Hessian dialects
| Hessian | |
|---|---|
| Hessisch | |
| Native to | Germany |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Glottolog | hess1238[1] |
Central German dialects
(4): Hessian | |
Hessian (German: Hessisch) is a West Central German group of dialects of the German language in the central German state of Hesse. The dialect most similar to Hessian is Palatinate German (Ger.: Pfälzisch, pronounced [ˈp͡fɛlt͡sɪʃ]) of the Rhine Franconian sub-family. However, the Hessian dialects have some features which set them somewhat apart from other West-Central German dialects.
Contents
Dialects[edit]
Hessian can be divided into four main dialects, namely those of:
- Northern Hesse (around the city of Kassel),
- Central Hesse (including the Marburg and Gießen areas),
- Eastern Hesse (around Fulda),
- Southern Hesse (around Darmstadt).
To understand this division, one must consider the history of Hesse and the fact that this state is the result of an administrative reform.[2]
The urban regiolect of Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main area is based on the Southern Hesse dialect. In the Central Hessian dialect area, the Frankfurt regiolect is gradually replacing the traditional local dialects.
Southern Hessian[edit]
Changes to consonants[edit]
Consonants are often softened, as outlined by Carsten Keil in his document "A Quick Guide to the Language of Frankfurt". For instance the German "Äpfel" (apples) becomes "Ebbel" in Hessian.[3]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2017). "Hessen Middle High German". Glottolog 3.0. Jena, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
- ^ The German Dialects, a practical approach, Wolfgang Näser, retrieved 19 July 2011
- ^ A Quick Guide to the Language of Frankfurt, Carsten Keil, retrieved 19 July 2011
External links[edit]
- Hessian dialects (in German)