Low German

Low German or Plattdeutsch, is spoken in northern Germany and parts of the Netherlands. In Germany, it is spoken in Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein, Bremen, Hamburg, and parts of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg, and Saxony-Anhalt.

In the Netherlands, it is known as Neder-Saksisch and is spoken in Groningen, Drenthe, Overijssel, and parts of Gelderland.

Subdivision

Low German (Plattdeutsch) is traditionally divided into two main groups: West Low German and East Low German, with further subdivisions reflecting regional variations. West Low German is spoken mainly in northwestern Germany, the northeastern Netherlands, and parts of Schleswig-Holstein, and includes dialects such as Westphalian, Eastphalian, North Low Saxon, and Northern Low Franconian. East Low German, on the other hand, developed further east and is found in Mecklenburg, Brandenburg, and Pomerania, extending historically into East Prussia; its dialects include Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch and Märkisch-Brandenburgisch. Within these groups, there are many local varieties influenced by contact with High German, Dutch, Frisian, and Scandinavian languages. This internal diversity reflects the wide geographic spread of Low German and its long history as a lingua franca of the Hanseatic League.

The Language

Low German (Plattdeutsch) is characterized by the absence of the High German consonant shift, which sets it apart from Standard German; for example, words like maken (to make) and dat (that) remain closer to Dutch and English than to Standard German (machen, das). Its sound system is generally softer, with many open vowels, and it retains older Germanic word forms and vocabulary. Grammar is marked by relatively simple verb conjugations and a reduced case system compared to High German. However, the subdialects of Low German can differ noticeably: Westphalian, for instance, has a distinct nasal quality and preserves diphthongs that other dialects level out, while East Low German dialects such as Mecklenburgisch tend to show stronger influence from Standard German, especially in pronunciation and word choice. Coastal varieties like North Low Saxon share many features with Frisian and Scandinavian languages due to centuries of maritime contact, whereas southern West Low German dialects are more influenced by neighboring High German varieties. These differences make Low German a diverse dialect continuum rather than a uniform language.

Publications

Six Asterix albums have been published in Low German. Titles include De Törn för nix (1996) and De Gallier (2024), translated by Hartmut Cyriacks, Peter Nissen, Reinhard Goltz, and Jürgen Ruge, and published by Bookschoosteree Ehapa Verlag. There have been attempts to translate Asterix albums into Dutch Low Saxon, but these have seen little to no success, except for some bootleg versions.

However, Twents, a Low Saxon dialect spoken in the Dutch province of Overijssel, has one official Asterix translation.