Re: Beating the Dutch
| From: | John Cowan <jcowan@...> |
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| Date: | Saturday, April 27, 2002, 3:15 |
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Nik Taylor scripsit:
> Actually, it's a survival from before Germany was united. "Dutch" was
> used for all the Low German states, including modern-day Netherlands and
> what is now northern Germany. "German" was used for the High German
> states, and so when Germany became a nation, the term "German" was
> attached to the new nation, and "Dutch" came to be restricted to the
> Netherlands.
I think that "German" wasn't commonly used before the unification at all.
"High Dutch" meant "High German" in the 17th century: King Charles II
said he talked "High Dutch" to his horse (and French to his mistress).
And I myself have seen a document in Dutch of the same period in a museum
-- a "Wanted" poster -- which says that the criminal speaks "both high
and low Dutch", which I take to mean "speaks both Dutch and German".
Furthermore, the Pennsylvania Dutch are not only German, they are mostly
Swabians -- definitely in the High German area.
--
John Cowan <jcowan@...> http://www.reutershealth.com
I amar prestar aen, han mathon ne nen, http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
han mathon ne chae, a han noston ne 'wilith. --Galadriel, _LOTR:FOTR_
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