Swiss German is a Farce
As any German speaker can tell you, the Swiss do not speak German. "Swiss German", or Schwyzertüütsch, is not a dialect: it's a whole new language. Or rather, it's a hodgepodge of dialects that are linguistically similar to medieval German but use wildly different pronunciations and spellings from each other. As Wikipedia reports: "Each dialect is separable in numerous local sub-dialects, sometimes down to a resolution of individual villages".
There aren't many rules behind Schwizertitsch: the name of the language itself can be written in a dozen different ways, all equally valid, because there isn't a standard written form. On the positive side, foreigners trying to learn the language can be wildly inventive: the Swiss will just assume you're a native speaker from some remote valley. All you need is confidence and a healthy amount of spit!
On a brief ski tour last weekend near Flumserberg, we came upon a small backcountry hut called Alp Fursch. The staff were extremely friendly and tolerant of our fumbling attempts to speak Hochdeutsch. Even better: their menu was actually written entirely in a Glarner dialect of Schwiizerdütsch, and they let us keep a copy as a souvenir.
An excerpt:
The second-to-last line, "MERSSI FÜRÄ BSUÄCH", would probably be translated into Hochdeutsch as: "Danke für Ihre Besuch". The word "MERSSI" is their spelling of the French word "merci", which is commonly used in Swiss German. Whee!
Perhaps the translation becomes easier after drinking the hut's special alcoholic coffee drink, "Kafi Schätzli", which is proudly described as "DR HUUSKAFI, D'MISCHIG WIRD NÜD VERRATÄ!!!"
Sigh.
There aren't many rules behind Schwizertitsch: the name of the language itself can be written in a dozen different ways, all equally valid, because there isn't a standard written form. On the positive side, foreigners trying to learn the language can be wildly inventive: the Swiss will just assume you're a native speaker from some remote valley. All you need is confidence and a healthy amount of spit!
On a brief ski tour last weekend near Flumserberg, we came upon a small backcountry hut called Alp Fursch. The staff were extremely friendly and tolerant of our fumbling attempts to speak Hochdeutsch. Even better: their menu was actually written entirely in a Glarner dialect of Schwiizerdütsch, and they let us keep a copy as a souvenir.
An excerpt:
FEINI, HUUSGMACHTI
| SPÄTZLI | 14.-/16.- |
| SUPPÄ | 6.50 |
| CHÜÄCHÄ | 3.- |
| WÄIÄ | 3.50 |
D'MERHEIT FUDÄ ZUÄTATÄ SIND IIHEIMISCHI PRODUKT
& ALLÄS FLEISCH ISCH SCHWIIZERFLEISCH
GÄND ÜCH SORG BIM FÜRÄFAHRÄ!!!
MERSSI FÜRÄ BSUÄCH
Z'FURSCH-TEAM
The second-to-last line, "MERSSI FÜRÄ BSUÄCH", would probably be translated into Hochdeutsch as: "Danke für Ihre Besuch". The word "MERSSI" is their spelling of the French word "merci", which is commonly used in Swiss German. Whee!
Perhaps the translation becomes easier after drinking the hut's special alcoholic coffee drink, "Kafi Schätzli", which is proudly described as "DR HUUSKAFI, D'MISCHIG WIRD NÜD VERRATÄ!!!"
Sigh.
4/02/2006
2 Comments:
Can't believe you transcribed the menu - and not a single mistake :-) Nice job!
Do you even have the lettern ä, ö, and ü on your keyboard?
Uf wiederluege, Gabor
by
Gabor, at 8:38 AM
Thank you so much for this information. I have been writing to guides all over the Chamonix valle and none of them want to sent the straight forward information in the candid and readable/Understandable context that you have laid it out here. My buddies and i are looking at doing the haute route next year . Thanks for the information. if anyone else has maps or information on skiing this trek please send it to mwburchmore@gmail.com
thanks,
merci, guten tag
mick from canada
by
Red-Dog Lies..., at 3:22 PM
Post a Comment