GRUNTHAL, MB

Middle-schoolers from throughout the Plautdietsch-speaking world will descend on Grunthal, Manitoba this week for the World Low German Spelling Bee Championship. The annual event attracts top spellers from Canada, the United States, Mexico, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Belize. Last year’s winner, Guillermo Toews of Asuncion, will be in attendance again this year to present the trophy.

“Plautdietsch wasn’t even a written language until a couple decades ago,” explained Toews, “but a few dictionaries have been published recently, and even though there’s some debate as to how exactly certain words are spelled, during the championship we settle any disputes with an arm wrestle.”

Toews’ winning word in the 2015 championship was

“It means ‘moustache,'” said Toews. “I wasn’t really sure

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