Limburgish, or Limburgian or Limburgic (Dutch: Limburgs, German: Limburgisch, French: Limbourgeois) is a group of Franconian varieties, spoken in the Limburg and Selfkant regions, near the common Dutch/Flemish(Belgium)/German border. Rougly said it is spoken in a wide circle from Venlo to Köln to Aachen to Maastricht to Hasselt and back to Venlo . Limburgish is recognised as a regional language (streektaal) in the Netherlands and as such it receives moderate protection under chapter 2 of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). ... The Kingdom of Belgium (Dutch: Koninkrijk België, French: Royaume de Belgique, German: Königreich Belgien) is a country in Western Europe, bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea. ... ISO 639 is one of several international standards that lists short codes for language names. ... ISO 639 is one of several international standards that lists short codes for language names. ... SIL International is a non-profit, faith-based, scientific organization with the main purpose to study, develop and document lesser-known languages for the purpose of expanding linguistic knowledge, promoting world literacy and aiding minority language development. ... Note: This page contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... German (called Deutsch in German; in German the term germanisch is equivalent to English Germanic), is a member of the western group of Germanic languages and is one of the worlds major languages. ... French (français, langue française) is one of the most important Romance languages, outnumbered in speakers only by Spanish and Portuguese. ... The Franconian language can refer to: the Main Franconian, a High German dialect spoken in Franconia (a region of Bavaria, though historically distinct) the West Middle German language family a number of West Germanic languages and dialects, including all of West Middle German and some Low German languages as well... Limburg is the name of two different adjoining provinces, one in the Netherlands (Limburg (Netherlands)) and one in Flanders, one of three regions of Belgium (Limburg (Belgium)). Once, what is now Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands were one country, the Netherlands, meaning the lowlands. When the Belgians split away from... The Kingdom of Belgium (Dutch: Koninkrijk België, French: Royaume de Belgique, German: Königreich Belgien) is a country in Western Europe, bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea. ... Venlo is a municipality and a city in the southeastern Netherlands. ... Map of Germany showing Cologne Cologne skyline at night. ... Map of Germany showing Aachen Aachen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, on the border with Belgium and the Netherlands, 65 km to the west of Cologne, and the westernmost city in Germany, at 50°46 N, 6°6 E. Population: 256,605 (2003). ... Maastricht, also spelled Maestricht, or Mestreech in local dialect, is a municipality, and capital of the province of Limburg. ... Hasselt is a city in Belgium, capital of the province of Belgian Limburg. ... Venlo is a municipality and a city in the southeastern Netherlands. ... A regional language is a language spoken in a part of a country - it may be a small area, a federal state or province, or a wider area. ... The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). ... The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is a European convention (CETS 148) adopted in 1992 under the auspices of the Council of Europe to protect and promote historical regional and minority languages in Europe. ...

Limburgish gradually gradates into more easterly idioms of the region of Berg, Germany. This being the case, it is in Germany typically classed as combined with these dialects into a so-called Limburgisch-Bergisch group. Berg was a medieval territory in todays North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. ... The Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is one of the worlds leading industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. ...

In Germany it is common to consider the Limburgish dialects as part of Zuidrijnmaasfrankisch, which is then seen as belonging to the Low Franconian group of languages; in The Netherlands and Belgium however all these are seen as West Middle German or even simply High German. This difference is caused by a difference in definition: the linguists of the Low Countries define a Low German dialect as one that has not taken part in the Second Germanic sound shift at all. Low Franconian is any of several West Germanic languages spoken in the Netherlands, northern Belgium, and South Africa. ... West Middle German is a High German dialect family in the German language. ... Subdivisions Central German Upper German High German (in German, Hochdeutsch) is any of several German dialects spoken in Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and Luxembourg (as well as in neighbouring portions of Belgium, France (Alsace), Italy, Poland, and Romania (Transylvania) and in some areas of former colonial settlement, for example in... Subdivisions East Low German Low Franconian Low Saxon Low German (in Low German, Platt(düütsch) or Nedderdüütsch) is any of a variety of West Germanic languages spoken in northern Germany and the Netherlands. ... The second Germanic sound shift (zweite germanische Lautverschiebung in German), which took place during the 7th and 8th centuries, separated High German from Low German. ...

Limburgish is spoken by approximately 1,600,000 people in the Low Countries and by many hundreds of thousands in Germany, depending on definition. The varieties of Limburgish spoken within Flemish (Belgium) territory are more influenced by French than those spoken on Dutch and German soil. The Low Countries are the countries on low-lying land around the delta of the Rhine and Meuse rivers— usually used in modern context to mean the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg (an alternate modern term, more often used today, is Benelux). ... The Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is one of the worlds leading industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. ... This article is in need of attention. ... The Kingdom of Belgium (Dutch: Koninkrijk België, French: Royaume de Belgique, German: Königreich Belgien) is a country in Western Europe, bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea. ... The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). ... The Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is one of the worlds leading industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. ...

Unlike most European languages, Limburgish is a tonal language having two tones. Other small European languages known to be marginally tonal are Lithuanian, Slovenian, Swedish, Norwegian and the Yugoslav languages Serbian, Bosnian and Croatian. Tone refers to the use of pitch in language to distinguish words. ... Lithuanian is the official language of Lithuania, spoken by about 4 million native Lithuanians. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Swedish (svenska  listen?) is a Scandinavian language language spoken predominantly in Sweden, Finland and Åland by over 8 million native speakers. ... Norwegian is a Germanic language spoken in Norway. ... The Serbian language or Serb language is one of the standard versions of the Central-South Slavic diasystem, formerly (and still frequently) called Serbo-Croatian. ... The Bosnian language (Bosanski jezik) is one of the standard versions of the Central South Slavic diasystem, formerly known as Serbo-Croatian. ... The Croatian language is a language of the western group of South Slavic languages which is used primarily by the Croats. ...

Limburgish also shows signs of a possible Celtic substrate which is indicated by a larger number of words that have Celtic origins in Limburgish than in other West Germanic dialects. The area was originally inhabited by Celtic tribes. Proto-Indo-European Indo-European studies Celtic languages are a branch of the Indo-European languages. ... In linguistics, a substratum is a language which influences another one while that second language supplants it. ...

Varieties of Limburgish

Nederlimburgs

Noordnederlimburgs (ik-Limburgs) around Venlo in the Netherlands is the form of Limburgish considered as belonging to the Zuid-gelders dialect. Centraalnederlimburgs is a variety of Limburgish around Maastricht and Heerlen in the Netherlands and Genk in Belgium. Centraallimburgs is a concept used in Germany, which includes the area around Maastricht and stretches further North. In Germany there is a concept of a variety of Limburgish around Genk. There is also the concept of a variety of Limburgish between Genk and Hasselt in Germany. Oostlimburgs-Ripuarisch Overgangsgebied is a concept used in Germany to describe the linguistic area in Belgium around Eupen, including Welkenraedt, Lontzen and Moresnet, in the Netherlands between Ubach and Brunssum and a large area in Germany including Mönchengladbach. Oostlimburgs is a concept used in Germany, which includes an area from Belgian villages South of Sittard in the Netherlands to an area in Germany including Dülken and central Krefeld. Venlo is a municipality and a city in the southeastern Netherlands. ... The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). ... Maastricht, also spelled Maestricht, or Mestreech in local dialect, is a municipality, and capital of the province of Limburg. ... Heerlen is a municipality and a town in the southeastern Netherlands. ... The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). ... Genk is a city located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. ... The Kingdom of Belgium (Dutch: Koninkrijk België, French: Royaume de Belgique, German: Königreich Belgien) is a country in Western Europe, bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea. ... Maastricht, also spelled Maestricht, or Mestreech in local dialect, is a municipality, and capital of the province of Limburg. ... Genk is a city located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. ... Genk is a city located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. ... Hasselt is a city in Belgium, capital of the province of Belgian Limburg. ... Eupen (French: Néau) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège, 10 miles from the German border (Aachen), from the Dutch border Maastricht and from the nature reservation Hohes Venn (Ardennes). ... Welkenraedt is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. ... Lontzen is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. ... Unofficial flag of Moresnet (1883) Moresnet or Neutral Moresnet was, from 1816 to 1919, a tiny European mini-state of about 3. ... The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). ... Brunssum is a municipality and a Netherlands. ... Mönchengladbach is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. ... Sittard-Geleen is a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. ... Krefeld is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. ...

Wesnederlimburgs is the variety of Limburgish spoken around Hasselt and Veldeke in Belgium. In Germany Westlimburgs is a concept including the Limburgish spoken around Hasselt and Veldeke in Belgium and including areas in Dutch Limburg and Dutch Brabant. Oost-Getelands, which is spoken around St Truiden in Belgium is considered a variety of Limburgish by German observers. West-Getelands spoken around Tienen in Belgium is also considered a variety of Limburgish in Germany. Hasselt is a city in Belgium, capital of the province of Belgian Limburg. ... The Kingdom of Belgium (Dutch: Koninkrijk België, French: Royaume de Belgique, German: Königreich Belgien) is a country in Western Europe, bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea. ... The Kingdom of Belgium (Dutch: Koninkrijk België, French: Royaume de Belgique, German: Königreich Belgien) is a country in Western Europe, bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea. ... The Kingdom of Belgium (Dutch: Koninkrijk België, French: Royaume de Belgique, German: Königreich Belgien) is a country in Western Europe, bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea. ... Tienen (French: Tirlemont) is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. ... The Kingdom of Belgium (Dutch: Koninkrijk België, French: Royaume de Belgique, German: Königreich Belgien) is a country in Western Europe, bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea. ...

Opperlimburgs

Spoken around Kerkrade and Vaals in the Netherlands, Aix-la-Chappelle in Germany and Raeren and Eynatten in Belgium, in Germany considered as Ripuarian. Kerkrade is a municipality and a town in the southeastern Netherlands. ... Vaals is a town in the southeastern Netherlands, in the province of Limburg. ... The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). ... Map of Germany showing Aachen Aachen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, on the border with Belgium and the Netherlands, 65 km to the west of Cologne, and the westernmost city in Germany, at 50°46 N, 6°6 E. Population: 256,605 (2003). ... The Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is one of the worlds leading industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. ... Raeren is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. ... The Kingdom of Belgium (Dutch: Koninkrijk België, French: Royaume de Belgique, German: Königreich Belgien) is a country in Western Europe, bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea. ... The Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is one of the worlds leading industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. ... Ripuarian, Rhinish, or Middle Franconian is a western Germanic dialect group in Rhineland, eastern Belgium and southern Dutch Limburg from Cologne in the east to Aachen in the west. ...

External links

Limburgish language edition of Wikipedia

• On Limburgian Tones (in Dutch) (http://www.vanoostendorp.nl/fonologie/tongval/t33.html)
• map of dialects spoken in Dutch Limburg (http://www.limburgsedialecten.nl/content/nl/ov/gesch/LIM_DIALEC.pdf)