[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] High German and Low German (2)

[Günther Böhm]

Günther Böhm schrieb:

> originally, the term reads "Missingsch" and has nothing to do with a 
> brass metal but stems from the town of Meissen in Saxonia and the 
> (more or less noble) German language of its clerks in 18th century, 
> the "Meißener Kanzleisprache". In fact, the Hamburg ship owners and 
> merchants wanted to express that they are NOT speaking Plattdeutsch 
> but Hochdeutsch, the language of the ruling classes.



Loren,
sorry, correction of the correction:
It was not the 18th but 16th century, since even Martin Luther wrote his 
German translation of the bible in the "Kursächsische Kanzleisprache" 
which was foremost written in Meißen, the old capital of the Electorate 
of Saxony. Since the rich Hamburg "Pfeffersäcke" were all lutherans, 
they were proud to use the language of their church service.

Guenther