Swiss German

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Swiss German
Schwyzerdütsch
Pronunciation [ˈʃʋitsərˌd̥ytʃ]
 Switzerland
 Liechtenstein
Spoken in  Vorarlberg (Austria)
 Piedmont (Italy)
 Aosta Valley (Italy)
Region Europe
Native speakers 4,500,000  (date missing)
Indo-European

• Germanic
Language • West Germanic
family • High German
• Upper German
• Alemannic
• Swiss German
Language codes
ISO 639-2 gsw
ISO 639-3 gsw
52-ACB-f (45 varieties: 52-ACB-faa to -fkb)
This page contains IPA phonetic symbols inUnicode. Without proper rendering support, you
Linguasphere may see question marks, boxes, or other symbolsinstead of Unicode characters.

Swiss German (German: Schweizerdeutsch,Alemannic German: Schwyzerdütsch,

Schwiizertüütsch, Schwizertitsch) is any of theAlemannic dialects spoken
in Switzerland and in some Alpine communities in Northern Italy. Occasionally, the
Alemannic dialects spoken in other countries are grouped together with Swiss German as
well, especially the dialects ofLiechtenstein and Austrian Vorarlberg which are closely
associated to Switzerland's.[citation needed]
Linguistically, Swiss German forms no unity. The linguistic division of Alemannic is rather
into Low,High and Highest Alemannic, varieties of all of which are spoken both inside and
outside of Switzerland. The reason "Swiss German" dialects constitute a special group is
their almost unrestricted use as a spoken language in practically all situations of daily life,
whereas the use of the Alemannic dialects in the other countries is restricted or even
endangered.
The dialects of Swiss German must not be confused with Swiss Standard German, the
variety of Standard German used in Switzerland.
 Contents
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• 1 Use
• 2 Variat
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• 3 Histor
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• 4 Pronu
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 [edit]Use

Unlike most regional languages in modern Europe, Swiss German is the spoken everyday
language of all social levels in industrial cities as well as in the countryside. Using dialect
conveys neither social nor educational inferiority and is done with pride.[1] There are only
a few specific settings where speaking Standard German is demanded or polite, e.g., in
education (but not during breaks in school lessons, where the teachers will speak in dialect
with students), in multilingual parliaments (the federal parliaments and a few cantonal and
municipal ones), in the main news broadcast or in the presence of German-speaking
foreigners. This situation has been called a medial diglossia since the spoken language is
mainly the dialect whereas the written language is mainly Standard German.
Swiss German is intelligible to speakers of other Alemannic dialects but poses greater
difficulty in total comprehension to speakers of Standard German, including French- or
Italian-speaking Swiss who learn Standard German at school. Swiss German speakers on
TV or in movies are thus usually dubbed or subtitled if shown in Germany.
Dialect rock is a music genre using the language; many Swiss rock bands, however, sing
in English.
The Swiss Amish of Indiana also use Swiss German.
[edit]Variation and distribution
Swiss German is a regional or political umbrella term, not a linguistic unity. For all dialects,
there are idioms spoken outside Switzerland that are more closely related to them than
some Swiss German dialects. The main linguistic divisions within Swiss German are those
of Low,High and Highest Alemannic. Low Alemannic is only spoken in the northernmost
parts of Switzerland, in Basel and around Lake Constance. High Alemannic is spoken in
most of theSwiss plateau, and is divided in an eastern and a western group. Highest
Alemannic is spoken in the Alps.

Language distribution in Switzerland

  French (Romandy)
  German
  Italian
  Romansh
• Low Alemannic
• Basel German in Basel (BS & BL), closely related to Alsatian
• High Alemannic
• western
• Bernese German, in the Swiss plateauparts of Bern (BE)
• dialects of Solothurn (SO)
• dialects of Aargau (AG)
• dialects of Lucerne (LU)
• dialects of Zug (ZG)
• in a middle position between eastern and western is
• Zürich German, in Zürich (ZH)
• eastern
 • dialects of St. Gallen (SG)
• dialects of Appenzell (AR & AI)
• dialects of Thurgau (TG)
• dialects of Schaffhausen (SH)
• dialects of parts of Graubünden (GR)
• Highest Alemannic
• dialects of the German-speaking parts of Freiburg (FR).
• dialects of the Bernese Oberland (BE)
• dialects of Unterwalden (UW) and Uri (UR)
• dialects of Schwyz (SZ)
• dialects of Glarus (GL)
• Walliser German in parts of the Valais (VS)
• Walser German: Via the medieval migration of the Walser, Highest
Alemannic spread to pockets of what are now parts of northern Italy (P), the
north west of Ticino (TI), parts
ofGraubünden (GR), Liechtenstein and Vorarlberg.
Each dialect is separable into numerous local sub-dialects, sometimes down to a
resolution of individual villages. Speaking the dialect is an important part of
regional, cantonal and national identity. In the more urban areas of the Swiss plateau,
regional differences are fading due to increasing mobility, and a growing population of non-
Alemannic descent. Despite the varied dialects, the Swiss can still understand one another
but may particularly have trouble understanding Walliser dialects.
[edit]History
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of Unicode characters.
As Alemannic dialects, Swiss German dialects did not participate in the second German
vowel shift during medieval times — they use mostly the same vowels as Middle High
German. Therefore, even though the Alemannic dialects belong to High German, their
vowels are closer to Low Saxon[clarification needed] than other High German dialects or
standard German. An exception is certain central Swiss and Walser dialects, e.g. some
dialects of Unterwalden, of the Schanfigg Valley (Graubünden) and that of Issime
(Piedmont).
Examples:
Zürich Unterwalden Schanfigg and Issime Standard
translation
dialect dialect dialects German
[huːs] [huis] [hous] [haʊ̯s] house
[tsiːt] [tseit] [tseit] [tsaɪ̯ t] time
Most Swiss German dialects, being High-Alemannic dialects, have completed the High
German consonant shift, that is, they have not only
changed t to [t͡s] or [s] and p to [p͡f] or[f] but also k to [k͡x] or [x]. Most Swiss dialects have
initial [x] or [k͡x] instead of k; there are however exceptions, namely the idioms
of Chur and Basel. Basel German is a Low Alemannic dialect (like most, but not all,
Alemannic dialects in Germany), and Chur German is basically High Alemannic without
initial [x] or [k͡x].
Examples:
High Alemannic Low Alemannic Standard German translation
[ˈxaʃtə] [ˈkʰaʃtə] [ˈkʰastən] box
[k͡xaˈri(ː)b̥ik͡x] [kʰaˈriːbikʰ] [kʰaˈriːbɪk] Caribbean
[edit]Pronunciation

[edit]Consonants

Like all Southern German dialects, Swiss German dialects have no voiced obstruents.
However, they have an opposition of consonant pairs such as [t] and [d] or [p] and [b].
Traditionally, that distinction is said to be a distinction of fortis and lenis, though it has been
claimed to be a distinction of quantity.[2]
Swiss German /p, t, k/ are not aspirated. Aspirated [pʰ, tʰ, kʰ] have (in most dialects)
secondarily developed by contractions or by borrowings from other languages (mainly
standard German), e.g., /ˈphaltə/ 'keep' (standard German behalten [bəˈhaltn̩]); /ˈtheː/ 'tea'
(standard German Tee [ˈtʰeː]); /ˈkhalt/ 'salary' (standard German Gehalt [ɡəˈhalt]).
In the dialects of Basel and Chur, aspirated /k/ is also present in native words.
Unlike Standard German, Swiss German /x/ does not have the allophone [ç], but is
always[x], or in many dialects even [χ]. The typical Swiss shibboleth features this
sound:Chuchichäschtli ('kitchen cupboard'), pronounced [ˈχuχːiˌχæʃtli].
Neither Swiss German nor the Swiss national variety of standard German exhibits final
devoicing, unlike the German national variety of standard German (for example, "Zug" is
pronounced [tsuːɡ] and not [tsuːk]).
Most Swiss German dialects have gone through the Alemannic n-apocope, which has led
to the loss of final -n in words such as Garte 'garden' (standard German Garten)
or mache 'to make' (standard German machen). In some Highest Alemannic dialects, the
n-apocope has also been effective in consonant clusters, for instance in Hore 'horn' (High
Alemannic Horn) ordäiche 'to think' (High Alemannic dänke). Only the Highest Alemannic
dialects of theLötschental and of the Haslital have preserved the -n.
The phoneme /r/ is pronounced as an alveolar trill [r] in many dialects, though certain
dialects, especially in the Northeast or in the Basel region, have a uvular trill [ʀ] like the
one heard in many German varieties of Germany.
[edit]Vowels

Most Swiss German dialects have rounded front vowels, unlike other High German
dialects.[3]Only in the Low Alemannic dialects of northwest Switzerland (mainly Basel) and
in the Walliser dialects have the rounded front vowels been unrounded. In Basel, the
rounding is being reintroduced under the influence of other Swiss German dialects.
Like Bavarian dialects, Swiss German dialects have preserved the
opening diphthongs ofMiddle High German: /iə̯, uə̯, yə̯/, e.g. in /liə̯b̥/ 'lovely' (standard
German lieb, but pronounced /liːp/); /huə̯t/ 'hat' (standard German Hut /huːt/); /xyə̯l/ 'cool'
(standard German kühl /kyːl/). Note that some of those diphthongs have been unrounded
in several dialects.
Like the Low German language, most Swiss German dialects have preserved the old
West-germanic monophthongs /iː, uː, yː/, e.g. /pfiːl/ 'arrow' (standard
German Pfeil /pfaɪ̯ l/);/b̥uːx/ 'belly' (standard German Bauch /baʊ̯x/); /z̥yːlə/ 'pillar' (standard
German Säule/zɔʏ̯lə/). A few Alpine dialects show diphthongation similar to Standard
German, especially some dialects of Unterwalden and Schanfigg (Graubünden) and that of
Issime (Piedmont); for examples see above.
Some Western Swiss German dialects (e.g. Bernese German) have preserved the old
diphthongs /ei̯ , ou̯/, whereas the other dialects have /ai̯ , au̯/ like Standard German or /æi̯ ,
æu̯/. Zurich German and some other dialects distinguish primary diphthongs from
secondary ones that arose in hiatus position, i.e. Zurich German /ai̯ , au̯/ from Middle High
German /ei̯ , ou̯/ versus Zurich German /ei̯ , ou̯/ from Middle High German /iː, uː/, e.g. Zurich
German/bai̯ , frau̯/ 'leg, woman' from M.H.G. bein, vrouwe versus Zurich German /frei̯ ,
bou̯/ 'free, building' from M.H.G. frī, būw.
[edit]Suprasegmentals

In many Swiss German dialects, consonant length and vowel length are independent from

each other, whereas they interdepend in the other Germanic languages. Examples from
Bernese German:
short /a/ long /aː/
short /f/ /hafə/ 'bowl' /d̥i b̥raːfə/ 'the honest ones'
long /fː/ /afːə/ 'apes' /ʃlaːfːə/ 'to sleep'
Stress is more often on the first syllable than in standard German, even in French loans
such as [ˈmɛrsːi] or [ˈmersːi] "thanks". Note that there are many different stress patterns
even within dialects. Bernese German is one of the dialects where many words are
stressed on the first syllable, e.g. [ˈkaz̥ino] 'casino', whereas standard German has [kʰa
ˈziːno]. However, no Swiss German dialect is as consistent as the Icelandic language in
this respect.
[edit]Grammar

The grammar of Swiss dialects has some specialties compared to Standard German:
• There is no preterite indicative (yet there is a preterite subjunctive).
• There is no genitive case, though certain dialects have preserved
a possessive genitive (for instance in rural Bernese German). The genitive case is
replaced by two constructions: The first of these is often acceptable in Standard
German as well: possession + Prp. vo (std. German von) + possessor: es Buech
vomene Profässer vs. Standard German ein Buch von einem Professor ("a book of
a professor"), s Buech vom Profässer vs. Standard Germandas Buch des
Professors ("the professor's book"). The second is still frowned on where it appears
in Standard German (from dialects and spoken language): dative of the possessor +
the possessive pronoun referring to the possessor + possession: em Profässer sis
Buech ("the professor his book").[4]
• The order within verb groups may vary, e.g. wil du bisch cho/wil du cho bisch vs.
standard German weil du gekommen bist "because you have come/came".
• All relative clauses are introduced by the relative particle wo (‘where’), never by
the relative pronouns der, die, das, welcher, welches as in Standard German,
e.g. ds Bispil, wo si schrybt vs. Standard German das Beispiel, das sie schreibt (‘the
example that she writes’);ds Bispil, wo si dra dänkt vs. Standard German das
Beispiel, woran sie denkt (‘the example that she thinks of’). Whereas the relative
particle wo replaces the Standard German relative pronouns in the Nom. (subject)
and Acc. (direct object) without further complications, in phrases where wo plays the
role of an indirect object, a prepositional object, a possessor or an adverbial adjunct
it has to be taken up later in the relative clause by reference of (prp. +) the personal
pronoun (if wo refers to a person) or the pronomial adverb (if wo refers to a thing).
E.g. de Profässer won i der s Buech von em zeiget ha ("the professor whose book I
showed you"), de Bärg wo mer druf obe gsii sind ("the mountain that we were
upon").[4]
• In combinations with other verbs, the
verbs gah or goh "go", cho "come", la or lo "let"
andaafa or aafo "begin" reduplicate, prefixed to the main verb.
example: Si chunt üse Chrischtboum cho schmücke.
literal translation: she comes our Christmas tree come decorate
translation She comes to decorate our Christmas tree.
example: Si lat ne nid la schlafe.
literal translation: she lets him not let sleep
 translation: She doesn't let him sleep.
This is probably a generalization of a close association of these verbs with the
following verb in perfect or modal verb constructions:
perfect: Si het ne nid la schlafe.
literal translation: she has him not let sleep
translation: She hasn't let/didn't let him sleep.
modal verb: Si wot ne nid la schlafe.
literal translation: she wants him not let sleep
translation: She doesn't want to let him sleep.
[edit]Vocabulary

The vocabulary is rather rich, especially in rural areas: many specialised terms have been
retained, e.g., regarding cattle or weather. In the cities, much of the rural vocabulary has
been lost.
Most word adoptions come from Standard German. Many of these are now so common
that they have totally replaced the original Swiss German words, e.g. the words Hügel 'hill'
(instead of Egg, Bühl), Lippe 'lip' (instead of Lefzge). Others have replaced the original
words only in parts of Switzerland, e.g., Butter 'butter' (originally called Anken in most of
Switzerland). Virtually any Swiss Standard German word can be borrowed into Swiss
German, always adapted to Swiss German phonology. However, certain Standard German
words are never used in Swiss German, for instance Frühstück 'breakfast', niedlich 'cute'
or zu hause 'at home'; instead, the native words Zmorge, härzig and dehei are used.
Swiss dialects have quite a few words from French, which are perfectly
assimilated. Glace (ice cream) for example is pronounced /ɡlas/ in French
but [ˈɡ̊lasːeː] or [ˈɡ̊lasːə] in many Swiss German dialects. The French word for 'thank
you', merci, is also used as in merci vilmal, literally "thanks many times". Possibly, these
words are not direct adoptions from French but survivors of the once more numerous
French loanwords in Standard German, many of which have fallen out of use in Germany.
In recent years, Swiss dialects have also taken some English words which already sound
very Swiss, e.g., [ˈfuːd̥ə] ('to eat', from "food"), [ɡ̊ei̯ mə] ('to play computer games', from
"game") or[ˈz̥nœːb̥ə] or [ˈb̥oːrd̥ə] – ('to snowboard', from "snowboard"). These words are
probably not direct loanwords from English, but have been adopted through standard
German intermediation. While most of those loanwords are of recent origin, some have
been in use for decades, e.g. [ˈ(t)ʃutːə] (to play football, from "shoot").
There are also a few English words which are modern adoptions from Swiss German. The
dishes müesli, and rösti have become English words, as did loess (fine
grain), flysch(sandstone formation), kepi, landamman, kilch, schiffli, and putsch in a
political sense. The term bivouac is sometimes explained as originating from Swiss
German,[5] while printed etymological dictionaries (e.g. the
German Kluge or Knaurs Etymological Dictionary) derive it from Low German instead.
[edit]Literature

Written forms that were mostly based on the local Alemannic varieties, thus similar
to Middle High German, were only gradually replaced by the forms of New High German.
This replacement took from the 15th to 18th centuries to complete. In the 16th century, the
Alemannic forms of writing were considered the original, truly Swiss forms, whereas the
New High German forms were perceived as foreign innovations. The innovations were
brought about by the printing press and were also associated with Lutheranism. An
example of the language shift is the Froschauer Bible: Its first impressions after 1524 were
largely written in an Alemannic language, but since 1527, the New High German forms
were gradually adopted. The Alemannic forms were longest preserved in the chancelleries,
with the chancellery of Bernbeing the last to adopt New High German in the second half of
the 18th century.[6]
Today all formal writing, newspapers, books and much informal writing is done in Swiss
Standard German, which is usually called Schriftdeutsch (written German). Certain
dialectal words are accepted regionalisms in Swiss Standard German and are also
sanctioned by theDuden, e.g., Zvieri (afternoon snack). Note that Swiss Standard German
is virtually identical to Standard German as used in Germany, with most differences in
pronunciation, vocabulary and orthography. For example Swiss Standard German always
uses a double s (ss) instead of theeszett (ß).
There are no official rules of Swiss German orthography. The orthographies used in the
Swiss German literature can be roughly divided into two systems: Those that try to stay as
close to standard German spelling as possible and those that try to represent the sounds
as well as possible. The so-called Schwyzertütschi Dialäktschrift was developed by Eugen
Dieth, but nearly only language experts know about these guidelines. Furthermore, the
spellings originally proposed by Dieth included some special signs not found on a
normal keyboard, such as〈ʃ〉instead of 〈sch〉for [ʃ] or〈ǜ〉instead of〈ü〉for [ʏ]. In
1986, a revised version of the Dieth-Schreibung was published, designed to be written "on
a normal typewriter".[7]
A few letters are used differently from the Standard German rules:
• <k> (and <ck>) are used for the affricate /kx/.
• <gg> is used for the unaspirated fortis /k/.
• <y> (and sometimes <yy>) traditionally stands for the /iː/ that corresponds to
Standard German /aɪ̯ /, e.g. in Rys ‘rice’ (standard German Reis /raɪ̯ s/) vs. Ris ‘giant’
(standard German /riːzə/). This usage goes back to an old ij-ligature. Many writers,
however, don't use <y>, but <i(i)>, especially in the dialects that have no distinction
between these sounds, compare Zürich German Riis /riːz̥/ ‘rice’ or 'giant' to Bernese
German Rys /riːz̥/'rice' vs. Ris /rɪːz̥/ (‘giant’). Some use even <ie>, influenced by
Standard German spelling, which leads to confusion with <ie> for /iə̯/.
• <ä> usually represents [æ], and can also represent [ə] or [ɛ], especially around
Bern.
• <ph> represents [pʰ], <th> represents [tʰ], and <gh> represents [kʰ].
• Since [ei] is written as <ei>, [ai] is written as <äi>, though in eastern Switzerland
<ei> is often used for both of these phonemes.