Eupen dialect
Eupen dialect (Öüpener Platt, German: Eupener Platt) is a Ripuarian dialect spoken in Eupen.[2]
| Eupen dialect | |
|---|---|
| Öüpener Platt[1] | |
| Region | Eupen-Malmedy, Belgium |
| Latin | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Glottolog | None |
Classification
The Eupener dialect is part of a dialect continuum between Limburgish and Ripuarian. While Limburgish dialects are considered Low Franconian (like well as Dutch), Ripuarian is considered to be West Central German. The dialects in between are called Low Dietsch.
Geographic distribution
Today, it is used less than other similar dialects in adjacent municipalities, like the dialects of Welkenraedt, Gemmenich or Montzen east of Eupen. The younger residents of Eupen tend to speak Standard German instead.[3] West of Eupen, Wallonian dialects of French are spoken.[2]
Status
As the Eupen dialect is used by the German minority in Belgium, it is considered to be a dialect of German just like Kölsch.[2] This contrasts with the treatment of the related Dutch Ripuarian dialects (e.g. the Vaals dialect), which fall under the umbrella of Limburgish (see Southeast Limburgish), which is a statutory provincial language in the Netherlands.
Linguistic features
One of the characteristics of the Eupen dialect is diphthongization to [ai, au, ou]; compare Eupen Haint, Aindere, Maunt and lowpe with Limburgish (spoken further north in the Netherlands) hand, andere, moond and lòpe
Nouns are always capitalized, following German conventions.
References
- Comp. "EUPEN – Stadtmuseum". ostbelgienkulturerbe.be (in German).
- Conraads, Daniel (27 August 2007). "Obelit au secours du patois". Le Soir en ligne (in French). Bruxelles. Archived from the original on 27 August 2007.
- Theissen, Siegfried (23 December 2019). "Von Batze bis Schokkelaates – Eigenheiten im Eupener Deutsch" [From Batze to Schokkelaats - Idiosyncracies of Eupen's German]. BRF Nachrichten (in German). Belgischer Rundfunk. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
Bibliography
- Theissen, Siegfried (2013). Neues Wörterbuch der Eupener Mundart. GEV, Grenz-Echo Verlag. ISBN 978-3-86712-078-4.
- Theissen, Siegfried (2015). Neues Wörterbuch der Eupener Mundart : Nachfolgeband. self publishing. ISBN 978-3-86712-078-4.
- Tonnar, August; Evers, Wilhelm; Altenburg, Wilhelm (1970) [1899]. Wörterbuch der Eupener Sprache (reprint ed.). Wiesbaden: M. Sändig Reprint Verlag.