According to a map on the Wikipedia page about Kerkraads, the dialect differs most from Standard Dutch. More than Frisian or French-Flemish, even more than South African or Surinamese-Dutch, according to the card. That did not stop writer and publisher Paul Weelen (66) from translating the Bible, the world’s most translated book, into Kerkraads. This Wednesday was the presentation of D’r Biebel in the flat – the New Testament – entirely in it Kirchröadsj Naturally.
In the Deurenberg bookstore, Weelen is standing next to a standing table with the copy of it on it D’r Biebel in the flat that he will hand over to the dean of the Catholic Church in Kerkrade. The language area is small, and many Limburgers cannot read the book. The medium-sized city has residents of whom about thirty, almost all of whom are of retirement age, came to the presentation. Weelen speaks to them – in dialect.
He had too few copies printed. It’s completely sold out
Kerkrade is located south of the Benrather line, a dialect dividing line between the use of the -k and -ch after medium and long vowels. So they don’t talk about it in Kerkrade make something but about something maache. The t- often turns into ts- or even in a s-. So they don’t talk about it timeor the one that is often heard in Limburg tiedbut about tzit.
In addition to the many German loan words, the most striking thing about Kerkraads is the absence of the initial letter g. It always becomes one j. And that is why Weelen does not talk about the holy spirit in his New Testament, but about her hillie jees.
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Interpreter
Yet even with these rules in mind, Kerkraads, which falls under the Ripuarian dialect group, is hardly understandable. Fortunately, Thea Hanneman-Deurenberg, owner of the Deurenberg bookstore, offered to interpret. “He says he has himself scrambled“, she says, when Weelen starts his speech. “He didn’t have enough copies printed. It’s completely sold out.” The visitors produce a universally understandable sound of disappointment and surprise.
Hanneman-Deurenberg has a list behind the counter on which buyers have registered, she explains. There will be a second edition as soon as possible, she continues. “A luxury problem,” she adds. “Of course he didn’t think that. But apparently the oldest book is still alive.” One of the visitors is enthusiastic about the resulting shortage: “It’s a wonder that there is still so much demand for it!” At least, that’s what he says according to Hanneman-Deurenberg.
There was also so much media attention, Weelen continues. He sums up: “Reformatorisch Dagblad, Limburgs Dagblad, Radio 1, Radio 2 (pronounced as tswai) and also 4 and 5.” The blanket is shining next to him when Weelen says that he will also translate it as soon as possible. “Who knows, we might end up with the Pope,” Weelen jokes to him.
The dean receives the copy kept aside for him. He tells about Saint Jerome of Stridon, who worked “for years in a cave” translating the Bible: the Vulgate. “When I think about that, I can imagine how you feel. It is a lot of work, although of course you are not a monk.” The dean is grateful to Weelen. “It’s beautiful.”
Hanneman-Deurenberg says that the dean regularly gives masses in dialect. “He is not from here himself, so he will be very happy about this,” she says. “Especially with carnival approaching, the mass is always in dialect. On Carnival Sunday, people sit in church in carnival clothes.”
Carnival numbers
Weelen, who has written many carnival songs in addition to books and describes himself as a “cultural Catholic”, concludes the speech. All in all, the meeting lasted less than ten minutes, because without .
Short meeting, long run-up. Weelen tells, in Dutch, how it started: “When I studied Dutch, I read the Statenbijbel. It was not in the curriculum, but I think you should have read it, otherwise you won’t understand Dutch literature. Then I thought: I’ll translate part of it, that was Esther. That was now 46 years ago.”
Weelen picked it up again during the corona pandemic. “I first wanted to do the Old Testament, but it was so dark, my nose quickly became full of it. Then I started alternating. The New is just much thinner, so it was done faster.” The Old will follow in a year or two, he hopes. If complete, it will fall into a long tradition of Bible translations, estimated at over three thousand – although estimates vary.
As far as is known, it is the first Limburg translation of the Bible – in addition to some loose writings in Venloos and Maastricht.
Sometimes Weelen had to come up with a new word. “Crucifixion, for example. There I have it kruutsiejong made of”, he has to think about the spelling for a moment. Check in the translation function of Kerkrade Wiki (from Dutch to Kerkraads, with the disclaimer that it is not always correct, because the translation can differ per district) is therefore not possible.
As far as is known, it is the first Limburg translation of the Bible – in addition to some loose writings in Venloos and Maastricht. But how is it possible that the first printing went so fast, when the sales area is so much smaller than Limburg? “Apparently a hundred copies just weren’t enough.”
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