Draft:Old High Franconian language

Old High Franconian (Althochfränkisch), or Old High Frankish, is a variety of West Germanic dialect spoken in areas within Upper Lorraine. It evolved from Frankish, alongside Old Dutch. It mostly is regarded as a German dialect despite its origins.

In spite of the poor attestation of Frankish, Old Franconiany is richly attested with many texts in four main dialects, Old Middle Franconian, Old Rhine Franconian, Old East Franconian, and Old South Rhine Franconian.

In the 11th century, Old Ripuarian Franconian evolved into the Franconian dialects spoken around the Rhine and Moselle valleys.

Dialects
The following are dialects and what they evolved into:


 * Old Middle Frankish, Old Middle Franconian, Old Central Frankish, or Old Central Franconian
 * Ripuarian
 * Luxembourgish
 * Hunsrik
 * Old Rhine Frankish or Old Rhine Franconian
 * Hessian
 * Pennsylvania Dutch
 * Palatine German
 * Old South Rhine Franconian or Old South Rhine Frankish
 * South Franconian German
 * Old East Frankish or Old East Franconian
 * East Franconian German

Old Rhine Franconian
The Augsburger Gebet (English: Augsburg Prayer) is a prayer that can be traced back to Lorraine and is written in the Old Rhine Frankish dialect.

Got, thir eigenhaf ist, thaz io genathih bist. Intfaa gebet unsar, thes bethurfun uuir sar, thaz uns thio ketinun bindent thero sundun, thinero mildo genad intbinde haldo!

English translation:

God, it's to you to prophesy, that you are always gracious: receive our prayer, which we need so much, to which we, who are bound in the chains of sins, soon free the grace of your mercy.

Old Central Frankish
The Merseburg charms were possibly written in Old Central Frankish and are about the Franks' pagan beliefs. Eiris sāᶎun idisi, sāᶎun hera duoder. suma hapt heptidun, suma heri lezidun, suma clūbōdun umbi cuoniouuidi: insprinc haptbandun, invar vīgandun!

English translation:

Once sat women, they sat here, then there. Some fastened bonds, some impeded an army, Some unraveled fetters: Escape the bonds, flee the enemy!

Old East Franconian
Tatian's gospel harmony was translated into Old East Franconian in the 9th century. The following text used is the prologue of the text.

Bithiu uuanta manage zilotun ordinon saga thio in ûns gifulta sint rahhono, Só ûns saltun thie thar fon anaginne selbon gisahun inti ambahta uuarun uuortes, Uuas mir gisehan gifolgentemo fon anaginne allem gernlihho after antreitu thir scriben, thû bezzisto Theophile, Thaz thû forstantes thero uuorto fon them thû gilerit bist uuâr.

English translation:

Since indeed many have endeavored to order the narrative of the things which are complete in us, as those who themselves had seen from the beginning, and were ministers of the discourse, handed down to us. It seemed to me that I should from the beginning carefully write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the truth of those words of which you have been taught.