Walser German

Walser German

Infobox Language
name=Walser German
nativename=Walscher
region=the Alps
speakers=about 22,000
familycolor=Indo-European
fam2=Germanic
fam3=West Germanic
fam4=High German
fam5=Upper German
fam6=Alemannic German
fam7=Highest Alemannic
fam7=Highest Alemannic
iso1=-
iso2=gsw
iso3=wae
notice=nonoticeThe Walser language, in German "Walserdeutsch", is a group of Highest Alemannic dialects spoken in Walser settlements in parts of Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, and Austria.

It is possible to point out whether specific Walser dialects have originated in the Eastern dialects of the Wallis canton or in the Western dialects. Conservative Walser dialects are more similar to the respective groups of Walliser German dialects than to other Walser dialects.

Settlements that have been isolated within Romance regions have preserved a very archaic language. Settlements in German regions have linguistically assimilated to their neighbors, but these dialects still show certain similarities to the ones spoken in the Wallis.

The total number of speakers in all countries is reported to be 20,000 to 40,000, including 10,000 to 20,000 speakers in Switzerland, out of a population of 7.5 m (1980 C. Buchli), 3,400 in Italy (1978 Fazzini), 1,300 in Liechtenstein (1995 C. Buchli), and 5,000 to 10,000 in Austria (1995 C. Buchli). (Source: www.ethnologue.com)

distribution:
*Bernese Oberland: Lauterbrunnen, Mürren, Planalp
*Valais: Simplon, Gondo (Zwischbergen)
*valleys in the Monte Rosa massif:
**Gressoney: Gressoney-La Trinité, Gressoney-Saint-Jean, Issime, parts of the Val d'Ayas.
** Vercelli province: Alagna Valsesia, Rima (Rima-San Giuseppe), Rimella, Riva Valdobbia
** Verbano-Cusio-Ossola province: Formazza, Macugnaga, Salecchio, Ornavasso, Miggiandone, Agàro, Ausone, Campello-Monti
*Canton of Grisons: Rheinwald, Obersaxen, Vals GR, Signina (Gemeinde Riein, Safiental, Tenna, Valendas, Versam, Tschappina, Avers, Mutten, Schanfigg, upper Landwassertal, Davos, Prättigau
*Liechtenstein (probably settled from Prättigau): Triesenberg, Planken
*Canton of St. Gall: Calfeisental, Taminatal
*Vorarlberg and Tirol: Großes Walsertal, Kleines Walsertal; Tannberg, Schröcken, Lech and Warth, parts of Steeg in Tirol, Galtür and Ischgl in the Paznauntal, Brand, Bürserberg, Dünserberg, Ebnit, Laternsertal, Damüls, Silbertal
*Allgäu: Kleinwalsertal

External links

* [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=wae Ethnologue report for Walser]
*de icon [http://www.linguistik-online.com/20_04/russ.html The Bosco Gurin dialect]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • German language — German Deutsch Pronunciation [ˈdɔʏtʃ] Spoken in Primarily in German speaking Europe, as a minority language and amongst the German diaspora worldwide …   Wikipedia

  • German language in Europe — German language skills of European Union citizens plus Croatia, Turkey and some Microstates …   Wikipedia

  • Walser — The Walser are German speaking people (more specifically, they speak Walser German dialects) who live in the Alps of Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein and Austria. The Walser people are named after the Wallis (Valais), the uppermost Rhône River… …   Wikipedia

  • Walser (surname) — *The Walser are descendants of people that migrated from the Wallis, Switzerland, to other Alpine regions. The Highest Alemannic Walser German dialects are still very similar to Walliser German* Derrick Walser * Don Walser * Martin Walser, born… …   Wikipedia

  • German Empire —    The German Empire was proclaimed on January 18, 1871, in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, not far from where the Prussian army besieged Paris in the final days of the Franco Prussian War. The German Empire, occasionally referred to as the… …   Encyclopedia of the Age of Imperialism, 1800–1914

  • Walser Privatbank —   Walser Privatbank AG Staat Österreich Sitz Hirschegg (Kleinwalsertal) …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • German literature — comprises those literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German part of Switzerland, and to a lesser extent works of the German diaspora. German literature of the modern period is… …   Wikipedia

  • German Empire — This article is about the unified German monarchy existing from 1871 to 1918. For Germany before 1806, see Holy Roman Empire. For Germany between 1918 and 1933, see Weimar Republic. For Germany between 1933 and 1945, see Nazi Germany. For German… …   Wikipedia

  • German orthography reform of 1996 — The German orthography reform of 1996 (Rechtschreibreform) was an attempt to simplify the spelling of the German language and thus to make it easier to learn, without substantially changing the rules familiar to all living users of the language.… …   Wikipedia

  • GERMAN LITERATURE — Biblical and Hebraic Influences Before the Aufklaerung (Age of Enlightenment), Jewish influences in German literature were essentially biblical and Hebraic. The medieval miracle or mystery plays, in Germany as in England and France, dramatized… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”