Table of Contents
How different is Swiss German from standard German?
Swiss German consonants are a different case from vowels. Orthographically speaking, they are longer, whereas their pronunciation is a bit harsher than their German counterparts….Consonants.
| Standard German | English | Swiss German |
|---|---|---|
| Koch | cook | Choch |
| kommen | to come | cho |
| Kind | kid | chind |
| kaufen | to buy | chaufe |
Is there a difference between high German and Low German?
German is widely studied as a foreign language and is one of the main cultural languages of the Western world. The main difference between High and Low German is in the sound system, especially in the consonants. High German, the language of the southern highlands of Germany, is the official written language.
Can Swiss Germans understand high German?
The dialects of Swiss German must not be confused with Swiss Standard German, the variety of Standard German used in Switzerland. Most people in Germany do not understand Swiss German. Therefore, when an interview with a Swiss German speaker is shown on German television, subtitles are required….
| Swiss German | |
|---|---|
| IETF | gsw-CH |
Should I learn standard German or Swiss German?
If you genuinely want to become part of a Swiss community, you’ll probably need both. Standard German for the written part of your life, and the local dialect of Swiss German for talking to people. Schriftsprache (written language) and Mundart (spoken language), if you will. , Swiss citizen.
How different is Swiss-German from high German?
Swiss German is distinguished from Standard German by what are referred to as Helvetisms: specific vocabulary, pronunciation, and syntax that are unique to Switzerland. The differences are significant enough that people from Germany need subtitles to understand Swiss German television.
How different is Austrian German from German?
Despite their minor differences, Austrian German and standard German are generally considered to be the same. Therefore, if you learned German in school, you will have no difficulty conversing with the locals in Austria.
Is High German the same as standard German?
In German, Standard German is generally called Hochdeutsch, reflecting the fact that its phonetics are largely those of the High German spoken in the southern uplands and the Alps (including Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and parts of northern Italy as well as southern Germany).
Why is High German called High German?
As a technical term, the “high” in High German is a geographical reference to the group of dialects that forms “High German” (i.e. “Highland” German), out of which developed Standard German, Yiddish and Luxembourgish.
Is standard German understood in Switzerland?
Written German in Switzerland differs slightly regarding minor spelling details and some vocabulary, but is 99\% identical to written Germany or Austrian German. And while the many Swiss dialects (there is no single “Swiss German”) are very important for Swiss identity, “Standard” German is perfectly understood.
Where does Hochdeutsch come from?
That is because Hochdeutsch is based historically mainly on written dialects that were used in the High German dialect area, especially the East Central region where the modern German states of Saxony and Thuringia are located. This map shows the major German dialect regions in the first half of the twentieth century.
What are the different German dialects?
High German in this broader sense can be subdivided into Upper German ( Oberdeutsch, this includes the Austrian and Swiss German dialects), Central German ( Mitteldeutsch, this includes Luxembourgish, which itself is now a standard language ), and High Franconian German, which is a transitional dialect between the two.
How is High German different from other Germanic languages?
High German (in the broader sense) is distinguished from other West Germanic varieties in that it took part in the High German consonant shift (c. AD 500). To see this, compare English / Low German (Low Saxon) pan/Pann with Standard German Pfanne ( [p] to [p͡f] ), English/Low German two/twee with Standard German zwei ( [t] to [t͡s] ),…
Is Swiss High German a stand-alone language?
At the same time, Swiss High German is not a stand-alone language, either. This might be apparent in the term “High German” (Hochdeutsch). Swiss High German — just like Austrian High German — is a variation of Standard German.