Rhinelandic
Encyclopedia
Rhinelandic is a term occasionally used for linguistic varieties of a region on both sides of the Middle
and Lower Rhine
river in Central West Germany
, Belgium
, the Netherlands
, and Luxembourg
. It has at least two distinct meanings which often can only be determined from the fine grain context in which the therm is used. (This could be complicated at times since in German publications, local languages of villages or cities are commonly referred to as "the dialects" or "dialect", whereas the regiolects, which are dialects of Standard German in a linguistic sense, are hardly called so, but referred to using terms like "Rhinelandic", "Hessian" or "Bavarian", etc., that also name large compounds of related local languages) One of the meanings of Rhinelandic is that of a group of local languages in an area called the Rhineland
. Another meaning is that of the regiolect being used by the people approximately of the same area.
, Belgium
, the Netherlands
, and Luxembourg
, including some varieties of the Limburgish language
group (of which Low Bergish
is a subgroup), South Guelderish
or Cleverlands (of which East Bergish
is a subgroup), Moselle Franconian
, and Ripuarian (which includes South Bergish
as a subgroup, that is also referred to as East Ripuarian).
Its northern areas are also covered by the more modern term of Meuse-Rhenish
, which exclusively refers to the Low Franconian varieties, that are Limburgish including Low Bergish, and South Guelderish including East Bergish.
The eastern areas in the North are also said to speak Bergish, a term which has its roots in political history and regional pride rather than linguistic similarities. Likewise, the Eifel
inhabitants say, they were speaking Eifelplatt, while linguists rather refer to the Ripuarian varieties of the North, and the Moselle-Frankonian ones of the South of the Eifel.
All these local languages and local language groups existed long before Standard German, and developed in parallel since the latter came into existence.
, geographically roughly coinciding with the former Prussian Rhine Province
, is being called Rhinelandic. It is of comparatively recent origin, and derives from Standard German
but takes some lexic
al and grammatical
and phonetic
features of the local languages up, that Standard German normally does not have. Most of those features are not used in other German regiolects, and are often hardly or not understood in other regiolect areas.
Middle Rhine
Between Bingen and Bonn, Germany, the Rhine River flows as the Middle Rhine through the Rhine Gorge, a formation created by erosion, which happened at about the same rate as an uplift in the region, leaving the river at about its original level, and the surrounding lands raised...
and Lower Rhine
Lower Rhine
The Lower Rhine flows from Bonn, Germany, to the North Sea at Hoek van Holland, Netherlands.Almost immediately after entering the Netherlands, the Rhine splits into many branches. The main branch is called the Waal which flows from Nijmegen to meet the river Meuse; after which it is called Merwede...
river in Central West Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
. It has at least two distinct meanings which often can only be determined from the fine grain context in which the therm is used. (This could be complicated at times since in German publications, local languages of villages or cities are commonly referred to as "the dialects" or "dialect", whereas the regiolects, which are dialects of Standard German in a linguistic sense, are hardly called so, but referred to using terms like "Rhinelandic", "Hessian" or "Bavarian", etc., that also name large compounds of related local languages) One of the meanings of Rhinelandic is that of a group of local languages in an area called the Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
. Another meaning is that of the regiolect being used by the people approximately of the same area.
Rhinelandic Local Languages
Rhinelandic is used for a collection of local languages and their varieties in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, including some varieties of the Limburgish language
Limburgish language
Limburgish, also called Limburgian or Limburgic is a group of East Low Franconian language varieties spoken in the Limburg and Rhineland regions, near the common Dutch / Belgian / German border...
group (of which Low Bergish
Low Bergish
Low Bergish, or Western Bergish, is a group of local languages of the Bergisches Land Region east of the Rhine in West Germany. It is part of the Limburgish language group, which extends far beyond the rivers Rhine and Maas into the Netherlands and Belgium. They are also part of the East Limburgish...
is a subgroup), South Guelderish
South Guelderish
South Guelderish refers to a group of dialects of the Dutch language which are spoken along the Nederrijn in the Netherlands and around the city of Cleves in Germany...
or Cleverlands (of which East Bergish
East Bergish
East Bergish is a group of dialects of the Bergisches Land Region in West Germany. It combines features the of Westphalian group, Limburgish, and the South Guelderish or Cleverlands group, it is usually seen as part of the latter. South Guelderish covers much of the Lower Rhine area in Germany and...
is a subgroup), Moselle Franconian
Moselle Franconian
Moselle Franconian is a group of West Central German dialects, part of the Central Franconian language area.It is spoken in the southern Rhineland and along the course of the Moselle River, from the Siegerland in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia throughout western Rhineland-Palatinate and...
, and Ripuarian (which includes South Bergish
South Bergish
South Bergish dialects or Upper Bergish is a term used for the collection of local languages of the Bergisches Land Region East of the Rhine and approximately south of the Wupper and north of the Sieg in West Germany. These dialects are all part of the Ripuarian group and thus are also called...
as a subgroup, that is also referred to as East Ripuarian).
Its northern areas are also covered by the more modern term of Meuse-Rhenish
Meuse-Rhenish
Meuse-Rhenish or Rheinmaasländisch is a modern term that geographically refers to the literature written in mediæval times in the greater Meuse-Rhine area. This area stretches in the northern triangle roughly between the rivers Meuse and Rhine...
, which exclusively refers to the Low Franconian varieties, that are Limburgish including Low Bergish, and South Guelderish including East Bergish.
The eastern areas in the North are also said to speak Bergish, a term which has its roots in political history and regional pride rather than linguistic similarities. Likewise, the Eifel
Eifel
The Eifel is a low mountain range in western Germany and eastern Belgium. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the south of the German-speaking Community of Belgium....
inhabitants say, they were speaking Eifelplatt, while linguists rather refer to the Ripuarian varieties of the North, and the Moselle-Frankonian ones of the South of the Eifel.
All these local languages and local language groups existed long before Standard German, and developed in parallel since the latter came into existence.
Rhinelandic Regiolect
Contrasting the collective term Rhinelandic, that encompasses a wide variety of largely mutually incomprehensible local languages having a long history, also the Regiolect of the RhinelandRhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
, geographically roughly coinciding with the former Prussian Rhine Province
Rhine Province
The Rhine Province , also known as Rhenish Prussia or synonymous to the Rhineland , was the westernmost province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia, within the German Reich, from 1822-1946. It was created from the provinces of the Lower Rhine and Jülich-Cleves-Berg...
, is being called Rhinelandic. It is of comparatively recent origin, and derives from Standard German
Standard German
Standard German is the standard variety of the German language used as a written language, in formal contexts, and for communication between different dialect areas...
but takes some lexic
Vocabulary
A person's vocabulary is the set of words within a language that are familiar to that person. A vocabulary usually develops with age, and serves as a useful and fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge...
al and grammatical
Grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...
and phonetic
Phonetics
Phonetics is a branch of linguistics that comprises the study of the sounds of human speech, or—in the case of sign languages—the equivalent aspects of sign. It is concerned with the physical properties of speech sounds or signs : their physiological production, acoustic properties, auditory...
features of the local languages up, that Standard German normally does not have. Most of those features are not used in other German regiolects, and are often hardly or not understood in other regiolect areas.
See also
- Cooperative Dictionary of the Rhinelandic Colloquial LanguageCooperative Dictionary of the Rhinelandic Colloquial LanguageThe Landschaftsverband Rheinland , a public body of municipal self governance of the Rhineland in West of North Rhine-Westphalia in Western Germany, runs a project they call Cooperative Dictionary of the Rhinelandic Colloquial Language, or in German...
- Rhinelandic Regiolect (in the German Wikipedia)
- Eifelplatt (in the German Wikipedia)
- Rheinischer Fächer (in the German Wikipedia)