(dummy pronoun)there(expletive word put in the subject field when the subject is postponed to the predicate field, typically with indefinite subjects or subjectlesspassive verbs)
der sad to katte på et bord
two cats were sitting on a table (lit. "there sat two cats on a table")
der blev diskuteret vildt
people were debating vehemently (lit. "there was debated vehemently")
The distinction of the dative case, which had long been frail and without any basis in actual speech, widely fell out of use over the course of the 19th century. The genitive case, chiefly of the plural, was still productively used in written style in the latter half of the 20th century, especially in order to avoid reduplication ofvan. However, it has since continuously lost ground and is now reserved to poetic and highly literary language (apart from fixed expressions and surnames).
The current pronunciation is aspelling pronunciation. Before the word became archaic, it was pronounced with aschwa,/dər/. The original pronunciation with a schwa survives in dialects, e.g. Ripuarian (where the word may be spelledd'r).
The most common pronunciation is[dɛɐ̯], which is possible in all contexts. The form[deːɐ̯] may be used when the word is stressed. The reduced form[dɐ] occurs chiefly after prepositions and conjunctions. In northern and central German vernaculars, the/d/ may then assimilate to any preceding consonant; soin der, auf der may become[ˈɪnɐ],[ˈaʊ̯fɐ].
In the masculine singular,der was originallynominative andden wasaccusative. This case distinction, which still exists in Standard German, was then lost in Luxembourgish. Why the formder was reassigned to usage with taboo words seems unexplained.
Fossiled genitive plural of the demonstrative pronoun (seedeen). Cognate withGermanderer (only optionally and rarely so used),Dutcher (used as in Luxembourgish).
Used with numbers that refer back to a previously named noun; compare Frenchen, Dutcher.
Ech hunn zwee Kanner an hien huetder dräi.
I have two children and he has three.
(Can wedate this quote?), “Zwou Bulle Mokka”, performed byFausti:
Zwou Bulle Mokka, zwou sou séiss wéi Zocker. Zwou Bulle Mokka, do fäls de bal vum Hocker. Zwou Bulle Mokka, zwou Bulle man dech frou, Well et sinnder zwou – esou.
Two scoops of mocha, two as sweet as sugar. Two scoops of mocha, you almost fall off your stool. Two scoops of mocha, two scoops make you happy, Because they’re two – just like that. Or: Because it’s twoof them – just like that.