It's also scary in other languages. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />
I've once heard Derrik in Chinese ... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" />
@Stone : The mother of my father came from Hessen, from the Westerwald, to be more exact area of Westerburg (north of Hessen). She spoke an dialects that is still known there.
But even worse : She had a mixture of this and of the "Bergisch Platt" with her, a Dialect that is known from the "Bergisches Land" which is located east of the Cologne area. Her husband came from that area, that's why. The problem is, that I'm not sure what exactly she spoke. Her own dialect was mainly influenced by her own dialect (Westerwald), but also mingled with the Bergisch Platt. She süpoke a mixture of both, and that permanently, I guess.
My mother came from Bavaria, and her mother came from Schlesien. I know at least three dialects, plus the one of Leverkusen, where I live (seems to me to be a mixture between Cologne dialect "Kölsch Platt" and Bergisch Platt).
What I don't know is the Schlesisch language. The mother of my mother speaks it well, still, but not to us, because we haven't learned it. In Leverkzusen there is quite a community of people from there. Their favourite products are the "Schlesische Würstchen" (Schlesische sausages) and some bakery.
I've once read a book with Schlesisch tales (mostly about Antek and Franzek, two originals from there), but I had heavy problems understanding the language. It is related to German, but I had heavy problems, even more than with Dutch. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />