Alemannic German: Encyclopedia - Alemannic German

Alemannic German

Alemannic German (Alemannisch) is a group of dialects of the Upper German branch of the Germanic language family. It is spoken by approximately ten million people in six different countries in southern Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, France and Italy. The name derives from the ancient German alliance of tribes known as the Alamanni.

Alemannic German - Variety of German or independent language?

For speakers of standard German, Alemanic can be very difficult to understand, particularly the southernmost dialects. Therefore, some linguists and organisations that differentiate between languages and dialects primarily on the grounds of mutual intelligibility, such as SIL International and UNESCO, describe Alemannic German as its own language. Even within the Alemannic dialects though, not all dialects are mutually intelligible; Swabian (the northern-most dialect) is usually separated from the southern-most dialects.

Nevertheless, as the standard written and formal language of the Alemannic-speaking regions remains standard German, Alemannic is generally regarded merely as a regional variant of the German language, even by its speakers. It can be argued that it is artificial to separate Alemannic from the other Upper German dialects, while grouping the latter with Central German and Low German as a single language, since the High German consonant shift, the main isogloss that separates the German language from the other West Germanic languages, originates in the south.

Alemannic German - Variants

Alemannic itself comprises a dialect continuum, from the Highest Alemannic spoken in the mountainous south to Swabian in the relatively flat north, with more of the characteristics of Standard German the further north you go.

Alemannic comprises the following variants:

• Swabian (mostly in Swabia, in Germany). Shifts Middle High German û, î to [ou], [ei] rather than Standard German [aʊ], [aɪ] or [uː/yː], [iː] as in other Alemannic dialects.
• Low Alemannic dialects. Retain German /k/ as [kʰ] or [kx] rather than fricativising to [x] as in High Alemannic. Subvariants:
  • Seealemannisch (in Southern Württemberg, Southeastern Baden, Northwestern Vorarlberg)
  • Alsatian (in Alsace, France)
  • Alemán Coloneiro (in Venezuela)
  • Basel German (in Basel, Switzerland)
• High Alemannic (mostly in Switzerland, parts of Vorarlberg, and in the southern parts of the Black Forest in Germany). Complete the High German consonant shift by fricativising /k/ to [x]. Subvariants:
  • Bernese German
  • Zürich German
  • Vorarlbergisch
• Highest Alemannic (in the Canton of Wallis, in the Walser settlements, in the Bernese Oberland and in the German-speaking part of Fribourg). Do not have the hiatus diphthongisation of other dialects of German with [ʃniːə(n)], [buːə(n)] and not [ʃneijə bouwə]. Subvariants:
  • Walliser German
    • Walser German.

Note that the Alemannic dialects of Switzerland are often called Swiss German or Schwyzerdütsch.

Alemannic German - Characteristics

• The diminutive is used frequently in all Alemannic dialects. Northern and eastern dialects use the suffix -le; southern dialects use the suffix -li (Standard German suffix -chen). Depending on dialect, thus, 'little house' could be Häusle, Hüüsle, Hüüsli or Hiisli.
• A significant difference between the high and low variants is the pronunciation of ch after the front vowels (i, e, ä, ö and ü) and consonants. In Standard German and the lower variants, this is a palatal [ç] (the Ich-Laut), whereas in the higher variants, a velar or uvular [χ] or [x] (the ach-Laut) is used.
• The verb to be is conjugated differently in the various dialects:

Alemannic German - Language codes

• SIL: GSW (called Schwyzerdütsch when referring to Switzerland but Alemannisch when referring to other countries), SWG (Swabian), WAE (Walser dialects — usually included within Swiss German by Swiss linguists), GCT (Alemán Coloneiro)
• ISO 639-2: gsw

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Alemannic German", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki