Boarisch
Bavarian
Indo-European
Bavarian (Boarisch) is an Upper German variety spoken by around 14 million people across Bavaria, most of Austria (excluding Vorarlberg), and the South Tyrol region of Italy. While politically classified as a German dialect, linguists treat Bavarian as a distinct West Germanic language with its own grammar, lexicon, and phonology — speakers of Standard German typically cannot understand spoken Bavarian without exposure. Linguistically, Bavarian preserves archaic Middle High German features and has innovated unique features like the dual-pronoun "es/enk" (you-two). The language exists in a strong dialect continuum stretching from North Bavarian through Central (Middle) Bavarian (the Munich/Vienna prestige form) to South Bavarian (Tirol/Carinthia/South Tyrol). Despite vibrant numbers, UNESCO classifies it as vulnerable due to relentless Standard German pressure in education and media.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Bavarian
Water
Wåssa
/vɔsɐ/
Fire
Feia
/fɔɪɐ/
Sun
Sun
/sʊn/
Moon
Moo
/moː/
Mother
Muada
/muɐdɐ/
Father
Voda
/foɐdɐ/
Eat
essn
/ɛsn̩/
Drink
dringa
/dɾɪŋɡɐ/
Love
Liab
/liɐb/
Heart
Heaz
/hɛɐts/
Tree
Bam
/bãm/
House
Haus
/haʊs/
Dog
Hund
/hʊnd/
Cat
Katz
/kʰats/
Hand
Hand
/hɔnd/
Eye
Aug
/aʊɡ/
Hello
Servus
/sɛɐvʊs/
Thank you
Vagelts Gott
/fɐɡɛlts ɡɔt/
One
oans
/oɐns/
Good
guad
/ɡuɐd/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Indo-European languages
| Meaning | Bavarian | German (Austrian) | East Franconian | Swabian | German | Pennsylvania German | Walser |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Wåssa /vɔsɐ/ | Wasser /vasɐ/ | Wasser /vasːə/ | Wasser /vasə/ | Wasser /vasɐ/ | Wasser /vasər/ | Wasser /vasːər/ |
| Fire | Feia /fɔɪɐ/ | Feuer /fɔɪɐ/ | Feier /faɪɐ/ | Feuer /foiɐ/ | Feuer /fɔɪ̯ɐ/ | Feier /faɪər/ | Für /fyːr/ |
| Sun | Sun /sʊn/ | Sonne /sɔnə/ | Sunn /sʊn/ | Sonne /sonə/ | Sonne /zɔnə/ | Sunn /sʊn/ | Sunna /sʊnːa/ |
| Moon | Moo /moː/ | Mond /moːnt/ | Maa /maː/ | Mond /moːnd/ | Mond /moːnt/ | Mund /mʊnt/ | Maa /maː/ |
| Mother | Muada /muɐdɐ/ | Mutter /mʊtɐ/ | Mudder /mʊdɐ/ | Mädder /mɛdɐ/ | Mutter /mʊtɐ/ | Mudder /mʊdər/ | Müeter /myə̯tər/ |
| Father | Voda /foɐdɐ/ | Vater /fɑːtɐ/ | Vadder /fadɐ/ | Vadder /fadɐ/ | Vater /faːtɐ/ | Daadi /daːdi/ | Atti /atːi/ |
| Eat | essn /ɛsn̩/ | essen /ɛsn̩/ | esse /ɛsə/ | essa /ɛsə/ | essen /ɛsn̩/ | esse /ɛsə/ | ässe /æsə/ |
| Drink | dringa /dɾɪŋɡɐ/ | trinken /tʁɪŋkŋ/ | trinke /trɪŋkə/ | drengga /dɾɛŋɡə/ | trinken /tʁɪŋkn̩/ | drinke /dɾɪŋkə/ | trinke /trɪŋkə/ |
| Love | Liab /liɐb/ | Liebe /liːbə/ | Liebe /liːbə/ | Liab /liə̯b/ | Liebe /liːbə/ | liewe /liːvə/ | Liebi /liə̯bi/ |
| Heart | Heaz /hɛɐts/ | Herz /hɛɐt͡s/ | Herz /hɛrts/ | Herz /hɛɐts/ | Herz /hɛʁt͡s/ | Hatz /hats/ | Hërz /hɛrts/ |
| Tree | Bam /bãm/ | Baum /baːm/ | Bauma /baʊmaː/ | Baum /baum/ | Baum /baʊ̯m/ | Baam /baːm/ | Boum /boʊm/ |
| House | Haus /haʊs/ | Haus /haʊs/ | Haus /haʊs/ | Hous /haus/ | Haus /haʊ̯s/ | Haus /haʊs/ | Hus /huːs/ |
| Dog | Hund /hʊnd/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hond /hond/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ |
| Cat | Katz /kʰats/ | Katze /kɑt͡sə/ | Katz /kats/ | Katz /kats/ | Katze /kat͡sə/ | Katz /kats/ | Chatz /xats/ |
| Hand | Hand /hɔnd/ | Hand /hɑnt/ | Hand /hand/ | Hand /hand/ | Hand /hant/ | Hand /hant/ | Hand /hant/ |
| Eye | Aug /aʊɡ/ | Auge /aːɡə/ | Aach /aːx/ | Aug /aʊɡ/ | Auge /aʊ̯ɡə/ | Aag /aːk/ | Oug /oʊɡ/ |
| Hello | Servus /sɛɐvʊs/ | Servus /zɛɐvʊs/ | Grüß Gott /ɡrʏs ɡɔt/ | Grüß Gott /ɡryːs ɡɔt/ | Hallo /haloː/ | Hallo /haloː/ | Grüössi /ɡryə̯sːi/ |
| Thank you | Vagelts Gott /fɐɡɛlts ɡɔt/ | Danke /daŋkə/ | Vergelt's Gott /fɛɐɡɛlts ɡɔt/ | Danggschee /daŋkʃeː/ | Danke /daŋkə/ | Denki /dɛŋki/ | Vergelts Gott /fɛrɡɛlts ɡɔt/ |
| One | oans /oɐns/ | oans /ɑːns/ | ans /ans/ | oine /ɔinə/ | eins /aɪ̯ns/ | eens /eːns/ | eins /æɪ̯ns/ |
| Good | guad /ɡuɐd/ | gut /ɡuːt/ | guad /ɡuə̯d/ | guad /ɡuə̯d/ | gut /ɡuːt/ | gut /ɡuːt/ | guet /ɡuə̯t/ |
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