▁were ▁affected ▁by ▁political ▁boundaries . ▁The ▁sphere ▁of ▁political ▁influence ▁of ▁a ▁certain ▁r uler ▁also ▁created ▁a ▁sphere ▁of ▁lingu istic ▁influence , ▁with ▁the ▁language ▁within ▁the ▁area ▁becoming ▁more ▁hom ogen ous . ▁Following , ▁more ▁or ▁less , ▁the ▁political ▁divisions ▁of ▁the ▁time , ▁several ▁large ▁dialect ▁groups ▁can ▁be ▁distinguished . ▁However , ▁the ▁borders ▁between ▁them ▁were ▁not ▁strong , ▁and ▁a ▁dialect ▁continu um ▁existed ▁between ▁them , ▁with ▁spoken ▁vari eties ▁near ▁the ▁edges ▁of ▁each ▁dialect ▁area ▁showing ▁more ▁features ▁of ▁the ▁neighbour ing ▁areas . ▁ ▁B rab ant ian ▁ ▁B rab ant ian ▁was ▁spoken ▁primarily ▁in ▁the ▁Duch y ▁of ▁B rab ant . ▁It ▁was ▁an ▁influ ential ▁dialect ▁during ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁during ▁the ▁so - called ▁" B rab ant ian ▁expansion " ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁B rab ant ▁was ▁extended ▁out wards ▁into ▁other ▁areas . ▁Comp ared ▁to ▁the ▁other ▁dialect s , ▁B rab ant ian ▁was ▁a ▁kind ▁of ▁" middle ▁ground " ▁between ▁the ▁coast al ▁areas ▁on ▁one ▁hand , ▁and ▁the ▁Rh in eland ▁and ▁Lim burg ▁on ▁the ▁other . ▁B rab ant ian ▁Middle ▁Dutch ▁has ▁the ▁following ▁characteristics ▁compared ▁to ▁other ▁dialect s : ▁▁ ▁Mer ger ▁of ▁â ▁and ▁ ā , ▁art ic ulated ▁as ▁a ▁back ▁v owel . ▁ ▁Use ▁of ▁the ▁form ▁g ( h ) i ▁for ▁the ▁second - person ▁pl ural