Nedderdüütsch un Internet

vun Clara Kramer-Freudenthal
(Iesmoond 2000)

Siet 1993 weet ik wat ,,Internet'' is. To de Tiet hebbt de Düütschen noch in'n Deepsloop legen in Betoog op Internet. Bet herto harr ik mien Vertelln un Riemels mit de Post no Ameriko schickt, un Reinhard F. Hahn in Seattle hett vun dor öber dat Internet Vertelln vun mi in alle Welt op Lowlands-L wiedergeben. Ok hett he een gans wunnerboret Bespreken vun mien Book, «Ollanner Vertelln» op dat Internet schreben. Bün nu sülbst siet Juni 1994 an ditt internatschoonole Nett ansloten. Mi hett de Kopp foken düchtig qualmt, un he qualmt mi af un an ok hüüt noch! So'n Computer hett sien Mucken un mookt nich ümmer wat he schall. Batts is allns weg wat jüst schreben hest, un weg is weg. Müß al ümmerto spiekern.

Kann gor nich beschrieben, un dat is jo ok unwohrschienlich, woans de Technik dat öberhaupt meuglich mookt in Minuten or gor Sekunn' dusende vun Mielen to öberbrücken. Is een gaulebige Tiet, in de wi leevt, ober so gau, dat is nich to begriepen vör mien olen Kopp! Tjer, nu hebb ik dat ober sülbst beleevt. Hebb een E-Mail an Reinhard F. Hahn in Seattle, Ameriko, schreben un harr binnen een knappe Stünn sien Anter, een langen Breef, op mien' Schrievdisch, een Anter in dat best' Nedderdüütsch, wat'n sik bloots dinken kann. Jo, wi kommunizeert op Nedderdüütsch. Von Reinhard weet ik ok ierst, datt dat op de ganse Welt noch bannig veel Minschen gifft, de in uns lebe Modersprook snackt or proot. Ok Henk Wolf in Holland hett mi öber't Internet Greuten tokoom loten. Uns Plattdüütsch leevt, is noch lang nich doot, as dat männig Lüüd meent. Nee, dor wohr di weg! Nu hebb ik den Bewies. Lütten Uttog ut Henk Wolf sien Greuten: ,,Durch das Internet bin ich schon vielen Leuten begegnet, die sich interessieren für das Friesische und das Niederdeutsche. Eine grosze (ß und Umlaute gibt es im Ausland nicht) Welt ist viel kleiner geworden. Ohne den Internetanschlusz Ihres Enkels James haette ich wahrscheinlich nie von Ihnen gehoert.'' Ok Henk Wolf beed mi em in Nedderdüütsch to schrieben. De beiden wünscht, datt ik jüm mit Reinhard or Henk un mit ,,Du'' ansnacken müch. Is een Ehr' för mi!

Gifft nu een Barg to doon, dormit mien Modersprook nich ünnergeiht.

Siet Sneemoond 1999 is Nedderdüütsch in de europäische Sprachencharta as ,,schützenswerte Sprache'' opnohm worrn. Nu is dat an uns, dor ok wat ut to moken. Wi mööt bloots ümmerto in uns Modersprook snacken! Iers op Hoochdüütsch öbergohn, wenn uns Gegenöber uns totol nich versteiht.

Disse Riemel steiht in de Milljonenstadt New York in Steen inhaut, as Dinkmool, un dormit müch ik sluten. Mien Book «Ollanner Vertelln», wat in den Krause Verlag in Stood druckt worrn is, fangt dormit an.

Die Eltern haben Platt gesprochen;
Wir haben längst damit gebrochen,
Denn wenn man etwas Bildung hat
Blamiert man sich so mit dem Platt.
Minsch blameer de Öllern nich,
Dat verdeent se würklich nich.
Beide Sproken mööt bestohn,
Kene dröff uns ünnergohn.
Kann's mit mi giern Plattdüütsch snacken,
Diene Billung geiht nich sacken.
Wer twee Sproken spreken kann,
Is keen Dööskopp, gläuv dat man.

Low German and Internet

by Clara Kramer-Freudenthal 
(February 2000)

In 1993 I began to know what "Internet" is. At the time, we Germans were still fast asleep with regard to the Internet. Previously I had sent my stories and poems to America by mail, and Reinhard F. Hahn in Seattle would from that end pass some stories of mine on to Lowlands-L. Also, he wrote and posted on the Internet a wonderful review of my book Ollanner Vertelln. Now, since June 1994, I myself am connected to that international network. Oftentimes my brains went into overdrive, and once in a while they still do these days. A computer is a capricious creature and doesn't always do what it is told to do. Suddenly everything you just wrote is gone, and gone is gone. You've got to keep saving.

It is impossible for me to describe -- and in fact it is incredible -- how technology enables us to bridge thousands of miles in minutes or even seconds. We live in times of fast-paced living, but it my old head needs quite a bit of time to comprehend it all. Well, now I've been experiencing it myself. I wrote an email message to Reinhard F. Hahn in Seattle, America, and had his reply on my desk barely an hour later, a long letter, a reply in the best kind of Low German you can possibly imagine. Yes, we communicate in Low German. It's from Reinhard that I finally got to know that all over the world there are people that talk our dear native language. Henk Wolf in the Netherlands, too, sent me greetings via the Internet. Our Low German is alive, is far from dead, contrary to what many people assume. No, forget about it! Now I have proof. Here's a brief excerpt from Henk Wolf's message [in German]: "Via the Internet I have met many people that are interested for Frisian and Low German. A small world has grown a lot larger. Without your grandson James' connection to the Internet I probably would have never heard about you." Henk Wolf, too, asked me to write to him in Low German. The two of them wish that I address them as "Reinhard" or "Henk" and by the familiar form of "you." I'm honored to do so!

Now there's a lot to be done so my native language doesn't die.

Low German has been listed in the European Language Charter as a "language to be protected" since January of 1999. Now it is up to us to make something out of this. We ought to keep speaking our native language, switching over to High German only if an interlocutor doesn't understand us at all!

This poem can be found in the metropolis New York, carved in stone as a memorial, and it's with it that I want to close. It's at the beginning of my book Ollanner Vertelln that has been published by Krause Publishers in Stade.

Our parents once used to speak Platt,
But we have long stopped doing that,
For if you're educated and all that
It isn't proper to use Platt.
Come on! Don't make your folks look bad!
They don't deserve it, would be sad.
Both languages must stay right here.
Not one of them should disappear.
Feel free to speak with me in Platt!
You won't be less learned for that.
If you can speak both High and Low,
Believe you me, you aren't slow.¹

Nedder-Duytsch un Internet

fun Clara Kramer-Freudenthal
(Iismaand 2000)

Siit 1993 [negen-tain hunnerd drei un genetig] weet ik wat ,,Internet'' is. Tou de tied hevt de Duytschen noch in d'n deip-sloop legen in betoug op Internet. Bet her tou har ik miin fertellen un rimels mit de post naa Amerikaa schikd, un Reinhard F. Hahn in Seattle het fun daar euver dat Internet fertellen fun mii in alle welt op Lowlands-L wider-geven. Ouk het hei 'n ganss wunner-baret bespreken fun miin bouk, Ollanner Vertelln, op dat Internet schreven. Buen nuu suelvst siit Juni 1994 [negen-tain hunnerd feir un negentig] an dit internatschonale net an-slaten. Mii het de kop faken duechtig kwalmd, un hei kwalmt mii af un an ouk huyt noch! Soo 'n kompjuter het siin mukken un maakt nich uemmer wat hei schal. Bats is allens weg wat juest schreven hest, un weg is weg. Muess al uemmer tou spikern.

Kan gaar nich beschriven, un dat is jaa ouk unwaar-schiinlich, wouans de technik dat euver-haupt moyglich maakt in minuten or gaar sekunden dusende fun milen tou euver-bruekken. Is 'n gau-levige tiid in dei wii leevt, aver soo gau dat is nich tou begripen foer miin olden kop! Tjer, nuu hev ik dat aver suelvst beleevd. Hev 'n e-mail an Reinhard F. Hahn in Seattle, Amerika, schreven un har binnen 'n knappe stuend siin anter, 'n langen breev, op miin schriiv-disch, 'n anter in dat besd Nedder-Duytsch, wat 'n sik bloots dinken kan. Jaa, wii kommunitseert op Nedder-Duytsch. Fon Reinhard weet ik ook eirsd dat dat op de gansse welt noch bannig feel minschen givt dei in uns leve mouder-spraak snakt or praat. Ouk Henk Wolf in Holland het mii euver't Internet groyten tou-kamen laten. Uns Plat-Duytsch leevt, is noch lang nich dood as dat mennig luyd' meint. Nei, daar waar dii weg! Nuu hev ik d'n bewiis. Luetten uuttog uut Henk Wolf siin groyten: ,, Durch das Internet bin ich schon vielen Leuten begegnet, die sich interessieren für das Friesische und das Niederdeutsche. Eine grosze (ß und Umlaute gibt es im Ausland nicht) Welt ist viel kleiner geworden. Ohne den Internetanschlusz Ihres Enkels James haette ich wahrscheinlich nie von Ihnen gehoert.'' Ouk Henk Wolf beed mii em in Nedder-Duytsch tou schriven. De baiden wuenscht dat ik juem mit Reinhard or Henk un mit ,,Du'' an-snakken muech. Is 'n eer foer mii!

Givt nuu 'n barg tou doun daar mit miin mouder-spraak nich uenner-gait.

Siit Sneimoond 1999 [negen-tain hunnerd negen un negentig] is Nedder-Duytsch in de europäische Sprachencharta as ,,schützenswerte Sprache'' op-namen worren. Nuu is dat an uns daar ouk wat uut tou maken. Wii meut bloots uemmer tou in uns mouder-spraak snakken! Eirsd op Hoog-Duytsch euver-gaan wen uns gegen-euver uns totaal nich ferstait.

Disse rimel stait in de miljonen-stad New York in stein in-haud, as dinkmaal, un daarmit muech ik sluten. Miin bouk Ollanner Vertelln, wat in d'n Krause Verlag in Staad' drukd worren is, fangt daarmit an.

Die Eltern haben Platt gesprochen;
Wir haben längst damit gebrochen,
Denn wenn man etwas Bildung hat
Blamiert man sich so mit dem Platt.
Minsch blameer de Öllern nich,
Dat verdeent se würklich nich.
Beide Sproken mööt bestohn,
Kene dröff uns ünnergohn.
Kann's mit mi giern Plattdüütsch snacken,
Diene Billung geiht nich sacken.
Wer twee Sproken spreken kann,
Is keen Dööskopp, gläuv dat man.

Low German and Internet

by Clara Kramer-Freudenthal 
(February 2000)

In 1993 I began to know what "Internet" is. At the time, we Germans were still fast asleep with regard to the Internet. Previously I had sent my stories and poems to America by mail, and Reinhard F. Hahn in Seattle would from that end pass some stories of mine on to Lowlands-L. Also, he wrote and posted on the Internet a wonderful review of my book Ollanner Vertelln. Now, since June 1994, I myself am connected to that international network. Oftentimes my brains went into overdrive, and once in a while they still do these days. A computer is a capricious creature and doesn't always do what it is told to do. Suddenly everything you just wrote is gone, and gone is gone. You've got to keep saving.

It is impossible for me to describe -- and in fact it is incredible -- how technology enables us to bridge thousands of miles in minutes or even seconds. We live in times of fast-paced living, but it my old head needs quite a bit of time to comprehend it all. Well, now I've been experiencing it myself. I wrote an email message to Reinhard F. Hahn in Seattle, America, and had his reply on my desk barely an hour later, a long letter, a reply in the best kind of Low German you can possibly imagine. Yes, we communicate in Low German. It's from Reinhard that I finally got to know that all over the world there are people that talk our dear native language. Henk Wolf in the Netherlands, too, sent me greetings via the Internet. Our Low German is alive, is far from dead, contrary to what many people assume. No, forget about it! Now I have proof. Here's a brief excerpt from Henk Wolf's message [in German]: "Via the Internet I have met many people that are interested for Frisian and Low German. A small world has grown a lot larger. Without your grandson James' connection to the Internet I probably would have never heard about you." Henk Wolf, too, asked me to write to him in Low German. The two of them wish that I address them as "Reinhard" or "Henk" and by the familiar form of "you." I'm honored to do so!

Now there's a lot to be done so my native language doesn't die.

Low German has been listed in the European Language Charter as a "language to be protected" since January of 1999. Now it is up to us to make something out of this. We ought to keep speaking our native language, switching over to High German only if an interlocutor doesn't understand us at all!

This poem can be found in the metropolis New York, carved in stone as a memorial, and it's with it that I want to close. It's at the beginning of my book Ollanner Vertelln that has been published by Krause Publishers in Stade.

Our parents once used to speak Platt,
But we have long stopped doing that,
For if you're educated and all that
It isn't proper to use Platt.
Come on! Don't make your folks look bad!
They don't deserve it, would be sad.
Both languages must stay right here.
Not one of them should disappear.
Feel free to speak with me in Platt!
You won't be less learned for that.
If you can speak both High and Low,
Believe you me, you aren't slow.¹