Low Germany

English

Etymology

From its lower elevation than High Germany.

Proper noun

Low Germany

1. (dated) Northern Germany, the low-lying land of the German people in Central Europe around the North and Baltic seas.
   • 1759, George Sale et al., “The Modern Part of an Universal History”, in History of the German Empire, volume XXIX, page 2:

     Since the reign of Charlemagne, this country is divided into High and Low Germany: ... the provinces of Lower Germany towards the north conſiſt of the Low Country of the Rhine, Triers, Cologn, Mentz, Weſtphalia, Heſſe, Brunſwic, Miſnia, Luſatia, High Saxony upon the Elbe, Low Saxony upon the Elbe, Mecklenburg, Lauenburg, Brandenburg, Magdeburg, and Pomerania.

Usage notes

• Although the term is now little used, the term for the speech of the area, "Low German", is still common.

Synonyms

• Lower Germany
• North Germany, Northern Germany

Related terms

• High Germany
• Low German

Translations

Northern Germany

• Finnish: Alasaksa (archaic)
• German: Niederdeutschland; see also: Norddeutschland (de)
• Swedish: Lågtyskland