16 thoughts on “Language quiz”

1. The language is German, but there does seem to be an almost Dutch accent to it.

2. I think it’s Schwäbisch (Swabian).

3. Is it Alsatian, spoken in Alsace?

4. plattdeutsch?

5. I agree with Harris, I would say it’s Plattdüütsch.

6. I think that its plattdeutsch too, I lived in Duesseldorf for a while and we had a few programs in plattdeutsch that sounded a bit Dutch. I live in Holland now so what I hear is clearly set in Germany with basically German vocabulary but with some Dutch forms like meent instead of meint and staddeelschul instead of stadteilschul (would be stadsdeelschool in Dutch).

7. Definitely Plattdeutsch! I have two German friends that are from Hamburg and they sound just like the recording when they speak in Plattdeutsch.

8. Yep Plattdüütsch.
   I was on holiday in this region last year and they talked something similar at the bakery 🙂
   Plus it is quite understandable for me, something between German and Dutch.

9. Since we all agree that the mystery language is Plattdütsch, there is only one thing to be determined – it is spoken in and around the German city of Hamburg. The recording is all about the agreement between the Christian Democratic and the Green parties on forming a common local government.

10. I’m with you all on Plattdütsch. 🙂 I was definitely thinking “northern German” when I heard it- I first thought it was Frisian when I first heard it, then noticed it was too German to be Frisian or Dutch, so… 🙂

    And definitely Hamburg/northwestern Germany area. 🙂

    d.m.f.

11. The intrusion of the loanword “containershape” near the end amuses me. I also picked out the party names and agree with Plattdüütsch.

12. To be different from the majority, I guess Frisian.

13. @ BG:

    It seems to me that the speaker is citing a politician who compares the task of governing to a large “containership” which must be kept in the right shipping channel.

14. The answer is Low German/Plattdeutsch (Plattdüütsch), which is spoken in parts of northern Germany and the Netherlands.

    The recording comes from Radio Bremen.

15. I was thinking that it was possibly Frisian as well but then I saw that it was Plattdeutsch and after having listened to it and thought about the German aspect I am more inclined to think it is that in lieu of Frisian (specially since I have never actually heard enough Frisian spoken to know what I am talking about!)

16. Plattdüütsch, without a doubt. They address several political issues in Germany (“De CDU meent…”) it’s too similar to Hochdeutsch to be Frisian. 😛

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