1 The formsjul andhul are unstressed variants. They are used mostly in possessive function, but also otherwise, chiefly when the pronoun is repeated within the same sentence.
FromMiddle High Germandiserm, whose neuter wasdit in Central Franconian (other Middle High Germandiz). The regular outcome would bedisse vs.det. The vocalic variation was levelled one way or the other in all dialects. Levelling of the consonantism remained optional and probably occurred only after the determiner had been chiefly restricted to periods of time.
Besides personal and possessive pronouns,dit is the only gendered form in Sylt Frisian, as gender distinctions in determiners and adjectives have been lost (unlike other North Frisian dialects). This causes a marked tendency to abolish grammatical gender altogether (compare the article template below). The distinction of the neuter is mainly stabilized by Standard German influence; gender distribution, when applied, therefore tends to follow closely the German pattern.
Spoken Sylt Frisian has a strong tendency to generalizedi and thereby abolish grammatical gender. However,dit is usually maintained with nominalized adjectives and infinitives. Total reduction of the definite article is very common after prepositions, otherwise exceptional.
I was walking (around)there / I was walkingat that location
Jag har aldrig varit i London, men jag skadit snart
I've never been to London, but I'm going[to] there soon(seeska for why there is noresa(“travel”),åka(“go”), or the like)
springahit ochdit
runto here andto there / runhither andthither (indicating for example chaos or a lack of direction)
(relative) towhere,where (expresses movement to a place)
stadendit de flyttade
the city[to] where / to which they moved
1973,Landslaget, “Tala om vart du ska resa [Tell me where you are traveling[to where you shall (are going to) travel]]”[1]:
Ta migdit där solen skiner,dit där himlen jämt är blå,dit där sjöarna är klara,dit jag alltid velat gå.
Take me[to] where ["to where, where ..." – second "where" from "där"] the sun shines,[to] where [where] the sky is always blue,[to] where [where] the lakes are clear,[to] where I've always wanted ["have wanted" – "have" implied from supine] to go [walk].
