Limburgish/Lesson 1

Lesson one will give you the first steps to learn some Limburgish.

Bekalling I

Some important useful phrases are shown in this conversion. Two friends (Jón and Keup) meet each other and start a standard conversation:

Jón: Haj! Wie geitj 't dir?

Keup: 't Geitj good, danke! Èn doe?

Jón: Mir geitj 't ouch good, mer ich höb noe get tö doon. Hajje!

Keup: Good denne, hajje!

This means:

Jón: Hello! How are you?

Keup: I'm fine, thanks! And you?

Jón: I'm also fine, but I need to go now. Goodye!

Keup: Alright, goodbye!

It's pronounced as:

jo˦˨n: ɦɑɪ˦˨.wi˦˨.ɣæɪ˦˨.cɐ˦˨.dɪ˦˨˧ʁ

køː˦˨p: ə˧t.ɣæɪ˦˨c.ɣoː˦˨˧d.dɑ˦˨ŋ.kɐ˧.ɛ˦˨n.duː˦˨˧

jo˦˨n: mɪ˦˨ʁ.ɣæɪ˦˨.cɐ˦˨.tɑu˦˨x.ɣoː˦˨˧d.mæ˦˨.ʁɪ˦˨x.ɦœ˦˨b.nuː˦˨˧.ɣæ˦˨t.tœ˦˨.doː˦˨˧n.ɦɑɪɐ˦˨

kø˦˨p: ɣoː˦˨˧d.dæ˦˨.nə˧.ɦɑɪɐ˦˨

Oetkal I

As one clearly can see, Limburgish is a very tonal language with many different consonants and vowels. Using the wrong tone can cause some trouble. If you call someone fein it can mean two things: fæɪ˦˨n (nice) and fæɪ˦˨˧n (poisoned) Tonality is usually not written, though many dictionaries use ~ for a drag tone (˦˨˧) and \ or / for a push tone (˦˨) The syllabic stress is most of the time on the first syllable.

Bekalling II

It's important that you can introduce yourself to other people. This conversation between Mien and Zjao shows that:

Mien zèt naeve Zjao bie 'n bie-einkóms venne-n IHBÓ.

Mien: Haj! Ich höb öch nag noeaits hie gezeen. Wie hètj geer?

Zjao: Goojendaag. Ich heit Zjao. Èn geer?

Mien: Ich bön Mien. Wo wóntj geer örges?

Zjao: Ich wón i Wèssem. Geer?

Mien: Ich wón in Èch. Wie aad zeetj g'r?

Zjao: Ich bön dree-èn-veerteg.

Mien: Höb g'r zwèster?

Zjao: Jao, eine broor èn twieë zösters.

This means:

Mien sits next to Zjao during a conference of the First Aid.

Mien: Hello! I have never seen you here yet. What's your name?

Zjao: Good day. I'm Zjao. And you?

Mien: I'm Mien. Where do you live?

Zjao: I live in Wessem. And you?

Mien: I live in Echt. What's your age?

Zjao: I'm forty-two years old.

Mien: Do you have siblings?

Zjao: Yes, one brother and two sisters.

This is pronounced as:

mi˦˨n.zɛ˦˨t.næː˦˨˧ʋɐ˦˨.ʒɔː˦˨.biː˦˨˧.ʝə˧n.biː˦˨˧ˈʝæɪ˦˨n.ko˦˨ms.ʋæ˦˨.nə˧.ni˦˨.ɦaː˦˨.bjoː˦˨

mi˦˨n: ɦɑɪ˦˨.ʔɪ˦˨x.ɦœ˦˨.bœ˦˨x.nɑ˦˨x.nuɐɪ˦˨ts.ɦiː˦˨˧.ɣə˧.ˈzeː˦˨˧n.wiː˦˨.ɦɛc˦˨.ɣeː˦˨˧ʁ

ʒɔː˦˨: ɣoː˦˨˧.jɐ˦˨n.daː˦˨˧x.ʔɪ˦˨x.ɦæɪ˦˨t.ʒɔː˦˨.ɛ˦˨n.ɣeː˦˨˧ʁ

mi˦˨n: ʔɪ˦˨x.bœ˦˨n.mi˦˨n.woː˦˨.wo˦˨ɲc.ɣeː˦˨˧.ʁœ˦˨ʁ.ɣɐ˦˨s

ʒɔː˦˨: xwo˦˨n.ɪ˦˨˧.wɛ˦˨.sɐ˦˨m.ɣeː˦˨˧ʁ

mi˦˨n: ʔɪ˦˨x.wo˦˨n.ɪ˦˨.nɛ˦˨x.wiː˦˨.ʔaː˦˨˧d.zeː˦˨˧c.ɣə˧r

ʒɔː˦˨: ʔɪ˦˨x.bœ˦˨n.dreː˦˨˧.ʝɛ˦˨n.ʋeː˦˨ʁ.tɐ˦˨x

mi˦˨n: ɦœ˦˨b.ɣə˧r.zwɛ˦˨s.tɐ˦˨r

ʒɔː˦˨: jɔː˦˨˧.æɪ˦˨.nɐ˦˨.bʁoː˦˨˧.ʁɛ˦˨n.twiːɐ˦˨.zœ˦˨s.tɐ˦˨ʁ(s)

Spraoklieër

Two very important things to learn are the present of the irregular verb zeen (to be) and the nominative of the personal pronouns:

tö zeen: to be: tœ˦˨.zeː˦˨˧n

ich bön: I am: ɪ˦˨x.bœ˦˨n

doe bös: thou art: duː˦˨˧.bœ˦˨s

dae is: he is: dæː˦˨(˧).ʔɪ˦˨s

't is: it/she is: ə˧.tɪ˦˨s

weer zeen: we are: weː˦˨˧r.zeː˦˨˧n

geer zeetj: you are: ɣeː˦˨˧r.zeː˦˨˧c

die zeen(t): they are: diː˦˨.zeː˦˨˧n(t)

See for a more extended table: this