Alsatian

The Germanic and Romance dialect groups in the Alsace region

Under Alsatian (also: Alsatian German ) is the in Alsace widespread alemannischen , southFrankish and Rhine Franconian dialects . "Alsatian" is not a linguistically coherent dialect group, but a geographically, politically and culturally determined collective term for the local dialects distributed over the entire region of Alsace.

In contrast, dialects of Alsace include not only the Germanic (German) but also the traditional Romansh spoken in some areas of the Vosges ( Which ) and those between the Franco-German language border and the regional border in the south ( Franc-Comtois / Territoire de Belfort / Canton Jura ) Understand dialects ( Langues d'oïl ).

Dialect groups

The traditional distribution area of West Upper German (= Alemannic) dialect features in the 19th and 20th centuries. Alsace is located in its north-western part.

The German dialects widespread in Alsace are largely assigned to the Alemannic dialects by dialect research . Alemannic (= West Upper German ), which is part of Upper German , is predominantly represented by Lower Alemannic ( here: Upper Rhine-Manish ) , whereas the dialects used in the south on the border with Switzerland are assigned to High Alemannic.

Some dialects in the north and north-west are assigned to the Rhine-Franconian dialects . The Rhine Franconian is already counted to Central German and in this to West Central German . Be the on the border Palatinate Palatine related dialects, the so-called Crooked Alsace Lorraine and Franconian spoken dialects.

Orthal

Alsatian has the status of a regional language in France . However, France has signed the European Charter to protect and promote it, but has not yet ratified it by Parliament .

With Orthal (Orthographe alsacienne) there has been an attempt since 2003 (then still under the name Graphal) to unify and standardize the Alsatian spellings in order to enable uniform writing, comparable to the written language introduced in 1976 for the Luxembourg dialects . This is not intended to standardize the Alsatian language; Orthal can describe all the different regional variants.

Demarcation and internal structure

Isoglosses in the southern Upper Rhine Valley

Dialect and language groups in metropolitan France and some neighboring regions

One of the isoglosses that are used in Alsace and in neighboring regions to differentiate between Upper German (here: Alemannic) and Central German (here: Rhine-Franconian) dialects is the Germersheimer line , which separates the initial Pf- from P- (example: standard German pound , Alemannic Pound, Rhenish Franconian pund ). This isogloss is not shown in the map on the right; The brother isogloss has a similar course (see below). Most of the isoglosses used to break down dialect are not identical, which is why one cannot speak of an Alemannic-Franconian dialect border , but only of a language border zone that depicts a transition .

Isoglosses shown in the map from north to south:

Brother: northern brother, brother to southern brother, brother, brother . Sometimes used to differentiate between Franconian and Alemannic.
been: northern gwää, gwä, gwan to southern gsii, gsi, gsin .
Soap: northern soap to southern soap, soap, soap, soap .
Imperative of “to be”: northern is to southern bisch, bis .
Child: Northern Child to Southern Chind . This isogloss is usually used to differentiate between the Lower or Upper Rhine-Manic and the High-Alemannic.

The red line on the map, running in a north-south direction, represents the French-German state border that was in force from 1871 to 1918. This does not coincide with the French-German language border.

Many isoglosses of Alsatian and all dialects in the Upper Rhine Graben run in a west-east direction and create a north / south staggering. These differences in pronunciation and grammar probably emerged mostly during the Middle Ages. Language features from north to south may have prevailed, more to the left of the Rhine than to the right of the Rhine. It is assumed that language features designated as Alemannic were often replaced by language features designated as South Franconian (e.g. New High German diphthongization and monophthongization : wis / white and guot / gut ). One thesis on the origin of these squadrons says that the influences of the Franconian dialects penetrated faster in Alsace than on the right bank of the Rhine due to the increased traffic. The Straßburgische is often regarded as alemannisch-südfränkische enclave in the surrounding Alemannic dialect area, the trade of this city extended far to the north.

distribution

In a survey by the Office for Language and Culture in Alsace / Office pour la Langue et la Culture d'Alsace / Elsassisches Sprochàmt (OLCA) in 2012, the inhabitants of the Alsace region expressed the following:

43% say they speak Alsatian well (dialect speakers)
33% said they spoke or understood a little Alsatian (basic knowledge)
25% said they did not speak Alsatian (without knowledge)

Dialect features

The vocabulary of the Alsatian dialects is documented in the dictionary of Alsatian dialects .

Examples

Sound shift b to w and g to w:

German but alemannisch abber - Alsatian àwwer
German Magen, Wagen - Alemannic Mage , Wage - Alsatian Mawe, Wawe (or Wàje )

The influence of French on vocabulary is typical of Alsatian:

German bicycle - Alsatian Velo
German sidewalk - Alsatian Trottwar

"Alemannization": Words of French origin are used with German endings:

choose german - alsatian schwasiere (n) (from french choisir )

Dialect examples

Strasbourg city dialect

Bilingual street sign in Strasbourg

The Strasbourg dialect, which is hardly spoken today due to the dominance of French in the city, is an urban dialect that, like the Viennese or Berlin dialect, clearly stands out from the dialects of the surrounding area. The Strasbourg language is characterized by the high proportion of Rhine-Franconian dialect characteristics.

Excerpt from the poem "Isszitt" ("Ice Age") by Emilienne Kauffmann:

"It's cold, it's cold! And when de Kerichühre d'Schläg rolls off, he'll mess up in de Stross and proceed like d'Isszäpfe, as he falls from Büchieslidach leese and into the frozen Dräckgräwel.

S'isch quiet, druise, eat quietly!

Eating pegs hang down from the Büchhieseldach, thick as a bell rope.! Sometimes, very suddenly, you don't know what, a heavyweight grieves and falls crawling in the snow, how you sink into the snow and still a hole loosens. And the cold Schücker de Buckel runs down ... in front of the transparent, pointed, polished dagger. The snow crust splits up like the icing sugar when I join the Neujohrskueche.

E transfigured the world draijt si in're pale wintersunn, like d'Kölje in the candlelight from the Tannibauim! Sinni Kunscht hugs the frog to d'Fenschter in Sternesplitter, Schneebluescht, Heckreesle and Heckebletter.

The air is bad, snappy! Frozen, stiff and rigid, in reefs and frog isch s'Hoeftel, white, silvery and liss in Iss and Glarriss de Garte. D'Matt makes a hump under extremely white mold peltz vum frog like e satti milchigi Schoofwoll ... "

- Emilienne Kaufmann

Schlettstädter Alsatian

A speech that was given at a “mother tongue society” in Schlettstadt / Sélestat , compared with the dialect at the Kaiserstuhl (approx. 20 km east of Schlettstadt in Baden) and standard German .

Münster valleys Alsatian	Liawi frend, For twenty o'clock we have set ùns s'Zil un Ideàl: d'Elsassìsch spoke ùn cold door to ferdaidiga ùn ferdera. Mer han already àles Meiliga gmàcht: Bettschrefda, Mànifestationa en Strossborìg, Kolm'r, Melhüsa, Unterschrefta gsàmmelt, Theàd'r gspelt, Vortraj àn Stàmmdesch organisi ( ea ) rt, Fiarùnga en Derf'r so-called Radechand Starowadt, Dùr'riosand Starowadt, Tele-Sandùnga, 10 years long every week a Elsass'r-Stub em College vu Engersa, even Strossasang'r en Kolm'r met der Schnetzelbànk etc. Àla dana Persona, d'r fergàngena wia da jetziga Komiteemetgled'r, as well as alli "Heimetsproch" -Metgliad'r, especially Eich liawi Frend, where there are always so many to ùnseri Generàlfersàmmlùnga comma: a god mersalti d'ùn ferg! Merci fellmol, merci, dàss Ehr àlli kùmma sen, from St. Louis to Hojianoï!
Schlettstädter Alsatian	Liewi Frend, Already 20 years ago one goal and one idea: the defense and the promotion of our Alsatian language and culture. Mer han already done everything megleague: Bettschrefta, Manifestationa en Strossburg, Colmar, Melhüsa, Unterschrefta gsàmmelt, Theater gspelt, Vorraj and Stammtesch organisi ( ea ) rt, Fierunga en Dorf un Stadt, Dechterowa, Radiosandunga even Tele-Sandunga, every 10 years for a long time Wuch a Elsasser-Stub em College vu Ingersheim, yes even Strossasänger en Colmar met the Schnetzelbànk etc. Alla dana persona, there passed wia da now committee members, as well as alla "Heimetsproch" members, especially Eich liawi Frend, where always so countless to our general assembly comma: a grossa Dànk un forgive God! Merci vielmol, merci, dàss Ehr àlli kumma sen, from St. Louis to Hàgenau!
Dialect Kaiserstuhl	Liewi Freind, Schu 20 Johr hammr a goal and an ideal: d 'Defense and d' Ferderig vu Unsera alsässerditsch Sproch un Küldür. Mr hän schu alls meglige gmacht: petitions, manifestations in Schdroosburg, Colmar, Milhüse, Underschrifde gsammlet, Theader gschbield, lectures and Schdammdisch organized, Fierige in Dorf and Schdad, Dierchderowene, radio station even in the Farnese gs always scho. 10 years long everybody from Alsace Schdube in the College vu Ingersheim, jo even Schdroos singer in Colmar with his Schnitzelbank and so aries. Allene Danish people, dr freijere wia dr current committee members, like all "Heimetsproch" -members, bsunders Eich liebi Freind, wu alliwiil came so numerous to our general meeting: a big thank you and gäld's God! Thank you viemol, thank you that alli kumme sin, vu St. Louis to Haguenau!
Standard German	Dear friend, For 20 years we have had one goal and one ideal: the defense and promotion of our Alsatian German language and culture. We have already done everything possible: petitions, manifestations in Strasbourg , Colmar , Mulhouse , collected signatures, played theater, organized lectures and get-togethers, guided tours through the village and town, poetry evenings, radio broadcasts, even television broadcasts. For 10 years there was an “Alsatian room” every week in the Collège von Ingersheim , even street singers in Colmar with a schnitzel bench and so on. To all the people, the former as well as the current committee members, as well as all the "Heimetsproch" members, especially you, dear friends, who always come to our General Assembly in large numbers: Thank you very much and God bless you! Thank you very much, thank you for all of you, from Saint-Louis to Haguenau !

literature

About Alsatian in general, spelling, grammar

Edgar Zeidler, Danielle Crévenat-Werner: Orthographe alsacienne. Colmar 2008.

Marthe Philipp, Erich Wieder: To be and to have in the Alsace-Lorraine dialect dream. Stuttgart 2002.

René Klingelschmitt, Marthe Philipp: Expressions familières d'Alsace. Paris 2002.

Raoul J. Niklas Weiss: Alsatian - the language of the Alemanni. Kauderwelsch, Volume 116, Reise-Know-How-Verlag Peter Rump, Bielefeld 2001.

Raymond Matzen: How's it going? Lexiques alsacien et français. Variantes dialectales. Grammaire. Strasbourg 2000.

Werner König, Renate Schrambke: The language atlases of the Swabian-Alemannic area. Baden-Wuerttemberg, Bavarian Swabia, Alsace, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Vorarlberg. Bühl 1999.

Hubert Klausmann, Konrad Kunze and Renate Schrambke: Small Dialect Atlas - Alemannic and Swabian in Baden-Württemberg. Buhl 1994.

Marthe Philipp and Arlette Bothorel-Witz: Low Alemannic. In: Charles V. J. Russ (Ed.): The Dialects of Modern German. A Linguistic Survey. Routledge, London 1990, ISBN 0-415-00308-3 , pp. 313-336 (describes the Colmar dialect).

André Weckmann : Elsassischi grammar or an attempt to explore the language. Poems in the Alsatian dialect. Pfaffenweiler 1989.

Atlas Linguistique et Ethnographique de l'Alsace. Strasbourg 1969 ff.

Friedrich Maurer : New Research on Southwest German Language History. In: Sprachgeographie, supplement Wirkendes Wort 21, pp. 119–163, Düsseldorf 1972.

Rudolf E. Keller : Alsatian. In: German Dialects. Phonology & Morphology, with selected texts. Manchester 1961, pp. 116-160.

Ernest Beyer: A la limite des dialectes alsaciens et lorraines. In: L'ouvrage de la Societé Savante d'Alsace et des Régions de l'Est. 1957, pp. 335-383, 15 maps.

German Linguistic Atlas , started by Ferdinand Wrede based on the Linguistic Atlas of the German Empire by Georg Wenker, continued by Walther Mitzka and Bernhard Martin, Marburg 1927–1956.

Dictionaries

Edmond Jung: L'alsadico. 22,000 mots et expressions français-alsacien. Strasbourg 2006.
Serge Kornmann: Alsatian-frànzeesches un frànzeesch-Alsatian mini value book. Fouenant 2004.
Learn Alsatian. The most important terms and idioms for beginners. London 2004.
Edmond Jung: What is the name of this Alsatian? Dictionnaire français-alsacien. Dialects de Strasbourg. Vocables and tournures. Engwiller 2003.
Raymond Matzen : Dictionnaire trilingue des gros mots alsaciens: dialecte, français, allemand; cartes géolinguistiques et index (Alsatian dictionary of abuse and curse). Illkirch-Graffenstaden 2000.
Claude Guizard, Jean Speth: Dialectionnaire (alsacien, français et allemand) Trilingual dictionary. Mulhouse 1992.
Raymond Matzen: Anthology des expressions d'Alsace. Equivalents français, traductions et explications. Paris 1989.
Dictionary of German-Lorraine dialects . Edited by Michael Ferdinand Follmann. Leipzig 1909. Reprint Hildesheim / New York 1971.
Ernst Martin , Hans Lienhart: Dictionary of Alsatian dialects . Strasbourg 1899–1904/1907; Reprinted Berlin and New York 1974 ( online version ).

Speech situation

Johanna Maurer: Alsatian and French. The function of their alternation in the discourse. Kiel 2002.
Frédéric Hartweg: The Languages in Alsace: Cold War or Reconciled Coexistence? In: Ingo Kolboom and Bernd Rill (eds.): Francophonie - national and international dimensions . Arguments and materials for Zeitgeschehen 35, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-88795-249-9 , online version as a PDF file .
Raymond Matzen: Dictionnaire trilingue des gros mots alsaciens: dialecte, français, allemand; cartes géolinguistiques et index (Alsatian dictionary of abuse and curse). Illkirch-Graffenstaden 2000.
Christian Bader: Lexique des parlers sundgauviens. Mulhouse 1997.
Paul Adolf: Dictionnaire alsacien - anglais. Comparatif et bilingue, l'anglais par l'alsacien. Vum Alsatian züem Ënglische, learning English through Alsatian German. Obernai 1996.
Eugène Philipps : Fate Alsace. Crisis of a culture and a language. Karlsruhe 1980, pp. 122-168.
Frédéric Hartweg: Evolution et Statut des Variantes Standard et Dialectales de l'Allemand en Alsace. In: Ammon / Hellinger (ed.): Status Change of Languages. Berlin 1992, pp. 371-387.

To French, miscellaneous

Hervé Abalain: Le français et les langues historiques de la France. Paris 2007.
Geckeler / Dietrich: Introduction to French Linguistics. Berlin ⁴ 2007.
Andrée Tabouret-Keller: Les enjeux de la nomination des langues. Louvain 1997.
Lothar Wolf: Le français régional d'Alsace. Étude critique des alsacianismes, avec la collaboration de Paul Fischer, Paris 1983.
Georg Wolfram, Werner Gley: Alsace-Lothringischer Atlas. Frankfurt a. M. 1931.

Web links

Wikipedia in Alemannic

Commons : Alsatian - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Remarks

↑ Share of dialect speakers. In: www.olcalsace.org. Retrieved June 14, 2013 .
^ Also in Hanauerland on the right bank of the Rhine .
↑ Also common in Switzerland and parts of southern Baden .
↑ From French trottoir, also in areas of Germany, e.g. B. in Baden , the Palatinate and some parts of Württemberg as well as in Switzerland common.
^ According to: Basler Zeitung, Jan. 10, 1997.

[1] Share of dialect speakers. In: www.olcalsace.org. Retrieved June 14, 2013 .

[2] Also in Hanauerland on the right bank of the Rhine .

[3] Also common in Switzerland and parts of southern Baden .

[4] From French trottoir, also in areas of Germany, e.g. B. in Baden , the Palatinate and some parts of Württemberg as well as in Switzerland common.

[5] According to: Basler Zeitung, Jan. 10, 1997.