Montfortian dialect


Montfortian is a Central Limburgish dialect spoken in the Dutch town of Montfort. It is closely related to the dialects spoken in Echt, Sint Joost, Hingen, Peij, Slek and Koningsbosch.
There are three main variants with only minor differences:

Consonants

LabialAlveolarPalatalVelarGlottal
Nasal
Stop
Affricate
Fricative
Rhotic
Approximant
Lateral approximant

Labiovelar may also be realised as bilabial.
In a front vowel environment, and are fronted to and.
is an allophone of.
The exact realization of depends on the speaker. Older speakers tend to use a trilled in free variation with, while younger speakers tend to use a uvular.
Before rounded vowels, all of the consonants exhibit some degree of labialization.

Vowels

Monophthongs

Like most Limburgish dialects, the grammar of Montfortian is very irregular and less simplified than the Dutch is.

Articles

There are two groups of articles: definite articles and indefinite articles. When referring to one particular person or item, the definite article is used In plural, like in English, there is no indefinite article and the indefinite forms consist of nouns unaccompanied by any article. Articles are conjugated by gender, bdht-vowel-rule, grammatical case and quantity. The form of the article could also be determined by whether a preposition is used.
The bdht-vowel-rule is a grammatical rule of Limburgish that influences the conjugation of the articles and adjectives. Words starting with b, d, h, t or a vowel put an extra 'n' to the article or adjective where possible. The high tree → d'n hoeagen boum but the fat man → de vètte miens. This extra 'n' is called naoklank in Limburgish.
The numeral ein and negative indefinite article gein are conjugated the same as 'n So the nominative will be conjugated as einen, eine, ein, ein, ein, ei and geinen, geine, gein, gein, gein, gei. gein could also be gèn: gènnen, gènne, gèn, gèn, gèn, gèn, but then the neutral unstressed nominative will have a final 'n'.

Umlaut

Verbs, nouns and adjectives use an umlaut. Standard umlauts are:

Nouns

Nouns are declined by quantity, size and grammatical case. There are several conjugations for those. Though most grammatical cases got out of use, nominative, locative and genitive still exist. Dative is still attested in De Vastelaoves Gezèt but it already contained the accusative of which only a few fragments are found Montfortian nouns have a so-called diminutive, uurke means little hour. Nouns only possess a plural and not a dual Plurals always use an umlaut where possible Also ablauts can occur, like blood → bloojer blood is one of the few exceptions of nouns which don't use an umlaut. If blood was regular, the plural would be bleujer. Nouns are masculine, feminine or neutral.
There are over 20 different regular conjugations, but these are the six most used. Please note that only the nominative, genitive and locative are still in use today. Accusative and dative have been replaced by the nominative. Instead of the genitive also the preposition van could be used and the locative could be replaced by nao. The fifth conjugation uses tonality, singular is drag tone, plural is push tone. Also note the ablaut of the first conjugation at the dative singular and locative.
The first conjugation group also contains "irregular" words like hoes → hoeze and doef → doeve

Loanwords

Historically, Montfortian and most other Limburgish dialects have borrowed hundreds of words from French. These words nowadays have totally been adapted to the difficult noun systems of Montfortian. Petiek means mess. It has totally been adapted to the system and now belongs to the first conjugation. It even has an ablaut at the locative, petiek → petieches
Some modern-day loanwords, especially those from English, may confuse people. Some people pronounce computer with drag tone and put it in the fifth group, whereas others use a push tone. Computer with push tone can therefore mean both one computer and more computers, depending on the speaker. Overall speaking, English loanwords have a push tone and are put in the first or sixth conjugation group, depending on whether an umlaut is possible. Computer with a push tone in the singular will have the following diminutive: kómpjoêter → kómpjuueterke. Some speakers might even pronounce it as kepjoeater.

Diminutive

In general, diminutives are formed by adding -ke to the root and using an umlaut where possible. tak → tekske, kaktös → kektöske, radio → raedieuke, radiator → raediaetörke, piano → piaeneuke. Words ending on j, t or d have -e as suffix. blood → bleudje, plant → plentje, kantj → kentje. Plurals always take -s, tak → tekske → tekskes.
Sometimes only the diminutive has survived, while the root got out of use. The original form can then be reconstructed. For example, the word bruuedje does not have a root anymore. The word used for bread is wèk If you'll reverse bruuedje to its root you'll get *broead. Modern Montfortian does actually still have the word broead but its meaning has shifted from normal bread to bread specifically from rye made in Limburg

Numerals

Montfortian uses a decimal numeral system, without octal traces like many other European languages. There are only a few vigesimal traces left.
The cardinal numerals from 21 to 99 are constructed in a regular way, by adding -èn- and the name of the appropriate multiple of ten to the name of the units position. :
100 is hóngerdj, 200 twieëhóngerdj, 300 driehóngerdj and so on.
Numerals between 101 and 999 are constructed as follows:
The same system used for naming the hundreds applies to the higher base numbers that are powers of ten. Limburgish dialects always use the long scale system, like Dutch.
Unlike Dutch, the cardinal numerals of numbers greater than 1000 are not grouped in "multiples of 1000". This would be unnecessary because -èn- is always added. 117 000 000 is written and pronounced as hóngerdjènzevetiëenmiljoen, without glottal stop. When hóngerdj-èn-zevetiëenmiljoen is written and pronounced, it means 100 + 17 000 00 which is 17 000 100, though normally 17 000 100 would be pronounced as zevetieënmiljoen-èn-hóngerdj.

Verbs

Many verbs are formed using compounds, like mit + gaon = mitgaon Because most compounded verbs use irregular verbs in its compound, a large number of verbs is irregular. Because of the t-deletion it's very difficult to find a regular conjugation of the verbs. The following examples of the third person singular could all be seen as regular conjugations: hae kaltj hae sprèk hae wèt hae löp hae veltj hae mót and hae kaok Apart from this, many verbs are strong or totally irregular like höbbe zeen zeen gaon and so on.
Some conjugations might have another conjugation when the word order is changed. That's why both SV and VS are shown below. At least seven regular conjugations exist.
One of the strangest things of the verbs is the ènkelzief It is a compound of a root and -em It is often said that -em derives from dem kallem means dare to talk and is used the same way as the imperative. Doe can be used then to put pressure on the person. For example:
This is the second largest group. All regular weak umlautless verb roots ending on j, l, n, r, t and w
Present SVPast SVPresent VSPast VSSubjunctive SVSubjunctive VS
First person singularich kalich kaldjekal ichkaldje-n ichich kallekalle-n ich
Second person singulardoe kalsdoe kaldjeskals sekaldjes sedoe kallekaller-doe
Third person singulardae kaltjdae kaldjekaltj'rkaldje d'rdae kallekaller-dae
First person pluralweer kalleweer kaldjekaltj v'rkaldje v'rweer kallekalle v'r
Second person pluralgeer kaltjgeer kaldjekaltj g'rkaldje g'rgeer kallekalletj g'r
Third person pluraldie kalledie kaldjekalle diekaldje diedie kallekaller-die
Other:InfinitiveGerundPresent particlePast particleAdjectiveAdverb
Conjugation: kalle't kalle nkallendjgekaldjgekaldjgekaldj
Other:NounImperative singular impoliteImperative singular politeImperative dualImperative pluralÈnkelzief
Conjugation:'t gekal nkal!kaltj!kaltj!kaltj!kallem

Second conjugation

This is a small group. All regular strong umlaut-having verb roots ending on -aeV.
Present SVPast SVPresent VSPast VSSubjunctive SVSubjunctive VS
First person singularich braekich braakbraek ichbraak ichich braekebraeke-n ich
Second person singulardoe brèksdoe braaksbrèks sebraaks sedoe braekebraeker-doe
Third person singulardae brèkdae braakbrèk t'rbraak t'rdae braekebraeker-dae
First person pluralweer braekeweer brakebröktj v'rbrake v'rweer braekebraeke v'r
Second person pluralgeer brèkgeer braakbrèk g'rbraak g'rgeer braekebraeketj g'r
Third person pluraldie braekedie brakebraeke diebrake diedie braekebraeker-die
Other:InfinitiveGerundPresent particlePast particleAdjectiveAdverb
Conjugation: braeke't braeke nbraekendjgebraokegebraokegebraoke
Other:NounImperative singular impoliteImperative singular politeImperative dualImperative pluralÈnkelzief
Conjugation:'t gebraek nbraek!brèktj!braektj!brèktj!brèkkem

Third conjugation

This is a small group. All regular weak umlaut-having verb roots ending on -eiV.
Present SVPast SVPresent VSPast VSSubjunctive SVSubjunctive VS
First person singularich zweitich zweitdjezweit ichzweitdje-n ichich zweitezweite-n ich
Second person singulardoe zwètsdoe zweitdjeszwèts sezweitdjes sedoe zweitezwètter-doe
Third person singulardae zwètdae zweitdjezwèt t'r, zwètj'rzweitdje d'rdae zweitezwètter-dae
First person pluralweer zweiteweer zweitdjezwètj v'rzweitdje v'rweer zweitezweite v'r
Second person pluralgeer zwètgeer zweitdjezwèt g'rzweitdje g'rgeer zweitezwèttetj g'r
Third person pluraldie zweitedie zweitdjezweite diezweitdje diedie zweitezweiter-die
Other:InfinitiveGerundPresent particlePast particleAdjectiveAdverb
Conjugation: zweite't zweite nzweitendjgezweitegezwètjgezwètj
Other:NounImperative singular impoliteImperative singular politeImperative dualImperative pluralÈnkelzief
Conjugation:'t gezweit nzweit!zwètj!zweitj!zwètj!zweitem

Fourth conjugation

This is the largest group. All regular weak umlautless verb roots ending in b, ch, d, f, g, k, p, and s
Present SVPast SVPresent VSPast VSSubjunctive SVSubjunctive VS
First person singularich kaokich kaokdjekaok ichkaokdje-n ichich kaokekaoke-n ich
Second person singulardoe kaoksdoe kaokdjeskaoks sekaokdjes sedoe kaokekaoker-doe
Third person singulardae kaokdae kaokdjekaok t'rkaokdje d'rdae kaokekaoker-dae
First person pluralweer kaokeweer kaokdjekaoktj v'rkaokdje v'rweer kaokekaoke v'r
Second person pluralgeer kaokgeer kaokdjekaok g'rkaokdje g'rgeer kaokekaoketj g'r
Third person pluraldie kaokedie kaokdjekaoke diekaokdje diedie kaokekaoker-die
Other:InfinitiveGerundPresent particlePast particleAdjectiveAdverb
Conjugation: kaoke't kaoke nkaokendjgekaokgekaokgekaok
Other:NounImperative singular impoliteImperative singular politeImperative dualImperative pluralÈnkelzief
Conjugation:'t gekaok n''kaok!kaok!kaoketj!kaoktj!kaokem

Fifth conjugation

This is the third largest group. All regular weak umlaut-having verb roots ending on -ouV.
Present SVPast SVPresent VSPast VSSubjunctive SVSubjunctive VS
First person singularich doupich doupdjedoup ichdoupe-n ichich doupedoupe-n ich
Second person singulardoe döpsdoe doupdjesdöps sedoupdjes sedoe doupedouper-doe
Third person singulardae döpdae doupdjedöp t'rdoupdje d'rdae doupedouper-dae
First person pluralweer doupeweer doupdjedöptj v'rdoupdje v'rweer doupedoupe v'r
Second person pluralgeer döpgeer doupdjedöp g'rdoupdje g'rgeer doupedoupetj g'r
Third person pluraldie doupedie doupdjedoupe diedoupdje diedie doupedouper-die
Other:InfinitiveGerundPresent particlePast particleAdjectiveAdverb
Conjugation: doupe't doupe ndoupendjgedoupgedoupgedoup
Other:NounImperative singular impoliteImperative singular politeImperative dualImperative pluralÈnkelzief
Conjugation:'t gedoup ndoup!doup!doupetj!douptj!doupem

Sixth conjugation

This is the fourth largest group. All regular weak umlaut-having verb roots ending on -aV. All regular weak umlaut-having verb roots ending on -aaV use -aeV instead of -eV.
Present SVPast SVPresent VSPast VSSubjunctive SVSubjunctive VS
First person singularich bevalich bevaldjebeval ichbevaldje-n ichich bevallebevalle-n ich
Second person singulardoe bevelsdoe bevaldjesbevels sebevaldjes sedoe bevallebevaller-doe
Third person singulardae beveltjdae bevaldjebeveltj'rbevaldje d'rdae bevallebevaller-dae
First person pluralweer bevalleweer bevaldjebeveltj v'rbevaldje v'rweer bevallebevalle v'r
Second person pluralgeer bevaltjgeer bevaldjebevaltj g'rbevaldje g'rgeer bevallebevalletj g'r
Third person pluraldie bevalledie bevaldjebevalle diebevaldje diedie bevallebevaller-die
Other:InfinitiveGerundPresent particlePast particleAdjectiveAdverb
Conjugation: bevalle't bevalle nbevallendjbevallebevalledjbevallendj
Other:NounImperative singular impoliteImperative singular politeImperative dualImperative pluralÈnkelzief
Conjugation:'t beval nbeval!beval!bevelletj!bevaltj!bevallem

Seventh conjugation

The size of this group is unknown. It is often seen as a part of the first conjugation. All regular weak umlautless verb roots ending on -m.
Present SVPast SVPresent VSPast VSSubjunctive SVSubjunctive VS
First person singularich keimich keimdjekeim ichkeimdje-n ichich keimekeime-n ich
Second person singulardoe keimsdoe keimdjeskeims sekeimdjes sedoe keimekeimer-doe
Third person singulardae keimpdae keimdjekeimp t'rkeimdje d'rdae keimekeimer-dae
First person pluralweer keimeweer keimdjekeimp v'rkeimdje v'rweer keimekeime v'r
Second person pluralgeer keimpgeer keimdjekeimp g'rkeimdje g'rgeer keimekeimetj g'r
Third person pluraldie keimedie keimdjekeime diekeimdje diedie keimekeimer-die
Other:InfinitiveGerundPresent particlePast particleAdjectiveAdverb
Conjugation: keime't keime nkeimendjgekeimpgekeimpgekeimp
Other:NounImperative singular impoliteImperative singular politeImperative dualImperative pluralÈnkelzief
Conjugation:'t gekeim nkeim!keim!keimetj!keimp!keimpem