The word "Platt" not only describes the dialects of northern Germany (e.g. Fries), but all old dialects mainly spoken by older people in rural areas all over Germany.
So in Middle-Hessen, mainly the regions of Marburg-Biedenkopf, Schwalm-Eder-Kreis, Vogelsbergkreis, Hersfeld-Rothenburg and Waldeck-Frankenberg, the dialect of the older people, which is quite the same in each region, is called "Platt".
An example is the question "Can you speak Platt, too?", which would in Middle-Hessen Platt: "Kinnt ihr ooch Platt geschwätze?"
Another thing about Platt is the fact, that most of the consonant- and vowel-shifts of High-German can't be found in Platt. Also there are some phrases uncommon to the High-German speaker, because they are relicts of Low-German. So if you are talking formly with a person you don't know, you normally say "Sie" in German (which would be "they" in english, instead of "you"). In Platt, you use the 2nd person plural, "Ihr" ("you", as in english).
Also, there are words like "Appel" (instead of "Apfel" - apple), "Zwetsche" (instead of "Pflaume" - plum) or "Gickel" (instead of "Hahn/Huhn" - chicken), which can also be found in other german dialects.
Examples:
I can eat glass, it doesn't hurt me! - "Ech kunn gloos ässe, es dout m'r nit wäi!"
Oh my god, there's an axe in my head! - "Ach du läiv'r Gutt, ech hun e Axt in meim Kopp!"
(see also: Plattdeutsch) |
