5 beautiful Low Saxon idioms to use in your daily life
With six million speakers spread across the rural parts of the north of Germany and the northeast and east of the Netherlands, Low Saxon is one of the biggest minoritised languages of Europe. Often dubbed the love child of Dutch and German, Low Saxon is very much a language in its own right. Its ancestor Old Saxon even provided the basis for the language you’re currently reading. It has preserved a unique grammar, feel, and beautiful expressions inspired by nature.
Here are five Low Saxon idioms that should be staple expressions in English:
1. You can’t yawn against a horse
(Teagen en paerd kün y neet gapen)
Meaning: there’s no arguing with stupid/stubborn people
Ever seen a horse yawn? You’ll never stretch your gob as wide as them. But you’ll look just as stupid for trying. It’s like arguing on the internet.
2. Their nest has fallen from the tree
(See hebbet et nöst under den boum)
Meaning: They have split up
This sadly beautiful Low Saxon expression is used when couples decide to split up. It evokes the image of two birds in a tree, carefully building a feeble nest somewhere between the branches. They’ve got a lot to look forward to. But the few loosely entwined twigs of the nest can hardly withstand the forces of nature. A storm of life may wreak havoc. Or maybe one of the birds sits down on an edge and tips the nest. The nest falls down the tree, the eggs break, the lovebirds’ hopes and dreams are shattered.
3. There’s sniffing around our door
(Wy hebbet snuverye üm de döäre)
Meaning: Your teenage child begins to attract the attention of the other sex
As a parent, you’ll know this moment will undoubtedly come one day. In the Netherlands, it is often characterised by youngsters on bikes hanging around the house, being a little too loud with their breaking voices while doing reckless bike tricks in the street. Your daughter acts as if she doesn’t notice, but she’s becoming more secretive and will slip away if she has the chance. But if you mention it, she’ll respond with ‘Ughhh, daaad/moommm!’
The image here is when a female dog is in heat, she will spread a scent to let all male dogs in the neighbourhood know. When given half a chance, those will come round the house, sniffing everywhere your dog has been. They will do everything in their power to get near your dog.
4. He won’t catch hares anymore
(Den vangt ginnen hasen meyr)
Meaning: he’s aged and become slow
Often said when we see elderly people shuffling down the street going about their daily business, but especially when we’ve known them in better days.
The image here is that of young dogs in a field. Some are so fast, they can outrace hares. If they spot one, nature takes over, and there’s no stopping them. We see their muscles and tendons flex in their raw and wild dash, and it’s a mighty sight to behold.
When a dog ages, it still has the urge to chase hares but has become too stiff and slow. Of course, it’ll try its best and put in all its might, and we wish it luck, but the hare will get away.
5. If a farmer can’t swim, it’s the water’s fault
(As nen buur neet kan swemmen, dan ligt et an et water)
Meaning: some people will always find lame excuses
Low Saxon expressions fully reflect local culture. Nowadays, most Dutch people have had swimming classes as they are mandatory. But in the old days, many people couldn’t swim.
The image here is of a stereotypical, proverbial farmer who is convinced he’s always right and never does anything wrong. So if something does go wrong, it can’t be because of him. So when your proverbial farmer would be asked for a plunge and he can’t swim, he’ll find a way to blame it on the water and hopefully save face.
Of course, Low Saxon has hundreds of expressions more, and they’re evolving over time as well. Hopefully, these few above have inspired you. Maybe you want to know more about Low Saxon, or perhaps you want to explore the possibilities with nature-inspired expressions in your own language!
