Main-Franconian facts for kids

Main-Franconian is a group of German dialects. These dialects are spoken in the middle of Germany, especially around the Main river. This area is known as Franconia.

In Germany, most people simply call these dialects “Fränkisch”. Even though they share many similarities, there are also many differences. These differences can be found from one small region to another.

Historically, Franconia (in German: “Franken”) was a very large area. It covered much of Germany, reaching parts of the Rhine river and even into the Netherlands. Today, Franconia is the northern part of Bavaria (in German: “Bayern”). This includes Lower Franconia, Upper Franconia, Mid-Franconia, and parts of Upper Bavaria.

How Main-Franconian Sounds

Main-Franconian dialects have some special ways of pronouncing words. One common feature is that some sounds change. For example, sounds like "k", "t", "p", and "s" often become softer.

Consonant Changes in Main-Franconian

In Main-Franconian, voiceless consonants often become voiced. This means:

• The "k" sound can be pronounced like "g".
• The "t" sound can be pronounced like "d".
• The "p" sound can be pronounced like "b".
• The "s" sound can be pronounced like the "z" in English words like "zebra".

Let's look at some examples:

• In a pub, you might hear:
  • "bidde dzur dege gommen"
  • German: bitte zur Theke kommen
  • This means: "Please come to the bar."
  • Notice how "bitte" (please) sounds like "bidde". "Theke" (bar) sounds like "dege". "Kommen" (come) sounds like "gommen".

• Another example is:
  • Vo da Dande a Bageed griing
  • German: Von der Tante ein Paket kriegen (/bekommen)
  • This means: "To receive a parcel from one's auntie."
  • Here, "Tante" (aunt) sounds like "Dande". "Paket" (parcel) sounds like "Bageed". "Kriegen" (receive) sounds like "griing".

Vowel Pronunciation in Main-Franconian

The way vowels are pronounced can also be different from standard German. Franconia is sometimes described with a funny saying:

• ”die Hasen ‘Hoosn’ und die Hosen ‘Huusn’ haasn.”
• This means: 'Hasen' (hares) are called 'Hoosn' (which sounds like 'Hosen' or trousers). And 'Hosen' (trousers) are called 'Huusn'.
• In standard German, "Hasen" has an "a" sound like in the English word "car". "Hosen" has an "o" sound like "oa" in "boat". The word "Husen" doesn't mean anything in German, but it has a "u" sound like "oo" in "moon". This example shows how different the vowel sounds can be!

Expressing Anger in Main-Franconian

If someone from Franconia is angry, they might say:

• ”Der Hamml, der gscheerde, der ko wos erlehm, wenna haam kummd!”
• German: Der Saukerl kann was erleben, wenn er nach Hause kommt!
• This means: "That rotten fellow will be in trouble when he gets home!"

Images for kids

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  East Franconian German

See also

In Spanish: Fráncico oriental para niños