ow els , ▁with ▁" sharp - long " ▁â ▁developed ▁from ▁the ▁Old ▁Dutch ▁long ▁ ā , ▁and ▁" soft - long " ▁ ā ▁being ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁length ening . ▁These ▁two ▁v ow els ▁were ▁distinguished ▁only ▁in ▁Lim burg ish ▁and ▁Low ▁R hen ish ▁at ▁the ▁eastern ▁end , ▁and ▁in ▁western ▁F lem ish ▁and ▁coast al ▁Holland ic ▁on ▁the ▁western ▁end . ▁The ▁relative ▁back ness ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁v ow els ▁was ▁opposite ▁in ▁the ▁two ▁areas ▁that ▁distinguished ▁them . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁coast , ▁â ▁was ▁front ▁ ▁or ▁, ▁while ▁ ā ▁was ▁central ▁or ▁back ▁. ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁eastern ▁vari eties , ▁â ▁was ▁back ▁, ▁while ▁ ā ▁was ▁front ▁or ▁central ▁. ▁ ▁merged ▁into ▁ ▁during ▁Middle ▁Dutch , ▁first ▁in ▁Low ▁R hen ish , ▁then ▁later ▁also ▁in ▁Lim burg ish ▁further ▁south . ▁ ▁In ▁all ▁dialect s ▁between , ▁the ▁two ▁v ow els ▁were ▁not ▁distinguished . ▁The ▁ph on etic ▁real isation ▁r anged ▁from ▁back ▁ ▁( in ▁B rab ant ) ▁to ▁front ▁ ▁( Hol land ▁further ▁in land ). ▁ ▁The ▁closing ▁di ph th ong ▁ ▁remained ▁from ▁the ▁corresponding ▁Old ▁Dutch ▁di ph th ong . ▁It ▁occurred ▁primarily ▁in ▁um la uting ▁environments , ▁with ▁ ▁appearing ▁otherwise . ▁Some ▁dialect s , ▁particularly ▁further ▁west , ▁had ▁ ▁in ▁all ▁environments ▁( th us ▁cle ene ▁next ▁to ▁cle ine