Missingsch - Lexical Characteristics

Lexical Characteristics

• Missingsch uses numerous Low Saxon words and expressions:
  • phonologically adapted loans; e.g.
    • Buddel (< Low Saxon Buddel, cf. Standard German Flasche) 'bottle'
    • dröge ~ dröög ~ drööch '(awfully) dry' (e.g. food), 'boring' (< Low Saxon dröge ~ dröög’ 'dry') in addition to ordinary German-based trocken 'dry'
    • Fahrtuch (< Low Saxon Fahrdook, cf. German Wischtuch) 'cleaning rag'
    • Klöterbüchse (< Low Saxon Klœterbüx(e) ~, Standard German Rassel) '(baby) rattle'
    • Schiet inoffensive for 'dirt', 'inferior stuff', 'problem', 'nuisance', 'nonsense' (< Low Saxon Schiet with the same meanings) in addition to the offensive German-based cognate Scheiße 'shit', 'crap'
    • Sott ~ Sutt (< Low Saxon Sott ~ Sutt, cf. Standard German Ruß) (1) 'soot', (2) 'luck'
    • Sottje ~ ~ Suttje ~ (< Low Saxon Sottje ~ ~ Suttje ~ < Sott ~ Sutt ; 'soot', cf. Standard German Schornsteinfeger) 'chimney-sweep'
  • calques and semi-calques; e.g.
    • Bickbeere (< Low Saxon Bickbeer ~, cf. Standard German Blaubeere, Heidelbeere) 'blueberry'
    • Blumenpott (< Low Saxon Blomenpott, cf. Standard German Blumentopf) 'flowerpot'
    • Grünhöker (< Low Saxon Gröönhœker ~, cf. Standard German Gemüsehändler) 'greengrocer'
    • Grünzeug ~ (< Grööntüüg ~, cf. Standard German Gemüse) 'vegetable(s)'
    • Handstein ~ (< Low Saxon Handsteen, cf. Standard German Waschbecken) 'wash basin'
    • Kantstein ~ (< Low Saxon Kantsteen, cf. Standard German Bordstein) 'curb stone'
    • Stickhusten ~ (< Low Saxon Stickhoosten, cf. Standard German Keuchhusten) 'whooping cough'
    • Wurzel ~ (< Low Saxon Wortel ~ Wottel, literally ‘root’) 'carrot' (cf. Standard German Möhre 'carrot', Wurzel 'root')
    • zus(ch)nacken ~ ~ ~ (< Low Saxon tosnacken, cf. Standard German zureden, ermuntern) 'encourage'

Many of the above-mentioned words are used in casual-style Northern German dialects that descended from Missingsch at least in part.