Vistulan dialect

It was geographically close to a transitional area of East Pomeranian dialect and Low Prussian, which is part of East Pomeranian. The transitional area would end at about Chojnice (Konitz).[3] Other places within this area included Bytów (Bütow), Lębork (Lauenburg), Bydgoszcz (Bromberg) and Toruń (Thorn). Within Low German in West Prussia, there was a major bundle of isoglosses in roughly the line Brodnica-Gardeja-Nowe and continuing somewhere between Kościerzyna and Chojnice.[4]

In Gdańsk, it had High German a as ǫ before l in words such as ǫl for High German alt and hǫle for High German halten.[5] Another typical example is mǫn for High German Mann.[5] The dialect of Gdańsk also has mǭke for High German machen High German, nǭˠel for High German Nagel, šlǭˠen for High German schlagen inter alia. [5] It had a and ä in cases such as nat and nät for High German Netz. [5] It had ek ben I am for ek sī. [5]

Already in the age of the Teutonic Order there were Dutch colonists in Danzig.[6] By 1586 there was a Mennonite congregation each in Graudenz and Danzig.[6] Within the coastal area from Gdańsk to Elbląg, the denomination Flemish Mennonites used to predominate within the Mennonites, whereas in Vistula valley the denomination Frisian Mennonites did.[7] Some of the Flemish colonists of Chortitza Colony were from the Danzig area.[6] Low German with Dutch remnants, was often still spoken in Danzig by Mennonite families in domestic intercourse in the first half of the 19th century.[6] In 1780 a German hymnbook was introduced, partly translated from Dutch.[6] Till then, the Danzig congregation had used Dutch songbooks.[6] Until the second half of the 18th century, Mennonite sermons were in Dutch.[8] Numerous words in the Danzig area were from Dutch, in particular nautical and commercial vocabulary. [8] Whereas towards the end of the 18th century, the domestic language in the long-established merchant families in Danzig was still Low German, this changed.[6] Use in Danzig was since then restricted to workers and small artisans.[6] It was hardly understood in privileged circles, at best by those who had the opportunity to hear it with their subordinates every day.[6] In the countryside, Low German was still spoken by the landowners, if they preserved the rural way of life.[6] In the second half of the 19th century, Low German had a considerable decline.[6] Dialekt des Weichselgebietes is among the varieties on which Plautdietsch is based and has the greatest phonetic similarity to.[6] There were Frisian Mennonites in Rudniki, Kwidzyn County (Rudnerweide), Sporowo (Sparrau), Pastwa (Pastwa), Kowalewo Pomorskie (Schönsee), Barcice, Pomeranian Voivodeship (Tragheimerweide) and Mała Nieszawka (Obernessau). [6] In Gdańsk and Stogi, in originally open syllables before k and x, a became o:.[9] There were congregations of Frisian Mennonites in Gdańsk, Mątawy, Kowalewo Pomorskie and Barcice, Lesser Poland Voivodeship.[10] There were congregations of Flemish Mennonites in Gdańsk, Dziewięć Włók and Przechówko. [10] The switch from Dutch to High German as language of worship was earlier among Frisian Mennonites, which probably was due to High German refugees in the same area.[11] In urban congregations, the change of language of worship from Dutch to High German was later, which possibly was caused by contact to Dutch congregations.[11]

The area of Hüttenpommersch is not always included in its entirety within Low Prussian. It was spoken of both sides of the border of Free City of Danzig.[12] It was spoken around Przywidz (Mariensee).[12] it had a transitional area to Low Prussian.[12] Within its area, Kashubian was spoken. [13] Palatal k becomes an affricate tx. [14] G of High German is realized as j. [15]

• Danzig German