The Diminutive in Mennonite Low German

Abstract

The orthographic representation of the diminutive in Mennonite Low German is currently under discussion by Mennonite Low German writers. In this paper the diminutive in Low German is viewed diachronically and synchronically in Mennonite Low German and East Frisian Low German. A suggestion is offered that the form of the diminutive should reflect the underlying phonological structure of the language and not perceived notions of ethnic identity. For this reason /ke/ is suggested to be the best form to use.