Unique Texas German dialect dying (Specific Languages) Language Learning Forum

Unique Texas German dialect dying
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iguanamon
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Message 1 of 18

20 May 2013 at 1:04pm | IP Logged

The US state of Texas has had a large German immigrant population since the early 19th century. The BBC has a story and video today about the German still spoken in Texas: German dialect in Texas is one of a kind, and dying out. There is a website dedicated to its preservation The Texas German Dialect Project.

BBC wrote:

The first German settlers arrived in Texas over 150 years ago and successfully passed on their native language throughout the generations - until now.

German was the main language used in schools, churches and businesses around the hill country between Austin and San Antonio. But two world wars and the resulting drop in the standing of German meant that the fifth and sixth generation of immigrants did not pass it on to their children...Hans Boas, a linguistic and German professor at the University of Texas, has made it his mission to record as many speakers of German in the Lone Star State as he can before the last generation of Texas Germans passes away.

Mr Boas has recorded 800 hours of interviews with over 400 German descendants in Texas and archived them at the Texas German Dialect Project. He says the dialect, created from various regional German origins and a mix of English, is one of a kind.

"We have found no two speakers that speak roughly alike," Mr Boas told the BBC at his office in Austin.

The BBC's Franz Strasser went to Weimar, New Braunfels and Austin to find the last speakers of this dialect.

Edited by iguanamon on 20 May 2013 at 2:24pm
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Vegemighty
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Message 2 of 18

20 May 2013 at 3:56pm | IP Logged

Everything must come to an end sometime. It had a good run.
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Konanen
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Message 3 of 18

20 May 2013 at 4:18pm | IP Logged

I was just listening to the files and I must say, this is almost pure German. I am baffled by the purity the dialect held itself in.
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Kyle Corrie
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Message 4 of 18

21 May 2013 at 4:32am | IP Logged

That is pure German?

Perhaps my opinion isn't shared, but they sound like beginning German learners who were
told to use English words when they couldn't think of the proper German word.

It's a little interesting, sure. But they lack vocabulary, flow, proper grammar... they
use incorrect past participles.

Good riddance, in my opinion.
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osoymar
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Message 5 of 18

22 May 2013 at 1:59am | IP Logged

I suspect that you are misunderstanding either what a dialect is or how one dies out.
They don't owe it to you to speak high German or anything that resembles German in other
parts of the world. And the speakers who are losing their dialect are going to revert to
English, not high German.

I recognize that language is subject to a form of natural selection, and that it was
unlikely that this dialect could hold out in the long run. But I'd hate to think that
you're really celebrating its passing.
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montmorency
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Message 6 of 18

22 May 2013 at 3:11am | IP Logged

One might have said the same thing (as Kyle said) about Afrikaans, relative to Dutch, but
many, including many on this forum, celebrate Afrikaans as a language (not under too
serious threat though, as far as I know....maybe under threat in the long run though).
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montmorency
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Message 7 of 18

22 May 2013 at 3:18am | IP Logged

It would be interesting to see how the younger members of this population get on, when
they perhaps go to school and start learning German formally (those who do), and learn
"proper" German.

One older lady in that BBC clip sounded like a "proper German", whereas all the others
sounded very American.
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Kyle Corrie
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Message 8 of 18

22 May 2013 at 11:28pm | IP Logged

osoymar wrote:

I suspect that you are misunderstanding either what a dialect is or how
one dies out.
They don't owe it to you to speak high German or anything that resembles German in other
parts of the world. And the speakers who are losing their dialect are going to revert to
English, not high German.

I recognize that language is subject to a form of natural selection, and that it was
unlikely that this dialect could hold out in the long run. But I'd hate to think that
you're really celebrating its passing.

I suspect you have misunderstood that my comments were in reference to calling it 'pure
German'.

1 person has voted this message useful

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