Please click here to leave an anniversary message (in any language you choose). You do not need to be a member of Lowlands-L to do so. In fact, we would be more than thrilled to receive messages from anyone. Click here to read what others have written so far.
What’s with this “Wren” thing?
The oldest extant version of the fable
we
are presenting here appeared in 1913 in the first volume of a two-volume anthology
of Low
Saxon folktales (Plattdeutsche
Volksmärchen “Low German Folktales”)
collected by Wilhelm Wisser (1843–1935). Read
more ...
What’s
all this about?
We hope you enjoy our choice for our celebratory language
extravaganza, and we invite you to add further translations and sound recordings.
The project grew from an earlier one in which this story was used to showcase
various Low Saxon dialects and orthographies.
You may
want to take advantage of this opportunity to entertain the children in your
life with a cute folktale and at the same time teach them about the world’s fascinating and dazzling, yet at the same time dwindling diversity of languages
and cultures.
If you are more “serious” about language you
have an opportunity to explore similarities, differences and special features
amongst the
language varieties presented here so far, and you can use the accompanying
language introductions to educate yourself further and maybe open new doors
for yourself.
If you are a linguist, you might find some examples
of interesting linguistic features to add to your collections, perhaps even
features you
had not known about, given that data about some of the language varieties
presented here are
otherwise
difficult to come by.
Many thanks to our long-time member Gary Taylor who came up with the idea that we present language samples as a part of our
celebrations. Many thanks also to all who helped to organize this party and
all who have contributed to the smörgåsbord of party treats.
We will very gratefully receive new translations and sound recordings of the
sample story. Please send them to sassisch@yahoo.com, tell us as much as possible about your language or dialect, and let us know
in which village/town/city, state/province and country you live. Please also
tell us if you give us permission to acknowledge your help.
Please
click here if you are interested in joining Lowlands-L. We’d be thrilled to welcome you, no matter were you come from, what sort of
education you have and how much you know about language and culture, “Lowlandic” or otherwise. There is no cost and no obligation. You will have the choice between
being an openly participating member and being an anonymous, silent member
with the same privileges as others.
The whole team thanks you very much in
advance. And thanks for having stopped by!