Zurich German Explained

Zurich German
Nativename:	Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: Züritüütsch
Pronunciation:	in Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian pronounced as /ˈtsyrityːtʃ/
States:	Canton of Zürich
Familycolor:	Indo-European
Isoexception:	dialect
Glotto:	zuri1239
Glottorefname:	Zürich German

Zurich German (natively Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: Züritüütsch in Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian pronounced as /ˈtsyrityːtʃ/; German: label=[[German language|Standard German]]|Zürichdeutsch) is the High Alemannic dialect spoken in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland. Its area covers most of the canton, with the exception of the parts north of the Thur and the Rhine, which belong to the areal of the northeastern (Schaffhausen and Thurgau) Swiss dialects.

Zurich German was traditionally divided into six sub-dialects, now increasingly homogenised owing to larger commuting distances:

The dialect of the town of Zurich (German: Stadt-Mundart)
The dialect spoken around Lake Zurich (German: See-Mundart)
The dialect of the Knonauer Amt west of the Albis (German: Ämtler Mundart)
The dialect of the area of Winterthur
The dialect of the Zürcher Oberland around Lake Pfäffikon and the upper Tösstal valley
The dialect of the Zürcher Unterland around Bülach and Dielsdorf

Akin to all Swiss German dialects, it is essentially a spoken language, whereas the written language is standard German. Likewise, there is no official orthography of the Zurich dialect. When it is written, it rarely follows the guidelines published by Eugen Dieth in his book Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: Schwyzertütschi Dialäktschrift. Furthermore, Dieth's spelling uses a lot of diacritical marks not found on a normal keyboard. Young people often use Swiss German for personal messages, such as when texting with their mobile phones. As they do not have a standard way of writing they tend to blend Standard German spelling with Swiss German phrasing.

The Zurich dialect is generally perceived as fast spoken and less melodic than, for example, Bernese German. Characteristic of the city dialect is that it most easily adopts external influences. The second-generation Italian immigrants (secondi) have had a crucial influence, as has the English language through the media. The wave of Turkish and ex-Yugoslavian immigration of the 1990s is also leaving its imprint on the dialect of the city.

Phonology

Consonants

! Labial! Alveolar! Post-
alveolar! Dorsal! Glottal
Nasal	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/
Plosive	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/
Plosive	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/
Affricate	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
Fricative	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
Fricative	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	(pronounced as /link/)
Approximant	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/
Rhotic		pronounced as /r/

The distinction between the lenis pronounced as //b̥, d̥, ɡ̊, v̥, z̥, ʒ̊, ɣ̊// on the one hand and the fortis pronounced as //p, t, k, f, s, ʃ, x// on the other is not one of voice but length, with the fortis obstruents being the longer ones. A difference in tenseness is also claimed by some authors, with the fortes being more tense. pronounced as //h// does not participate in this distinction and neither do the affricates. The contrast occurs in all contexts (word-initial, word-internal and word-final) in the case of plosives. In the case of fricatives, it occurs only in the word-internal and word-final positions. Word-initially, only lenes appear, except in consonant clusters where fortes (especially pronounced as //ʃ//) appear through assimilation. Postvocalic pronounced as //ʒ̊// tends to appear only after long vowels. pronounced as //k// and pronounced as //kx// occur mainly in the word-internal and word-final contexts. Word-initially, pronounced as //ɣ̊// tends to appear instead. In monosyllabic nouns, short vowels tend to be followed by fortes. pronounced as //x// appears only after short vowels. See fortis and lenis for more details. In the table above, pronounced as //h// is classified as lenis on the basis of its length and distribution (it occurs in the word-initial and word-internal positions).
pronounced as //p// and pronounced as //t// are aspirated in borrowings from Standard German, e.g. Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: Pack pronounced as /[pʰɒkx]/ 'parcel'. In other contexts, they are unaspirated, as is pronounced as //k//. In borrowings with an aspirated pronounced as /[kʰ]/, it is nativized to an affricate pronounced as //kx//, as in Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: Kampf pronounced as //kxɒmpf// 'fight' (cf. Northern Standard German pronounced as /[kʰampf]/).
Intervocalic nasals are short traditional Zurich German. However, younger speakers tend to realize at least the bilabial pronounced as //m// and the velar pronounced as //ŋ// as long in this position, possibly under the influence of other dialects. This is particularly common before pronounced as //ər// and pronounced as //əl//, as in Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: Hammer pronounced as /[ˈhɒmːər]/ 'hammer' and Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: lenger pronounced as /[ˈleŋːər]/ 'longer'. This may also apply to pronounced as //l//, as in Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: Müller pronounced as /[ˈmylːər]/ 'miller'.
pronounced as //ɣ̊, x// vary between velar pronounced as /[{{IPAplink|x|ɣ̊}}, {{IPAplink|x}}]/ and uvular pronounced as /[{{IPAplink|χ|ʁ̥}}, {{IPAplink|χ}}]/ in all contexts, including when in contact with front vowels. The distinction between the German: Ich-Laut and the German: Ach-Laut found in Standard German does not exist in the Zurich dialect. Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: Chemii pronounced as //ɣ̊eˈmiː// 'chemistry' is thus pronounced pronounced as /[ɣ̊eˈmiː]/ or pronounced as /[ʁ̥eˈmiː]/ but never pronounced as /[ʝ̊eˈmiː]/, with a voiceless palatal fricative pronounced as /link/ found in Northern and Swiss Standard German pronounced as /[çeˈmiː]/ (with (IPA|ç) being a difference in transcription, not in pronunciation). That sound does not exist in Zurich German. Similarly, pronounced as //kx// can also be realized as uvular pronounced as /link/, as in Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: ticke pronounced as /[ˈtiqχə]/ 'thick' (infl.).
The reflex of the Middle High German pronounced as //w// is an approximant pronounced as //ʋ// and not a voiced fricative pronounced as //v//, unlike in Northern Standard German. The voiced labiodental fricative does not occur in Zurich German.
The traditional pronunciation of the rhotic pronounced as //r// is an alveolar tap pronounced as /link/, but the uvular variants pronounced as /link/ (a uvular trill), pronounced as /link/ (a voiced uvular fricative), pronounced as /link/ (a uvular approximant) and pronounced as /link/ (a voiceless lenis uvular fricative) are now more frequent. The last one overlaps phonetically with the uvular realization of pronounced as //ɣ̊//. Speakers can switch between alveolar and uvular articulations, as shown in Fleischer & Schmid's transcription of The North Wind and the Sun. This is very similar to the situation in many dialects of Dutch. R-vocalization does not occur; Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: töörfe pronounced as //ˈtœːrfə// 'to be allowed to' is thus never pronounced pronounced as /[ˈtœːɐ̯fə]/, only pronounced as /[ˈtœːʁfə]/ etc. Elsewhere in the article, the rhotic is written with (IPA|r) regardless of its precise quality.

Vowels

! colspan="4"
		Back
Front	Central	Back
	Central
Close		pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
Close-mid		pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	(pronounced as /link/)	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
Open-mid		(pronounced as /link/)	pronounced as /link/	(pronounced as /link/)	pronounced as /link/	(pronounced as /link/)
Open		pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/				pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
Diphthongs		pronounced as /(ui) ei oi æi ou æu/
Diphthongs		pronounced as /iə yə uə/

Traditional Zurich German features an additional, near-close series pronounced as //ɪ, ɪː, ʏ, ʏː, ʊ, ʊː//, which seems about to disappear. Vowels from these series can form minimal pairs with the close series, as exemplified by the minimal pair Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: tüür pronounced as //tʏːr// 'dry' vs. Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: tüür pronounced as //tyːr// 'expensive'.
The short pronounced as //e// and pronounced as //ɛ// were originally in complementary distribution, with the latter occurring before pronounced as //r// and pronounced as //x// and the former elsewhere. A phonemic split has occurred through analogy and borrowing, with pronounced as //ɛ// now occurring in places where originally only pronounced as //e// could appear.
The long pronounced as //ɛː// can easily form minimal pairs with pronounced as //eː//, as in the minimal pair Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: hèèr pronounced as //hɛːr// 'from' vs. Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: Heer pronounced as //heːr// 'army'.
The short pronounced as //œ// has a marginal status. In native words, it can only occur before pronounced as //r// and pronounced as //x//. The word Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: Hördöpfel pronounced as //ˈhœrd̥ˌøpfəl// 'potato' has a common alternative Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: Herdöpfel pronounced as //ˈhɛrd̥ˌøpfəl//, with an unrounded pronounced as //ɛ// (cf. Austrian Standard German German: Erdapfel pronounced as /[ˈeːɐ̯d̥ˌapfl̩]/). In addition, pronounced as //œ// occurs in loanwords as a substitute for English pronounced as //ʌ//, as in Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: Bluff pronounced as //b̥lœf// 'bluff' (n).
pronounced as //ə// appears only in unstressed syllables. In native words, only it and pronounced as //i// can appear in unstressed syllables, as exemplified by the minimal pair Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: schweche pronounced as //ˈʒ̊ʋɛxə// 'to weaken' vs. Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: Schwechi pronounced as //ˈʒ̊ʋɛxi// 'weakness'. In borrowings, other vowels can also appear in the unstressed position, e.g. Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: Bambus pronounced as //ˈb̥ɒmb̥us// 'bamboo'.
The open front pronounced as //æ(ː)// are phonetically near-front pronounced as /link/.
The open back pronounced as //ɒ(ː)// have a variable rounding and may be realized as unrounded pronounced as /link/.
All diphthongs are falling, with the first element being more prominent: pronounced as /[ui̯, ei̯, oi̯, ou̯, æu̯, iə̯, yə̯, uə̯]/.
pronounced as //ui// is marginal and occurs only in exclamations such as Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: pfui pronounced as //pfui// 'ugh!'.
Originally, two diphthongs with a rounded mid front first element were distinguished. Those were pronounced as //øi// and pronounced as //œi// (phonetically falling pronounced as /[øi̯, œi̯]/, as the rest), distinguished phonemically as in the near-minimal pair Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: nöi pronounced as //nøi// 'new' vs. Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: Höi pronounced as //hœi// 'hay'. They have since merged into one diphthong pronounced as //oi//.

Sample

The sample text is a reading of the first sentence of The North Wind and the Sun. It is a recording of a 67-year old male from the town of Meilen, about 15 kilometers from the city of Zurich.

Phonemic transcription

pronounced as //əˈmɒːl hænd̥ d̥ə ˈb̥iːz̥ˌʋind̥ und̥ d̥ ˈz̥unə ˈkʃtritə ʋɛːr v̥o ˈb̥æid̥nə d̥ɒz̥ æxt d̥ə ˈʃtɛrɣ̊ər z̥eiɡ̊//

Phonetic transcription

pronounced as /[əˈmɒːl hæn‿tə ˈb̥iːz̥ˌʋind̥ un‿ˈtsunə ˈkʃtritə {{!}} ʋɛːr v̥o ˈb̥æiʔnə d̥ɒz̥ æx‿tə ˈʃtɛrɣ̊ər z̥eiɡ̊]/

Orthographic version

Swiss German; Alemannic; Alsatian: Emaal händ de Biiswind und d Sune gschtritte, wèèr vo bäidne das ächt de schtèrcher seig.|italics=no