[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Ger-Poland-Volhynia Digest, Vol 124, Issue 9 - German Dialects

[Carole]

Funny thing about German dialects:  My mother was born in Alberta and raised
in Saskatchewan.  Her parents were from Bessarabia.  My father was born and
raised in Manitoba.  His parents were from Volhynia.  Both of my parents
grew up speaking German at home.  However, my father said he spoke "High
German" which he felt was superior somehow criticized my mother for speaking
"Low German."  They would argue about pronunciations.  The funniest was the
pronunciation of perogies (a Polish dish, no less!)  But they didn't argue
just about the pronunciation they also argued over what should be inside
them.  My father said his mother always put plums inside.  My mother only
ever made them with potatoes and cheese.  Although we did eat perogies
(never with plums) my parents never taught us German (too painful?) and to
this day I regret that.

Carole (Henkel) Schlesselman