Barbara, the language problem between both result most probably from the Low German of him. Everyone living in a High (including Middle) German language area has problems with Low German. Many of them do understand nothing even when it is spoken in its best on television or radio today. So unfortunately it won't be no difference if she came from northern or southern Hesse-Darmstadt. You mention two surnames for Hesse-Darmstadt, one (Maygold) I can't find in the telephone directory, one is rather seldom: only 54 Biedenkopf in todays Hesse, 41 of them in a 20 miles distance from the town Giessen (which is in the northern half of former Hesse-Darmstadt): village Angelburg 5, small town Friedberg 4, city/town Giessen 10, small town Gruenberg 6, small town Laubach 5, village Muecke 3 (Muecke, Laubach and Gruenberg are neighbors just east of Giessen). Thomas German dialect (text, map) on www.tr62.de/german.html ----- Original Message ----- From: <DmRice@aol.com> To: <HESSE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, July 07, 2004 6:10 AM Subject: [HESSE] German dialect - any clue? > My grandmother told a story about her parents- both American-born (1860s) > German speaking children of immigrant parents. His were born in "Hanover" > within sight of Bremen - her mother was probably born in Hessen Darmstadt and she > was raised (an orphan) by a maternal aunt. > > The story is that one spoke "High Dutch" and one spoke "Low Dutch", and when > they argued they shifted to German and they could not understand one another. > > I am trying to narrow my search for HER village. Can anyone speculate > whether there would be any clue in the language difference which might make some > regions of H.Darmstadt more probable places to focus or postpone others as > unlikely? > > > Barbara Rice > Rimstidt/Seveus/ Lullman (Hannover) > Biedenkopf / Maygold - (H.Darmstadt) > Bretz, Decker, Griess, Bohlander, etc - Rhine Hessen near Alzey > >