ich habe das Glück im Sommer eine Zeit lang in einer Kolonie süd westlich von Portage la Prairie leben zu dürfen. Es wäre nett wenn du dich melden würdest denn ich habe einige Fragen diesbezüglich.
Grüße aus Deutschland
Markus Rosskopf
Response:
Hello Markus,
I was able to understand your question only with the help of an online translator. With regret, I am not at all proficient in German. If you can, please ask your question in English. Thank you.
Yours truly,
Jim
February 21, 2011
Hi Jim,
I came upon your website while searching the internet for some audio samples of Manitoba Mennonite Low German sounds. I currently live in Winnipeg, having moved here recently from Ontario. I'm wondering if you could point me in the right direction to hear more audio? I'm heading to Steinbach soon to visit the museum and hopefully capture some more of the accent. I currently work in Theatre and am researching the accent.
thanks for your time,
Shannon
Response:
Hi Shannon,
My website is mostly of Plautdietsch itself rather than Plautdietsch accented English. You'll probably hear a lot of that live in Steinbach. A local writer of fiction, Armin Wiebe, especially in his book "The Salvation of Yash Siemans" writes English with constructions borrowed from Plautdietsch. His website is: www.arminwiebe.ca. I hope this helps. Good luck, and thanks for your interest in the language and accent.
JimFebruary 24, 2011
Hi Jim,
thanks for responding to my email. I'm actually researching the accent for Armin's upcoming play, The Moonlight Sonata of Beethoven Blatz. It is a small world! I managed to find some good audio samples in the last few days so I think I am on the right track. I also picked up a great book that traces the language throughout history, by Reuben Epp.
thanks again for your help,
Shannon
January 4, 2011
Hi, Jim Derksen,
I am a United States citizen currently living in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Every time I go down to a local market, I see Mennonites. There are stores there that cater to Mennonites. I once asked one of them if they speak English. He responded, "No, Plautdietsch."
My mother, whose ancestors were from Germany, used to serve sauerkraut at evening meals. I have since become very interested in sauerkraut for its "probiotic" properties as well as for the pleasant memories it conjures up. I have tried to make it myself but with limited success or no success at all.
I just did a Google search with the keywords "sauerkraut" and "Mennonites". I found several references to Mennonite recipes containing sauerkraut. They seem very self-sufficient so I assume they make it themselves.
I would like to ask one of them about sauerkraut and it would be helpful if I knew the Plautdietsch word for sauerkraut.
Can you help?
I appreciate your attention to this request.
Sincerely,
David KoehlerResponse:
Hi David Koehler,
The Jack Thiessen Mennonite Low German Dictionary spells the Plautdietsch word for sauerkraut: "suakommst" with two small dots (umlaut) over the "u". I hope this is helpful.
Thanks for your interest. Best regards,Jim Derksen
October 8, 2010
I have been listening to readings by Elmer Reimer and have problems with some chapters of the new testament . There is just a hum. Who looks after the web site that it can be understood?
Thank youHarvey Plett
Response:
Hi Harvey,
Elmer Reimer’s Plautdietsch New Testament has technical help page act:
http://www.biblegateway.com/feedback/bug.php I expect this will be of some help to you in regard to the audio difficulties you are experiencing. Good luck and best wishes.
Yours truly,
Jim
October 1, 2010
Hi Jim,
Congratulations on keeping the site going.
Just wanted to let you know I have renovated arminwiebe.ca and it now includes stuff about my Brummtopp and I even have a video clip of me playing the instrument and singing a Plautdietsch song that my father used to sing to us.
All the best,
Armin
Response:
Hello Armin,
Thank you for the good news about the Brummtopp information on your site. As you may know, visitors to the www.plautdietsch.ca site, have sometimes asked about this instrument and I have not been able to give them much information. I find the video and audio information you have added with the text on your website < http://www.arminwiebe.ca/Brummtopp home.htm> most helpful. Thank you again.
Yours truly,Jim
September 3, 2010
Great ....thanks for doing this!
Sent from my iPad.Shirley Hiebert
August 12, 2010
Hi Jim,
PlautCast has started a new project: "Low German Lessons"
We thought this might interest you and it could be something you wanted to share with your readers.
on behalf of PlautCast,Ken
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UmQkIQRThc
Response:
Hello Ken,
I very much enjoyed the three low German lessons you now have on YouTube. I think they would be very helpful to people wanting to learn how to speak Plautdietsch. Probably some of your conversations are too fast for many people just learning the language. Thank you for making these and having them available on YouTube. I will put the <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UmQkIQRThc>
link you have provided on on the resources/links and resources/Learning Plautdietsch pages of this website. Thank you for doing this. Yours truly,Jim Derksen
April 27, 2010
Dee Staudtmusikaunte ut Bremen äwasat von Jack Thiessen
Een Maun haud een Esel, dee aul väle Joahre ohne too grommsauje dee Satj noh de Mähl jedroagt haud. Oba nu leet siene Krauft noh, enn siene Oabeit word emma meddasja. Sien Bauß docht doaraun, ahm nijch lenja too foodre, enn ahm auftooschaufe; daut word dee Esel mett siene lange kluake Uhre enn, enn hee läd eenes Doagess loos, enn huppad lieseltjess noh Bremen opptoo. Doa, soo docht hee sijch, kunn hee Staudtmusikaunt woare. Auls hee een Stootstje unjawäjess wea, fung hee eenen Jäjahund oppem Wajch lidje, enn dissa jescht, soo’s een meeda Hund. "Na, Gohlidje, waut hast Du soo seea too jesche?" fruag dee Esel. (For the remainder of this Plautdietsch translation of " The Town Musicians of Bremen," generously contributed to this site by Jack Thiessen, please see Dee Staudtmusikaunte ut Bremen äwasat von Jack ThiessenResponse:
Thank you very much for this contribution, Jack! I'm certain the visitors to this website will enjoy this story in Plautdietsch. For those that wish to read more of your original stories and translations in Plautdietsch, can, of course, can find many more of these on the late Eugene Reimer's website, http://ereimer.net/Thiessen/stories.htm .
April 26, 2010
I'm Phyllis Kroeker, born 1945 in Steinbach to Ben D. and Marie (Toews) Kroeker. I just now discovered your lovely site and will explore it in minute detail, enjoying it very much. Thank you so much for creating the site. What you say about the development of the dialect sounds very close to what I have learned of it, although I've understood the migrants carried their Dutch language with them from Holland/Belgium. A Belgian philologist examined my mother telling a plautdietsch story on audio tape and said it was clearly from the dutch/belgian border. He was very interested in how the language had not evolved along with its home useage - sort of frozen in time and then affected by loan words from the cultures who hosted them, as you say on your page. I think he called it "archaic" Dutch/Flemish, explaining it was a process arrested like the French spoken in Canada.. He described it as archaic, in that it hadn't evolved along with its home country's usage beyond what it was when it arrived in Canada. The plautdietsch page on facebook has the link to your page which I used. I've researched, too, our history and it's wonderful to meet someone who knows so much accurate data about it.
Phyllis Kroeker
Response:
I'm so glad you enjoy the site, and I expect the people that read your comments will enjoy your references to the Dutch/Flemish influences and origins of the Plautdietsch vocabulary.
April 24, 2010
Hi Jim,
I've just discovered a Facebook-group on Plautdietsch that you may be interested in:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2264354537&v=infoEugene Reimer
Response:Thank you very much, Eugene! I will add this to the Links section of this www.plautdietsch.ca website.
I hope this is helpful.