WUSCHKE NAME SOURCES

 

It is said in our family folk lore that a very long time ago we came from an area close to the Kashubian country in Poland. Mr. Paul Lange also confirms this in his book Qui Summus, where he writes the following; The Low Germans started to crowd into the Kashub territory, especially after 1229 A.D., when the Teutonic Knights were invited to exterminate the ancient Prus and their language. Here the Plattdeutsch lived for many centuries.

 

The Dialect our German ancestors used remained with them, with very little variation, as they trekked through Poland and into Volhynia over the centuries. One of the reasons was that they were illiterate and also that they intermarried within their own group, thus preventing outside influence."

 

How far north did our language go, we don't know, we do know that it was in the northern part of Neumark, and we can guess that it may be related to the language of the Baltic trade as the following article excerpt explains, "The Dutch language has long been a binding factor within the Baltic trade. Everywhere around the Baltic Sea, Dutchmen had settled and kept speaking their own language. Along a great portion of the coast, a kind of "Platt-German" was spoken, that came quite close to the Dutch language. Mostly a conversation in Dutch didn't impose any problem at all.”

 

As our language contains many different words from other cultures it must have been in close contact to a variety of people. It contains Dutch, German, Swedish, old English and some numbers that only come from the Faroe Islands. It seems to be a very old language. Only a few people in my home town can still speak this language and soon it will disappear. This was the only language I could speak until about the age of 5 when we switched to English, thank goodness the rest of the relatives and neighbours kept it up to the present day. It is my goal to try and preserve as much as I can, as it is probably one of the lost languages from the German area that is now Poland.

 

Special thanks to Plattmaster for providing the following information:  www.plattmaster.de

 

In general: The language is - like East Prussian platt - a Low German with High German influence.

It can be explained by the history of colonization, which takes place mainly after the 12th century. Settlers came mainly from the Low Saxon area, but some also from down south. There was an influence from the Low Saxon speaking hanse towns like Danzig (today called Gdansk). Other influences came from the whole Baltic area (Sweden, the Baltic States, etc.) There are also some influences from Yiddish, I suppose.

 

Some differences to northern Low German:

- partly second sound shift (is instead of Low Saxon eet = engl eat)

- schp /schl / scht instead of sp, sl, st (Schprauk = Spraak, schlaupe = slaapen). This feature is , like in High German (Sprache is pronounced Schprache, )

- j/y instead of g (like in the Dialects of Berlin and vicinity)

 

So the examples show mainly the Low German language heritage of the dialect:

 

Numbers (English = Kashubian = Northern Low Saxon = High German)

one = eent = een = eins

two = twee = twee = zwei

three = dree = dree(i) = drei (spoken dr-a-i)

four = fea = veer (spoken fea) = vier

five = feef = fief = fünf

six = ses = soss = sechs

seven = zeva = seven (weak s) = sieben

eight = aught = tacht = acht

nine = neggu nege niggju = negen = neun

ten = tigguh tiggju = teihn = zehn

eleven = elve = ülben = elf

twelve = twelf = twölf = zwölf

thirteen = dree tiggju = dörteihn = dreizehn

twenty = twinch = twintig (g as weak ch) = zwanzig

 

Words (English = Kashubian = Northern Low Saxon = High German)

this = dit = dütt = dies(es)

that = dat = dat = dass / das

yes = yo = jo = ja

sleep = schlaupe = slaapen = schlafen

eat = eita = eeten = essen

pipe = piep = piep = Pfeife

good = gout = good = gut

mother = mutte = moder = Mutter

father = fohteh = Vadder = Vater

son = yunga = Söhn, Jung = Sohn, Junge

daughter = mica = Dochter, Deern = Tochter

 

Phrases (English = Kashubian = Northern Low Saxon = High German)

 

they go to dancing without pants and without stockings. = ze gowa uppa das ohna hosa ohna strimp = Se geiht na't Danzen ahn Büxen un Strümp = Sie gehen zum Tanz ohne Hosen und Strümpfe

 

I want to marry you = Ik vi (ve) dee freege. = Ik will di freen = Ich will dich heiraten

 

I'm telling you I did him on the ear hit (slapped) that he from the world nothing knew = Ik seg de ik heb eem un dea ohra brandt dat hey frum de vilt nicht wusst. = Ik segg di, ik hebb em op de Lepel (Ohrn) haut, dat he vun de Welt nix wusst = Ich sage dir, ich habe ihm auf die Ohren gehauen, dass er von der Welt nichts wusste.

 

Today will I in the town go = Hette vi ik in de stada gowa. = Hüüt will ik na de Stadt gahn = Heute will ich in die Stadt gehen

 

Story by Paul Lange (Kashubian = English)

 

Ick vah dee ah biske inn Kashubish fahtelle. Meen mutte schprauk vah Kashubish. un ahz ick ind schohl anfeng kuhn ick nich anders fehrstehe. Doh zinn nich genouch voede in de schprauk dat mah doh fehl fahtelle kann. Ebe mah kah etwah zegge vat mah in ehnem dach deht

= I want to tell you a bit in Kashubian. My mother language was Kashubian. And when I was beginning school I could not understand other (languages). There are not enough words in the language to tell much. But one can for example tell what one does during a day.

 

Free am morge klopt fohteh ode mutte met dem behze an deh behne, denn et iss teet tum oopschtohn.

= Early in the morning father or mother knocks with the broom at the legs. Then it is time to get up.

 

Vat mah denn deht iss zick antrecke un vasche. Noudem mut mah freeschtick eite. Doh Kricht mah braut, melk, botte un zucke, auch igge and schweenflehsch. Dat alles schmeckt zehe gout venn mah hoongrich iss.

=What you do then, is to dress and wash yourself. Afterwards one must eat breakfast. There you get bread, milk, butter and sugar, also (igge? I have no idea) and pork meat. All that tastes very fine if one is hungry.

 

Denn mut mah an deh ahbeet. Mah yeht in deh schtahl un fohdet de peh, deh kaehy, schween un hehne.Noudem mut mah deh kow melke.

=Then one must begin to work. One goes to the stable and feeds the horses, the cows, pigs and hens. After that one must milk the cow.

 

Yehde kow yift ahne ehme melk, dat auck fehl schmant het. Denn mutmah deh peh oopschirre un ant vaute bringe, un int lant yoh, voh mah an de plouch ode an deh ehye anschpannt. Zoh mut mah ahbeede bet ovents.

=Every cow gives one bucket of melk, which also has much fat (hochdeutsch: Schmand). Then one must harness the horse and bring it to the water(?) and into the land / field, yes, where one hitches the horse to the plough or the harrow. That way one must work until evening.

 

Noudem dat mah ovebraut eite het, kann mah etwas schpatzere yoh. Mah kann deh andre yungis sehe, ode auck deh meikis bezehke,ebe mah dat zeh nick beseche. denn dat is nich agenehm. Venn mah denn yout mehd iss yeht mah noh hoos un yeht in dat bed schlept bet morge.

=After one has eaten the dinner (High German: Abendbrot) one can walk a bit. One can see other boys or look at the girls, but one does not visit them (the girls) because that is not pleasant. If one has done that (not very close translated) one goes home and goes to bed, sleeps until the morning.

 

Mah mut auck behde dat deh Lehv Yot ehne am morge vede oopveckt, un dat deh ohl Deevah die nich in deh nacht hohlt.

=One must also pray that God (Leew Jot = Dear God = Liebe Gott) wakes up one at (the next) morning and that the old devil does not get you during the night.

 

There also were many sayings and songs in Platt Deutsch: here is one "Lot iss douht, Lot is douht. Yule licht im grohve, tou yedeckt, tou yedeckt, hilt dey feht noh bohve."

Lott (Lotte, from Charlotte) is dead, Lott is dead, Jule (from Julia) lies in the ditch, covered up, covered up, holds the feet up. (bohve = baben = boven is related to engl. above).

 

In northern Standard Low Saxon it is quite known today (in much variations) as

Lott is dood, Lott is dood, Jule liggt in'n Graven, liggt in'n Matsch, liggt in'n Matsch, hold de Feut na baben

 

Dialect Dictionary - English Phonics

 

Days of the Week

Monday= Mondach

Tuesday=Dinsdach

Wednesday=Midweik

Thursday=Donnedach

Friday=Freedach

Saturday=Sonnovent, Sonova

Sunday=Sondach

 

Numbers

one=eent

two-twee

three=dree

four=fea

five=feef

six=ses

seven=zeva

eight=aught

nine=neggu nege

ten=tiggi, tiggju (Tiggi from the Old Prus)(Also found in North Rhine-Westphalia Dialect.)

eleven=elve

twelve=twelf

thirteen=dree tiggi (tiggju)

fourteen=fea tiggi (tiggju)

fifteen=testiggi (feef tiggi)

etc

twenty=twinch

 

Words

? = hilt

? =ant

?=ehye

?=mehd

? =noh

?=teet

?=zinn

a bit =etwas

a lot =fehl

a=ah

a=ein

abit=schpatzere

above or up=bohve

all=alles

also=auck,auch

and =an /un

are=zinn

asks=fragt

ass=assel

aunt=taute

barn=stall

bed=bed

beginning=anfeng

behind=hinem

black=schwat

boxes=kist

boys =yungis

bread=braut,broat

breakfast=freeschtick

breed=brode

bring=bringe

bringing, =bringe

broom=behze

bucket =ehme

bull=boll

but=ebe

butter=botte,butte

came back again=weddekam

can=kann,khun

cat=kaute

cattle=kaehy

chair=stoa

chests=kasten

chickens=hehne

child=kind (short i sound)

clock=uhe

cloud=wolke

comes=kommt

corn=corrrn

could=kuhn

covered up=yedeckt

cow=keoh/koh/kow

cows=kaehy

cream(fat)=schmant

crow=kraehen

crow=kreih

dancing=uppa

dare=dare

daughter=meika (Meica from Latvia)

day=dach

dead=douht

dear (love) =lehv

dear God=Lehv Yot

devil=deevah, dieva, diva

did=deht

ditch=grohve

do=deh, deht, du

does =deht

early =free

dog=hoont

dress =antrecke

dressed=antrecke

dumb=dooma (dumma)

during (in the)=ehnem

early=free

early=froeh

ear-ohra

eat=eita, eite

eatenup=upjefraete

eggs=igge, iggi, egge

enough=genouch

evening supper =ovebraut

evening=ovents

ever =ebe

every=yehdev

example =etwah

fall= hafvst

fat=fett

fat=schmacht

father=fotte fohteh

feed=fohdet

feeds =fohdet

feet=feht

fifteen=testiggi

flew away=footfloej

for =kah

for example=etwah

from=frum

full of shit=U volljesschaete

get =kricht

get =yeht

get you=hohlt

get=zick

getup (upstand)=oopschtohn

girl=meika Mei?a (=Girl Maiden=Latvian)

girls=meikis

gives=yift

glowing=leute

go =yoh

go=gowa,yoh

God =yout

goes=yeht

good=geot/gout

goose=gäns'che

got up=upstun

green=groen

grey=grau

ground=grund

harness=oopschirre

harrow=anschpannt

has=het

have =häst/heb

he=hey

heap=coup

hens =hehne

hill=baag,baack

him=eem

hit=brandt

holds (caught) =hohlt

is= iss

holds =t noh

horse=paet

horses=peh

house =hoos /huus

how many=woveel

however=ebe

hungry=hoongrich

I = ik

I =mah = (meaning a person (myself)

I must=mutmah

in =ind /inn/in

in a =Im

in the=am

into=int

iron wire= isa draht

is =is

is=iss

it =et

Jule(name)= Yul

knew=wusst

knocks=klopt

land=lant

language(speak)=schprauk

lays=lecht

legs=behne

licked=beleckt

lies=lecht'n/licht

lightning=blitz

little bit =biske

long=lunga

look at(seek out)=bezehke

looked=keek

Lotte (A name)=Lot

make=mekt

many(much)=fehl

marry=freege

me/I =mah=

meat=flaech

milk(verb)=melke

milk=melk

mine=meen

morning=morge

mother=mode/mutte

much=fehl

must I =mutmah

must=mut

my =meen

myself=mah

nibble=gnabb af

night =nacht

not=ne

not=nich, nick

nothing=nicht/ nuescht

now then=noudem

of the=ihre

old nag(horse)= kraack

old=ohl/oll

on =an/un

one=ahne

ones=ehnem

onion=schwiebel

other/or =ode

other=andre

others=anders

pants=hosa

pig=schween

pipe=piep

pleasant=angenhm

plow=plouch

plum=plume

poppy=mak

pork meat (bacon)=schweenflehsch

potatoe=tiffka

pray=behde

rain=rege

raven=raben

red=röd (rode)

say =zeh/seg/sehe/zegge/sagt

school =schohl

see=sehe

self =zick

sheep=schoap

shepherd=schäpe

shit=t'messen

shrub=stude

sitting=sitt

sleep=schlaupe

slept=schlept

small=litk

so=zoh

son=yunja /yunga

soup=zip

speak =beseche

speak =schprauk

spring=freeyor

stable=schtahl

stall (barn)=schtahl

standup(get up)=oopschtohn

stockings=strimp

struck=schlog

sugar =zucke

summer=zommer

supper=ovebraut

table=tisch

tail=schvanz

tastes =schmeckt

tastes=schmeckt

tell=fahtelle

that has =auck

that=dat

the =de/deh

the name of the language=Kashubish

the=de (dea) deh

them=dem

then =den/denn

there =doh/dah/draa

they =dey

they=ze

this=dit

thought=dacht

thumb=dume

thunder=donne

till=bet

time =tum/teet

to=tum/an

toad=page/kreete

today=hette

town=stada

tree=baum

uncle=oncle

understand=fehrstehe

until=bet

up= tou

very=zehe

visit=beseche

wakes up =ehne

wakeup/upwake =oopveckt

walk =schpatzere

walk=ehye

want =vay(vi)

was=vah

was=wee'e

wash=vasche

water=vaute

we=vi

went(attended) =anfeng

what =vat /wat

when =ahz /venn

when you =vede

where=voh

where=waere

white=vit

why not=worüm ne

will=wist

wind=vint

winter=vinta

with=mit/mit

without=ohna

wolf=wolf

words=voede

work =ahbeede /ahbeet

world=vilt

yes=yo

Yot=God

you =dee/die

you get=kricht

you=dee (du)

young boys=jungis

your=dea