Plautdietsch
Indo-European
Plautdietsch (Mennonite Low German) is a West Germanic Low German language descended from the West Prussian Vistula dialects spoken by Anabaptist Mennonites who migrated from the Netherlands to the Vistula Delta in the 16th century. It is now spoken by around 400,000 Mennonites scattered across Russia, Germany, Canada, the USA, Mexico, Paraguay, Brazil, and Bolivia, all descended from the original Vistula Mennonites who migrated to Catherine the Great's Russia in the 1780s and then to the Americas after 1874 when the Russian government revoked their military exemption. Plautdietsch is unusual among Low German varieties for having maintained vibrant intergenerational transmission entirely through religious-community isolation, despite the lack of any homeland country. The largest contemporary Plautdietsch communities are in Bolivia (~70K Santa Cruz Old Colony settlements) and Mexico (~50K Chihuahua), where Mennonites maintain agricultural colonies and reject most modern technology.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Plautdietsch
Sources
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Indo-European
| Meaning | Plautdietsch | Low German | Kölsch | Luther-era German | Pennsylvania German | Swiss Standard German | German |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Wota /vɔta/ | Water /vɑːtɐ/ | Wasser /vasɐ/ | Wasser /ˈvasːər/ | Wasser /vasər/ | Wasser /ˈvasər/ | Wasser /vasɐ/ |
| Fire | Fia /fia/ | Füer /fyːɐ/ | Füer /fyːɐ/ | Fewr /ˈfɔɪ̯ər/ | Feier /faɪər/ | Feuer /ˈfɔɪ̯ər/ | Feuer /fɔɪ̯ɐ/ |
| Sun | Sonn /zɔn/ | Sünn /zʏn/ | Sonn /zɔn/ | Sonne /ˈzɔnə/ | Sunn /sʊn/ | Sonne /ˈsɔnə/ | Sonne /zɔnə/ |
| Moon | Mon /moːn/ | Maan /maːn/ | Mond /moːnt/ | Mond /moːnt/ | Muun /muːn/ | Mond /moːnt/ | Mond /moːnt/ |
| Star | Stearn /stæːɾn/ | Steern /steːrn/ | Stään /ʃtɛːn/ | Stern /ʃtɛrn/ | Schteern /ʃteːrn/ | Stern /ʃtɛrn/ | Stern /ʃtɛʁn/ |
| Night | Nacht /naxt/ | Nacht /naxt/ | Naach /naːx/ | Nacht /naxt/ | Nacht /naxt/ | Nacht /naxt/ | Nacht /naxt/ |
| Rain | Rejen /ˈɾɛɪjən/ | Regen /ˈreːɡn̩/ | Räje /ˈʁɛːjə/ | Regen /ˈreːɡən/ | Regge /ˈrɛɡə/ | Regen /ˈreːɡən/ | Regen /ˈʁeːɡn̩/ |
| Snow | Schnee /ʃneː/ | Snee /sneː/ | Schnei /ʃnaɪ/ | Schnee /ʃneː/ | Schnee /ʃneː/ | Schnee /ʃneː/ | Schnee /ʃneː/ |
| Wind | Wint /vɪnt/ | Wind /vɪnt/ | Wind /vɪnd/ | Wind /vɪnt/ | Wind /vɪnd/ | Wind /vɪnt/ | Wind /vɪnt/ |
| Earth | Ieed /iːt/ | Eer /eːɐ/ | Ääd /ɛːt/ | Erde /ˈeːrdə/ | Erd /ɛrd/ | Erde /ˈeːrdə/ | Erde /eːɐdə/ |
| Stone | Steen /stɔɪn/ | Steen /steːn/ | Stein /ʃtaɪn/ | Stein /ʃtaɪn/ | Schtee /ʃteː/ | Stein /ʃtaɪn/ | Stein /ʃtaɪn/ |
| Mountain | Boajch /boajç/ | Barg /barx/ | Berch /bɛʁɕ/ | Berg /bɛrk/ | Barig /ˈbarɪç/ | Berg /bɛrk/ | Berg /bɛʁk/ |
| Sea | Mäa /mɛːa/ | See /zeː/ | Meer /meːɐ/ | Meer /meːr/ | See /seː/ | Meer /meːr/ | Meer /meːɐ̯/ |
| Mother | Mutta /ˈmʊta/ | Moder /moːdɐ/ | Moder /moːdɐ/ | Mutter /ˈmʊtər/ | Mudder /mʊdər/ | Mutter /ˈmʊtər/ | Mutter /mʊtɐ/ |
| Father | Voda /ˈfoːda/ | Vader /fɑːdɐ/ | Vatter /fatɐ/ | Vater /ˈfaːtər/ | Daadi /daːdi/ | Vater /ˈfaːtər/ | Vater /faːtɐ/ |
| Daughter | Dochta /ˈdoxta/ | Dochter /dɔxtɐ/ | Dochter /dɔxtɐ/ | Tochter /ˈtɔxtər/ | Dochder /dɔxdər/ | Tochter /ˈtɔxtər/ | Tochter /ˈtɔxtɐ/ |
| I | ekj /ɛc/ | ik /ɪk/ | ich /ɪɕ/ | ich /ɪç/ | ich /ɪç/ | ich /ɪç/ | ich /ɪç/ |
| You | du /du/ | du /duː/ | do /doː/ | du /duː/ | du /du/ | du /duː/ | du /duː/ |
| We | wie /viː/ | wi /viː/ | mir /miɐ/ | wir /viːr/ | mir /miːɐ̯/ | wir /viːr/ | wir /viːɐ̯/ |
| Name | Nome /ˈnoːmə/ | Naam /naːm/ | Name /ˈnaːmə/ | Name /ˈnaːmə/ | Naame /ˈnɔːmə/ | Name /ˈnaːmə/ | Name /ˈnaːmə/ |
| Person | Mensch /mɛnʃ/ | Minsch /mɪnʃ/ | Minsch /mɪnʃ/ | Mensch /mɛnʃ/ | Mensch /mɛnʃ/ | Mensch /mɛnʃ/ | Mensch /mɛnʃ/ |
| Head | Kopp /kɔp/ | Kopp /kɔp/ | Kopp /kɔp/ | Heubt /hɔɪ̯pt/ | Kopp /kɔp/ | Kopf /kɔpf/ | Kopf /kɔpf/ |
| Eye | Uag /uak/ | Oog /oːx/ | Auch /aʊx/ | Aug /aʊk/ | Aag /ɔːk/ | Auge /ˈaʊɡə/ | Auge /aʊ̯ɡə/ |
| Ear | Oa /oːa/ | Ohr /oːr/ | Uhr /uːɐ/ | Ohr /oːr/ | Ohr /oːr/ | Ohr /oːr/ | Ohr /oːɐ̯/ |
| Nose | Näs /nɛːs/ | Nees /neːs/ | Nas /nas/ | Nase /ˈnaːzə/ | Naas /nɔːs/ | Nase /ˈnaːsə/ | Nase /ˈnaːzə/ |
| Mouth | Mul /muːl/ | Muul /muːl/ | Muul /muːl/ | Mund /mʊnt/ | Maul /maʊl/ | Mund /mʊnt/ | Mund /mʊnt/ |
| Tooth | Tän /tɛn/ | Tähn /tɛːn/ | Zang /tsaŋ/ | Zahn /tsaːn/ | Zaah /tsɔː/ | Zahn /tsaːn/ | Zahn /tsaːn/ |
| Tongue | Tung /tʊŋ/ | Tung /tʊŋ/ | Zung /tsʊŋ/ | Zunge /ˈtsʊŋə/ | Zung /tsuŋ/ | Zunge /ˈtsʊŋə/ | Zunge /ˈtsʊŋə/ |
| Hand | Haunt /haʊnt/ | Hand /hant/ | Hand /hant/ | Handt /hant/ | Hand /hant/ | Hand /hant/ | Hand /hant/ |
| Foot | Foot /foːt/ | Foot /fɔʊ̯t/ | Foß /foːs/ | Fus /fuːs/ | Fuuss /fuːs/ | Fuss /fuːs/ | Fuß /fuːs/ |
| Heart | Hoat /hoat/ | Hart /haɐt/ | Hätz /hɛts/ | Hertz /hɛrts/ | Hatz /hats/ | Herz /hɛrts/ | Herz /hɛʁts/ |
| Bone | Knoaken /ˈknoakən/ | Knaken /ˈknaːkən/ | Knoche /ˈknɔxə/ | Bein /baɪn/ | Gnoche /ˈɡnoxə/ | Knochen /ˈknɔxən/ | Knochen /ˈknɔxən/ |
| Blood | Bloot /bloːt/ | Bloot /bloːt/ | Blot /bloːt/ | Blut /bluːt/ | Blut /blut/ | Blut /bluːt/ | Blut /bluːt/ |
| Poop | Kak /kak/ | Schiet /ʃiːt/ | Driss /dʁɪs/ | Dreck /drɛk/ | — /—/ | Kacke /ˈkakə/ | Kacke /ˈkakə/ |
| Love | Leew /leːf/ | Leev /leːf/ | Leev /leːf/ | Liebe /ˈliːbə/ | liewe /liːvə/ | Liebe /ˈliːbə/ | Liebe /liːbə/ |
| Tree | Boom /boːm/ | Boom /boːm/ | Boum /baʊm/ | Bawm /baʊm/ | Baam /ˈbɔːm/ | Baum /baʊm/ | Baum /baʊ̯m/ |
| Dog | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hongk /hoŋk/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ |
| Cat | Kaut /kaʊt/ | Katt /kat/ | Katz /kats/ | Katze /ˈkatsə/ | Katz /kats/ | Katze /ˈkatsə/ | Katze /katsə/ |
| Fish | Fesch /fɛʃ/ | Fisch /fɪʃ/ | Fesch /fɛʃ/ | Fisch /fɪʃ/ | Fisch /fɪʃ/ | Fisch /fɪʃ/ | Fisch /fɪʃ/ |
| Bird | Voagel /foəɡəl/ | Vagel /ˈfaːɣəl/ | Vugel /fʊɡəl/ | Vogel /ˈfoːɡəl/ | Voggel /fɔɡəl/ | Vogel /ˈfoːɡl̩/ | Vogel /ˈfoːɡl̩/ |
| Butterfly | Sommavoagel /ˈzɔmafoəɡəl/ | Sommervagel /ˈzɔmɐfaːɣəl/ | — | — | Fleddermaus /ˈflɛdərmaʊs/ | Schmetterling /ˈʃmɛtərlɪŋ/ | Schmetterling /ˈʃmɛtɐlɪŋ/ |
| Egg | Ei /aɪ/ | Ei /ai/ | Ei /ai/ | Ey /aɪ̯/ | Oi /ɔɪ/ | Ei /aɪ/ | Ei /aɪ/ |
| Bear | Boa /boːa/ | Boor /boːr/ | Bär /bɛːɐ/ | — | Baer /bɛːr/ | Bär /bɛːr/ | Bär /bɛːɐ̯/ |
| Horse | Pieet /piːt/ | Peerd /peːrt/ | Pääd /pɛːt/ | Pferd /pfeːrt/ | Gaul /ɡaʊ̯l/ | Pferd /pfeːrt/ | Pferd /pfeːɐ̯t/ |
| House | Hus /huːs/ | Huus /huːs/ | Huus /huːs/ | Hauß /haʊs/ | Haus /haʊs/ | Haus /haʊs/ | Haus /haʊ̯s/ |
| Milk | Malkj /malc/ | Melk /mɛlk/ | Milesch /ˈmɪləʃ/ | Milch /mɪlç/ | Millich /ˈmɪlɪç/ | Milch /mɪlç/ | Milch /mɪlç/ |
| Honey | Honnich /ˈhɔnɪç/ | Honnig /ˈhɔnɪç/ | Honnich /ˈhɔnɪɕ/ | Honig /ˈhoːnɪk/ | Hunnich /ˈhʊnɪç/ | Honig /ˈhoːnɪk/ | Honig /ˈhoːnɪç/ |
| Salt | Solt /zolt/ | Solt /zɔlt/ | Salz /zalts/ | Saltz /zalts/ | Salz /salts/ | Salz /salts/ | Salz /zalts/ |
| Wine | Wien /viːn/ | Wien /viːn/ | Wing /vɪŋ/ | Wein /vaɪ̯n/ | Wei /vaɪ/ | Wein /vaɪ̯n/ | Wein /vaɪ̯n/ |
| Rice | Riess /ɾiːs/ | Ries /riːs/ | — | — | Reis /raɪs/ | Reis /raɪs/ | Reis /ʁaɪs/ |
| Chocolate | Schaklitz /ˈʃaklɪts/ | Schokolaad /ʃokoˈlaːt/ | Schokolad /ʃokoˈlaːt/ | — | — | Schokolade /ʃokoˈlaːdə/ | Schokolade /ʃokoˈlaːdə/ |
| Iron | Iesa /ˈiːza/ | Iesen /ˈiːzn̩/ | Ieser /ˈiːzɐ/ | Eisen /ˈaɪzən/ | Eise /ˈaɪsə/ | Eisen /ˈaɪsən/ | Eisen /ˈaɪ̯zn̩/ |
| Wheel | Raut /ɾaʊt/ | Rad /raːt/ | Rad /ʁaːt/ | Rad /raːt/ | Raad /rɔːt/ | Rad /raːt/ | Rad /ʁaːt/ |
| Silk | Sied /ziːt/ | Sied /ziː/ | — | Seide /ˈzaɪdə/ | — /—/ | Seide /ˈsaɪdə/ | Seide /ˈzaɪdə/ |
| Book | Buak /buak/ | Book /boːk/ | Booch /boːx/ | Buch /buːx/ | Buch /bux/ | Buch /buːx/ | Buch /buːx/ |
| Eat | äten /ɛːtən/ | eten /eːtn̩/ | esse /ɛsə/ | essen /ˈɛsːən/ | esse /ɛsə/ | essen /ˈɛsn̩/ | essen /ɛsn̩/ |
| Drink | drinken /dɾɪŋkən/ | drinken /drɪŋkn̩/ | drinke /dʁɪŋkə/ | trincken /ˈtrɪŋkən/ | drinke /drɪŋkə/ | trinken /ˈtrɪŋkn̩/ | trinken /tʁɪŋkn̩/ |
| Sleep | schlopen /ˈʃlɔːpm̩/ | slapen /ˈslaːpn̩/ | schlofe /ˈʃlɔfə/ | schlaffen /ˈʃlafən/ | schlofe /ˈʃlɔfə/ | schlafen /ˈʃlaːfn̩/ | schlafen /ˈʃlaːfn̩/ |
| One | eent /eːnt/ | een /eːn/ | ein /aɪn/ | eyn /aɪ̯n/ | eens /eːns/ | eins /aɪ̯ns/ | eins /aɪ̯ns/ |
| Two | twee /tveː/ | twee /tveː/ | zwei /tsvai/ | zwey /tsvaɪ/ | zwee /tsveː/ | zwei /tsvaɪ̯/ | zwei /tsvaɪ/ |
| Three | dree /dɾeː/ | dree /dreː/ | dree /dʁeː/ | drei /draɪ/ | drei /draɪ/ | drei /draɪ̯/ | drei /dʁaɪ̯/ |
| Four | vea /fɘɪɐ/ | veer /feːɐ̯/ | veer /feːʁ/ | vier /fiːr/ | vier /fiːɐ̯/ | vier /fiːr/ | vier /fiːɐ̯/ |
| Five | fief /fiːf/ | fief /fiːf/ | fönnef /ˈfœnəf/ | fünff /fʏnf/ | fimf /fɪmf/ | fünf /fʏnf/ | fünf /fʏnf/ |
| Hundred | hundat /ˈhʊndat/ | hunnert /ˈhʊnɐt/ | hundert /ˈhʊndɐt/ | hundert /ˈhʊndərt/ | hunnert /ˈhʊnərt/ | hundert /ˈhʊndərt/ | hundert /ˈhʊndɐt/ |
| Hello | Goondach /ɡoːndax/ | Moin /mɔɪn/ | Tach /tax/ | Gott zum Gruß /ɡɔt tsʊm ɡruːs/ | Hallo /haloː/ | Hallo /haˈloː/ | Hallo /haloː/ |
| Thank you | Donk /dɔŋk/ | Dankschöön /daŋkʃøːn/ | Dankeschön /daŋkəʃøːn/ | Danck /daŋk/ | Denki /dɛŋki/ | danke /ˈdaŋkə/ | danke /daŋkə/ |
| Good | goot /ɡoːt/ | goot /ɡoːt/ | joot /joːt/ | gut /ɡuːt/ | gut /ɡuːt/ | gut /ɡuːt/ | gut /ɡuːt/ |
| New | nie /niː/ | nee /neː/ | neu /nøʏ/ | new /nɔɪ̯/ | nei /naɪ/ | neu /nɔɪ̯/ | neu /nɔɪ̯/ |
| Red | root /ɾoːt/ | root /roːt/ | rud /ʁuːt/ | rot /roːt/ | rot /rot/ | rot /roːt/ | rot /ʁoːt/ |
| White | witt /vɪt/ | witt /vɪt/ | wieß /viːs/ | weis /vaɪ̯s/ | weiss /vaɪs/ | weiss /vaɪs/ | weiß /vaɪs/ |
| Black | schwoat /ʃvɔɐ̯t/ | swart /svart/ | schwatz /ʃvats/ | schwartz /ʃvarts/ | schwatz /ʃvats/ | schwarz /ʃvarts/ | schwarz /ʃvaʁts/ |
| Green | jreen /jɾeːn/ | gröön /ɡrøːn/ | jröön /jʁøːn/ | grün /ɡryːn/ | grie /ɡriː/ | grün /ɡryːn/ | grün /ɡʁyːn/ |
| Blue | bleiw /blɛɪ̯f/ | blau /blaʊ/ | blau /blɔu/ | — | bloh /bloː/ | blau /blaʊ/ | blau /blaʊ̯/ |
| Cuckoo | Kuckuck /ˈkʊkʊk/ | Kukuk /ˈkuːkuk/ | — | gukuk /ˈɡʊkʊk/ | — | Kuckuck /ˈkʊkʊk/ | Kuckuck /ˈkʊkʊk/ |
| Computer | Komputa /ˈkɔmpyta/ | Computer /kɔmˈpjuːtɐ/ | Computer /komˈpjuːtɐ/ | Rechenmeister /ˈrɛçənˌmaɪstər/ | Computer /kɔmˈpjuːtər/ | Computer /kɔmˈpjuːtər/ | Computer /kɔmˈpjuːtɐ/ |
| Tea | Tee /teː/ | Tee /teː/ | Tee /teː/ | — | Tee /teː/ | Tee /teː/ | Tee /teː/ |
| Coffee | Koffe /ˈkɔfə/ | Koffie /ˈkɔfi/ | Kaffe /ˈkafə/ | — | Kaffi /ˈkafi/ | Kaffee /ˈkafe/ | Kaffee /ˈkafeː/ |
| Sugar | Zocka /ˈtsɔka/ | Sucker /ˈzʊkɐ/ | Zucker /ˈtsʊkɐ/ | — | Zucker /tsʊkər/ | Zucker /ˈtsʊkər/ | Zucker /ˈtsʊkɐ/ |
| Orange | Aupelsien /ˈaʊpəlzin/ | Apelsien /apəlˈziːn/ | Appelsin /apəlˈsiːn/ | — | Arrentsch /ˈarəntʃ/ | Orange /oˈraŋʒə/ | Orange /oˈʁãːʒə/ |
| Ninety-nine | näajen-un-näajentich /ˈnɛːajənʊnˌnɛːajəntɪç/ | negenunnegentig /ˈneːɡn̩ʊnˌneːɡn̩tɪç/ | — | — | nein un neinzich /naɪn ʊn naɪntsɪç/ | neunundneunzig /ˈnɔɪ̯nʊntˌnɔɪ̯ntsɪk/ | neunundneunzig /ˈnɔʏnʊntˌnɔʏntsɪç/ |
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