Low German or Low Saxon (German: Plattdeutsch, or Platt) is one of the Germanic languages.
It is still spoken by many people in northern Germany and the northeast part of the Netherlands. Low German is closer to the English and Dutch languages than High German (Hochdeutsch) is.
Low German | |
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Low Saxon | |
Plattdütsch, Plattdüütsch, Plattdütsk, Plattdüütsk, Plattduitsk (South-Westphalian), Plattduitsch (Eastphalian), Plattdietsch (Low Prussian); Neddersassisch; Nedderdüütsch German: Plattdeutsch, Niedersächsisch, Niederdeutsch (in a stricter sense) Dutch: Nedersaksisch Danish: Plattysk, Nedertysk, Nedersaksisk, Lavtysk (rarely) | |
Native to | Northern and western Germany Eastern Netherlands Southern Denmark |
Ethnicity | Dutch Germans Frisians; Historically Saxons (both the ethnic group and modern regional subgroup of Germans) |
Native speakers | Estimated 6.7 million Up to 10 million second-language speakers (2001) |
Early forms | |
Dialects | |
Official status | |
Official language in | Germany Netherlands |
Recognised minority language in | |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-2 | nds |
ISO 639-3 | nds (Dutch varieties and Westphalian have separate codes) |
Glottolog | lowg1239 Low German |
Linguasphere | 52-ACB |
Approximate area in which Low German/Low Saxon dialects are spoken in Europe (after the expulsion of Germans) | |
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