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Vilamovian language - now that's something interesting


posts: 6

McCoyThreads: 46
Posts: 1,756
Joined: Jul 3, 08 ♂ 		Edited by: McCoy  Aug 28, 10, 20:42    #1
Vilamovian or Wilamowicean (Wymysiöeryś) is a West Germanic language spoken in the small town of Wilamowice (Wymysoj in Vilamovian) near Bielsko-Biała, on the border between Silesia and Lesser Poland in the historical region of Galicia. At present, there are about 70 native users of Vilamovian, the majority of them elderly people; Vilamovian is therefore a moribund language.

In origin, Vilamovian appears to derive from 12th century Middle High German, with a strong influence from Low German, Dutch, Frisian, Polish and Old English. The inhabitants of Wilamowice are thought to be descendants of German, Dutch and Scottish settlers who arrived in Poland in the 13th century. However, the inhabitants of Wilamowice always denied any connections with Germany and proclaimed their Dutch origins.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vilamovian_language

c
MareGaeaThreads: 45
Posts: 5,527
Joined: Feb 6, 08 ♂ 		 Aug 28, 10, 20:46    #2
So you see, the Dutch are everywhere :)

>^..^<

M-G (even in PL!)
McCoyThreads: 46
Posts: 1,756
Joined: Jul 3, 08 ♂ 		 Aug 28, 10, 20:52    #3
MareGaea:
Dutch are everywhere


http://holland.org.pl/index_en.htm
SoftsongThreads: 6
Posts: 588
Joined: Sep 2, 07  Pictures: 1 ♀ 		Edited by: Softsong  Oct 16, 10, 18:49    #4
Turns out my "so-called" Germans are also mainly Frisian, Dutch and Flemish. They were from the Russian partition, but had been in the Gdańsk area and moved down the Vistula. They were invited to Poland by the nobles to help reclaim swampy land. They were first subjects of Prussia, then Poland and then Russia.

Their language was similar to this one. Like Vilamovian, it is also almost a dead language. It was called Niederung Platt and it turns out that when they were expelled to Germany, they could understand the Flemish housekeeper perfectly. They no longer had their records from 300 years back, but the oral history said they were of Dutch origins. I really enjoy learning about languages and how they developed. Thanks for posting.
jonniThreads: 26
Posts: 4,181
Joined: Nov 27, 07 ♂ 		Edited by: jonni  Oct 16, 10, 19:04    #5
Check out the SEARCH function - there have been three of four threads on wymysorys, one of them very recently.

One interesting thing is that it's supposed to be mutually intelligible with NE Scots dialects.
SoftsongThreads: 6
Posts: 588
Joined: Sep 2, 07  Pictures: 1 ♀ 		Edited by: Softsong  Oct 16, 10, 19:07    #6
Really? Had not seen those threads, but did notice this one.

So, I am happy McCoy posted. Maybe they will merge them someday. :-)

Yes, I was surprised to also learn that that Scot dialect is also I believe a low German derivative. There was so much trade going on between all these areas and the low German language of the Hanseatic Trade League was used a lot like English is today.


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