URL: http://www.uni-jena.de/en/-p-348682.pdf
Not only the Olm comes from Thuringia…
Indo-European Experts research on the Meaning of Middle-German
Dialects for the High German
People whose Thuringian dialect is clearly detectable don't need to hide any more behind speakers
of a flawless High German. If they are looked down upon because of their regional accent in the
future, they can just respond that words like 'Lurch' (amphibian), 'Molch' (newt) or 'Olm' (olm) derive
from the Thuringian vernacular.
Dr. Sabine Ziegler, research assistant at the Jena branch of the Saxonian Aca−demy of Sciences
in Leipzig, reveals: the Na−tural Scientist Lorenz Oken simply used terms from the local dialect for
naming amphibians and semi-aquatic am−phibians during his time in Jena. The importance of the
Thuringian vernacular is often underestimated. This might change soon. From December onwards
a pro−ject at the chair of Indo-European Studies at Jena University will look into it: The Thuringian
Etymological Dictionary ("Das Thüringer Etymo−lo−gi−sche Wör−terbuch") is supported and
funded with 240.000 Euro by the German Research Foundation (DFG) - initially for three years.
The Thu−ringian Dialect is Considered as the Founder of the Written High German
"The Thuringian Middle-German dialect is of particular importance, as the state is situated in the
heart of Germany and therefore between Northern German and Southern German vernaculars,"
Dr. Ziegler explains. And moreover: "There are parts of Upper German as well as Low German
regional dialects traceable. Together with the so-called 'Kanzleisächsich' (administrative Saxon),
the Thu−ringian dialect is considered as the founder of the written High German." Sa−bine Ziegler
and her colleagues Dr. Sergio Neri and Laura Sturm find the dialect words from the semantic field
'house and farm' most promising - regarding the Etymology as well as the history of the objects and
the words as well as the se−mantic development.
The word field 'house and farm' with its rural roots is of such importance, be−cause ancient words
survived in it - it is similar to biotopes. "That is because dialects are more frequently spoken in rural
areas. Therefore many words still surviving in rural regions would have become extinct elsewhere
or would have been substituted by other, new words," the Jena Indo-European expert says. It was
"unbelievable, how many medieval and even older words have survived in the dialects."
From the Thuringian to the left-hand Traffic on the British Isles
If you are wondering, why such living linguistic fossils from the Hinterland of Thu−ringia should be
of any interest at all, think again: From the Thuringian word "Nuffen" you get straight away to the
left-hand traffic on the British Isles. In the North of West Thuringia the word "Nuffen" denominates
Not only the Olm comes from Thuringia…
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the left horse in a team of horses - describing the saddle horse that used to be the left one in most
parts of Europe. "Researching the meaning of this word you end up with Napo−leon and his laws of
the right-hand traffic on the public roads," Dr. Ziegler says. "And as Napoleon never conquered
England, the left-hand traffic still prevails there," she adds.
The researchers are planning to publish their findings much more extensively than in a simple
etymological dictionary. It is supposed to contain more exam−ples, many idiomatic phrases and
give a lot of room to the history of words. It is planned to have six or seven pages with explanations
per word. Hence it is tar−geted not only at academic expert colleagues, but at a wide range of
interested readers.
Contact:
Dr. Sabine Ziegler
Research Assistant of Indo-European Studies at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena
Zwätzengasse 12
D-07743 Jena
Phone: +0049 / (0)3641 / 944087
Mail: [email protected]
Meldung vom: 06.11.2012 08:40 Uhr
Indo-European Experts research on the Meaning of Middle-GermanDialects for the High German
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