Low German language

West Germanic language spoken mainly in northern Germany and the eastern part of the Netherlands

Low German or Low Saxon (German: Plattdeutsch, or Platt) is one of the Germanic languages. It is still spoken by many people in northern Germany and the northeast part of the Netherlands. Low German is closer to the English and Dutch languages than High German (Hochdeutsch) is.

Low German
Low Saxon
Plattdütsch, Plattdüütsch, Plattdütsk, Plattdüütsk, Plattduitsk (South-Westphalian), Plattduitsch (Eastphalian), Plattdietsch (Low Prussian); Neddersassisch; Nedderdüütsch
German: Plattdeutsch, Niedersächsisch, Niederdeutsch (in a stricter sense)
Dutch: Nedersaksisch
Danish: Plattysk, Nedertysk, Nedersaksisk, Lavtysk (rarely)
Native toNorthern and western Germany
Eastern Netherlands
Southern Denmark
EthnicityDutch
Germans
Frisians;
Historically Saxons
(both the ethnic group and modern regional subgroup of Germans)
Native speakers
Estimated 6.7 million
Up to 10 million second-language speakers (2001)[1]
Early forms
Dialects
Official status
Official language in
 Germany[2]
 Schleswig-Holstein
 Hamburg
 Lower Saxony
 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern[3]
 Brandenburg[4][5]
 Netherlands[6]
Recognised minority
language in
 Mexico (100,000)[7]

 Bolivia (70,000)[8]

 Paraguay (30,000)[9]
Language codes
ISO 639-2nds
ISO 639-3nds (Dutch varieties and Westphalian have separate codes)
Glottologlowg1239  Low German
Linguasphere52-ACB
Approximate area in which Low German/Low Saxon dialects are spoken in Europe (after the expulsion of Germans)
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References