Hunsrückisch dialect
Hunsrückisch is a German dialect spoken in the Hunsrück region of Germany (Rhineland-Palatinate). This mountainous region of Germany has long been an exporter of emigrants to the Brazil, United States, Canada, Australia and other parts of the world.
Hunsrückisch was spoken in Edgar Reitz's acclaimed television series Heimat.
Features
Hunsrückisch is a West Central German dialect and a sub-group of Moselle Franconian, which means that it did not undergo all phases of the High German consonant shift. For example:
- Wat (English what, Dutch wat, German was)
- Mudder (English mother, Dutch moeder, German Mutter)
French influence
Because of its proximity to France, the Hunsrückisch dialect spoken in the Hunsrück region has experienced unique influences from the neighboring French language through the centuries. During Napoleonic times the Hunsrück region was incorporated into France for a short period.
Brazilian dialects
There is a variation of this dialect in southern Brazil and in the northern state of Espírito Santo (counties of Marechal Floriano, Domingos Martins and Santa Leopoldina), named Hunsrik German.
Throughout its almost 200-year history in Southern Brazil and Espírito Santo, Hunsrückisch has been greatly influenced by other German dialects such as East Pomeranian, Swabian, and Austro-Bavarian, by other immigrant languages, and by Portuguese. Via Brazilian Portuguese, it has also incorporated Amerindian terminology, referring notably to fauna, flora and toponyms.
South-American Hunsrik is spoken in the states of Rio Grande do Sul neighboring state of Santa Catarina, in other parts of southern Brazil like Paraná, as well as in the Southeast region such as Espírito Santo and São Paulo. Is the second most spoken language in Brazil, outside Portuguese
References
- Vilela, Soraia (April 20, 2004). "O alemão lusitano do Sul do Brasil". Deutsche Welle (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2006-10-20.
- Rosenberg, Peter. "Deutsche Minderheiten in Lateinamerika". Europa-Universität Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder). Archived from the original on 2006-05-28. Retrieved 2006-10-20.
External links
- Hunsrücker Platt, an A-Z of common Hunsrückisch words and phrases (as spoken in the village of Hundheim) and their standard German equivalents, as compiled by Achim Berg.