'Schwyzertueuetsch' (was Re: Folk etymology) (Was Re: Swiss enchiladas)

[Beverly Flanigan]

Ditto for Bosnia, whose citizens now speak Bosniak (sp?).

At 11:36 AM 10/31/99 -0500, you wrote:
>Is German a language (or just a collection of a bunch of High and Low
>German dialects)? When dialects/languages are related, isn't this always a
>sociopolitical question (with "right" answers depending on who you're
>talking to)? Notice how quickly Serbo-Croatian became Serbian and Croatian
>(without a blink at linguistic facts).
>
>dInIs
>
>
>
>
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> >A possibly more definitive solution as to whether Schwyzertueuetsch is a
> >language or just the overall title for a group of very high German dialects
> >might be to ascertain what the four official languages are of the Swiss
> >Confederation: French, Italian, Roumasch (in its various spellings (which
> >one is official?), and ?  Scott Catledge
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: Beverly Flanigan <flanigan at OAK.CATS.OHIOU.EDU>
> >To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >Sent: Saturday, October 30, 1999 2:02 PM
> >Subject: Re: Folk etymology (Was Re: Swiss enchiladas)
> >
> >
> >I don't know who "they" are, but a former student of mine from die Schweiz
> >told me the term 'Schwyzertueuetsch' is commonly used (and note his
> >spelling, with 'y' and a doubled umlauted vowel, presumably to signal
> >lengthening ['ue'  substitutes for my lack of the umlaut diacritic--how do
> >you get that, Greg?]).  Trudgill, in his _Sociolinguistics_ (1995 ed., p.
> >101) uses this spelling also, but he does note that his example is "based
> >on Zurich speech."  My student taperecorded T's example for me, with
> >wonderful intonation and very prominent vowel lengthening; I play it every
> >year for my Sociolx class.
> >
> >>Actually, to be more accurate, since you seem to be interested, they tell
> >me
> >>there is not even such a thing as Schwizertütsch. There are only local
> >>dialects each of which is a bit different, e.g., Züritütsch (Zürich
> >>Deutsch). So they say....
> >>
> >>Greg Downing/NYU, at greg.downing at nyu.edu or gd2 at is2.nyu.edu
>
>Dennis R. Preston
>Professor of Linguistics
>Department of Linguistics and Languages
>Michigan State University
>East Lansing MI 48824-1027 USA
>preston at pilot.msu.edu
>Office: (517)353-0740
>Fax: (517)432-2736