Alemannic German

(Redirected from Swiss-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 about ten million people in southern Germany, Switzerland, France, Austria, Liechtenstein, and Italy. In Switzerland it is sometimes called Swiss German. In Alsace, the language is usually called Alsatian.

Alemannic
Alemannisch
Pronunciation[alɛˈman(ː)ɪʃ]
Native toSwitzerland: entire German-speaking part.
Germany: most of Baden-Württemberg and Bavarian Swabia.
Austria: Vorarlberg and some parts of Tyrol.
Liechtenstein: entire country.
France: most of Alsace.
Italy: some parts of Aosta Valley and northern Piedmont
United States: Amish in Adams and Allen counties, Indiana
Venezuela: Alemán Coloniero
Native speakers7,162,000  (2004–2012)e18
Language family
Writing systemLatin, Historically Elder Futhark
Language codes
ISO 639-2gsw
ISO 639-3Variously:
gct – Colonia Tovar
gsw – Swiss German and Alsatian
swg – Swabian
wae – Walser
Alemannic-Dialects-Map-English.png
Blue indicates the traditional distribution area of Western Upper German (=Alemannic) dialects.

Outside this area: the village Zădăreni in Romania, Old-order Amish in Adams County and Allen County in the United States, and Colonia Tovar in Venezuela. In the US: the Bernese dialects are stable, and spoken by about 5% of all Amish (15.000 people), Alsatian dialects are in decline there.

In contrast to other languages, Alemannic German is only a spoken language; there is no fixed orthography for the language.

References