Prussian dictionary

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Several dictionaries from the 18th to the 21st century are referred to as the Prussian dictionary . They document the regional vocabulary of the Prussian provinces of East Prussia and West Prussia . In addition to dialect expressions of the Low Prussian and High Prussian dialects, regionalisms of standard German , especially from the administrative language , are documented.

Works from the 18th and 19th centuries

The first booklet (86 pages) of this title by Johann Georg Bock from the year 1759 is related to the same time resulting in different German dialect areas Idiotika :

  • Idioticon Prussicum or draft of a Prussian dictionary, in which the German idioms and expressions that are only used in this country are to be compiled and discussed, opened by Johann George Bock. Koenigsberg 1759.

The dictionary by Georg Ernst Sigismund Hennig , published in 1785, only compiles a few peculiarities of the Prussian dialects:

  • Prussian dictionary, in which not only the idiosyncratic dialect used in Prussia and what it has in common with the Lower Saxon dialect, but also some of the outdated words, idioms, customs and antiquities appearing in Prussian writers, certificates, documents and ordinances are explained in the name of the Royal German Society of Königsberg published by GES Hennig. Königsberg 1785. (340 pages)

Only Hermann Frischbier 1882-1883 created a two-volume dictionary in which he published the results of its extensive collections of linguistic and ethnographic documents:

  • Hermann Frischbier: Prussian dictionary. East and West Prussian provincialisms in alphabetical order , 2 volumes. Berlin 1882–1883

Two works from the 19th century (with a similar title) do not deal with German dialects, but with Old Prussian :

  • Thesaurus linguae prussicae. The Prussian vocabulary inventory, as far as it has been ascertained so far, together with the addition of a collection of authenticated local names, viewed and compiled by G. H. F. Nesselmann. Berlin 1873.
  • Old Prussian word treasure. With explanations by Prof. Dr. W. Pierson. Berlin 1875.

Works of the 20th and 21st centuries

Walther Ziesemer was the first linguist to try to grasp the entire vocabulary of the East and West Prussian dialects and to supplement it with historical and folklore materials. The publication took place in deliveries since 1936; only the keywords up to “fingernail” were completed - the rest of the material was lost in the Second World War.

  • Walther Ziesemer: Prussian dictionary. Language and ethnicity of northeast Germany. 2 volumes. Königsberg 1939–1941.

Erhard Riemann , Ziesemer's last assistant, began interviewing dialect speakers in the former East and West Prussian areas in 1952. The evaluation of questionnaires, tape recordings, older dictionaries, literature and magazines resulted in a card index with around 2.5 million pieces of paper, which formed the basis for the publication in book form. Publication began in 1974, initially with the keywords not yet published by Ziesemer, which followed "fingernail"; Later, the revision of the headwords already edited by Ziesemer was published - the comparison illustrates the methodological progress of the presentation. The texts are supplemented by numerous language cards and illustrations. The dictionary was completed in 2005. In 2005 it was awarded the East Prussian Landsmannschaft culture prize.

  • Prussian dictionary. German dialects of East and West Prussia. Edited by the Academy of Sciences and Literature Mainz. Lim. by Erhard Riemann. Continued by Ulrich Tolksdorf. Edited by Reinhard Goltz. 6 volumes. Wachholtz-Verlag Neumünster 1974-2005.

Digital copies

Web links

Remarks

  1. Example words from the East Prussian official language: Domain Justice Office, Instmann, Scharwerker, Schatulldorf, Strandreiter.