Plautdietsch or Mennonite Low German is spoken by Russian Mennonite groups, who are ethnically Dutch, but who adopted Low German while they were refugees in Prussia. Today Plautdietsch is spoken in Paraguay, Mexico, Ukraine, Canada, Brazil, Belize and the United States. There are two major dialects which trace their division to the Ukraine. These two dialects are split between the New Colony and Old Colony Mennonites. Many younger Russian Mennonites in Canada and the United States today speak only English. For example, Homer Groening the father of Matt Groening (the creator of the Simpsons) spoke Plautdietsch as a child in Saskatchewan in the 1920's but his son Matt Groening never learned the language.
he Lord's Prayor in Plautdietsch:
Onns Foda em Himel,
lot dien Nome jeheilicht woare;
lot dien Rikjdom kome;
lot dien Wele jedone woare,
uk hia oppe Ead soo aus em Himel;
jef onns Dach fa Dach daut Brot daut onns faelt;
en fejef onns onnse Schullt,
soo aus wie daen fejaewe dee sikj jaeajen onns feschulldicht ha;
en brinj onns nich enn Feseakjunk enenn,
oba rad onns fonn Beeset.
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