Platt

See also: platt and plätt

English

Proper noun

Platt

  1. A surname.
  2. A village in Kent, England.
  3. (rare) Plattdeutsch, Low German
    • For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:Platt.

German

Etymology

Ultimately the same as platt (flat), although the motivation seems not to be quite clear; possibly the geographically low areas of Germany as in Niederdeutsch (Low German), or else “not elevated, ordinary, simple” speech.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /plat/
  • Rhymes: -at

Noun

Platt n (genitive Platts, no plural)

  1. (regional, chiefly northern and central Germany) a "dialect" (regional language), usually a German (or Dutch) one
    Das Platt, das hier gesprochen wird, verstehe ich schlecht.
    I have trouble understanding the dialect spoken around here.

Usage notes

Most often, a Platt is understood to be a Low German dialect, because the term Plattdeutsch refers to Low German. However, many West Central German dialects (e.g. in Aachen, Bonn, or Koblenz) are also referred to as Platt (but not as Plattdeutsch).

Synonyms

Derived terms

Further reading

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