Eminent Mennonite scholar and historian Victor Enns has announced that he is heading a project team with the goal of rewriting the Mennonite Low German Dictionary, in keeping with the principles of Newspeak.
Newspeak, and adaption of the English language first proposed by George Orwell in his novel 1984, stresses the elimination of words from the language.
According to Enns people formulate thoughts based on words. If the words do not exist, thoughts cannot be formulated.
Enns believes that by eliminating certain words and phrases from the Plautdietsch vocabulary, thought patterns, discourse and most importantly beliefs can be altered in keeping with Mennonite theology.
First to be eliminated from the dictionary are the phrase ‘wann twee Maunslied dijchta fekyea habe’, and the word ‘jungesschenda’. (see translation page)
Spottschreft 