East Low German - Definition and Overview

East Low German dialects are spoken in north eastern parts of Germany as well as by minorities in northern Poland. They are, together with Low Saxon and Low Franconian, part of Low German. There is no clearly defined border between regions where East Low German and Low Saxon dialects are spoken. Plattdüütsch is the name for both the Low Saxon and the East Low German language.

East Low German dialects are:

• In Germany:
  • Brandenburgisch (in Brandenburg)
  • Pomeranian (in Pomerania)
  • Mecklenburgisch (eastern parts)

• In Poland:
  • Westpreussisch (spoken by minorities around Gdańsk in northern Poland; nearly extinct since 1945)
  • Ostpreussisch (spoken by minorities in Warmia and Mazury in Poland; nearly extinct since 1945)

It also includes Plautdietsch (originating from Danzig), which is spoken by Mennonites in North America and a few other places in the world. Berlinerisch (in Berlin) was a version of Brandenburgisch in the medieval ages until they split off. But nowadays it is seen as a east high German dialect.

See Prussia.