6. =LOW-GERMAN.=--The languages which belong to this division are spoken in the plains of Germany, especially along the lower courses of the rivers, in Holland, in part of Belgium, in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the British Colonies, and in the United States of North America. The Low-German spoken in Holland is called _Dutch_; the Low-German spoken in Belgium is called _Flemish_; the Low-German spoken in Friesland--a wealthy province of Holland--is called _Frisian_; and the Low-German spoken in England is called _English_. (But, as we shall soon see, English contains many thousands of words in addition to those which are purely Low-German.) The language on the continent which is most like English is the Frisian language. There is indeed a well-known couplet, every word in which is said to be both Frisian and English. It runs thus: Good butter and good cheese Is good English and good Fries. The following are the chief subdivisions of LOW-GERMAN. | +------------------+--------+-------+------------------+ | | | | =Dutch= =Flemish= =Frisian= =English= (Spoken in Holland). (in Flanders). (in Friesland). (in England, etc.). 7. =SCANDINAVIAN.=--Scandinavian is the general name given to the different kinds of Teutonic speech which are employed in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland. The oldest and purest kind of Scandinavian speech is that spoken in the far-off country in the middle of the North Atlantic, called Iceland; and it is the purest, because for many centuries there has been very little communication with that country. Indeed, the Icelandic of the 12th century differs very little from the Icelandic of to-day. But the English of the twelfth century differs so much from the English of the nineteenth century, that we should at first sight hardly know them for the same speech.--One peculiar mark of a Scandinavian speech is the preference for hard consonants--the preference, for example, of a _k_ over a _ch_ or _sh_. Thus the Danes say _Dansk_ for _Danish_; and it is Danish influence that has given to Scotchmen and to the north of England the form _kirk_ instead of _church_. 8. =THE THREE CHIEF TEUTONIC LANGUAGES.=--The three most important languages belonging to the great Teutonic stock are =English=, =Dutch=, and =German=. If we look at the words used in these languages, we shall at once see that they are sister-languages. If we look at the way in which their words are changed--or at their inflections--we shall also see that they are very closely related. Thus the commonest words appear in these three languages in the following shape: =English= Three. Mother. Brother. Have (inf.). =Dutch= Drie. Moeder. Broeder. Hebben. =German= Drei. Mutter.[1] Bruder.[2] Haben.