Kölsch
Indo-European (Germanic, West, High German, Central, Ripuarian)
Kölsch is the Ripuarian Franconian dialect of Cologne and immediate surroundings — a West Central German variety distinct from both Standard German (it has not undergone all the High German Consonant Shift stages: e.g., "Aug" not "Auge", "joot" not "gut") and from Low German further north. Strong urban identity tied to the city of Cologne, with Kölsch-language carnival songs (Karneval), Kölsche Bier culture, and the Akademie för uns kölsche Sproch promoting linguistic codification (1983). Recognized as a separate language by Ethnologue and Glottolog despite German government treating it as a dialect.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Kölsch
Water
Wasser
/vasɐ/
Fire
Füer
/fyːɐ/
Sun
Sonn
/zɔn/
Moon
Mond
/moːnt/
Mother
Moder
/moːdɐ/
Father
Vatter
/fatɐ/
Eat
esse
/ɛsə/
Drink
drinke
/dʁɪŋkə/
Love
Leev
/leːf/
Heart
Hätz
/hɛts/
Tree
Boum
/baʊm/
House
Huus
/huːs/
Dog
Hongk
/hoŋk/
Cat
Katz
/kats/
Hand
Hand
/hant/
Eye
Auch
/aʊx/
Hello
Tach
/tax/
Thank you
Dankeschön
/daŋkəʃøːn/
One
ein
/aɪn/
Good
joot
/joːt/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Indo-European (Germanic, West, High German, Central, Ripuarian) languages
| Meaning | Kölsch | Low German | German | Swabian | East Franconian | Early New High German (Luther-era) | Limburgish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Wasser /vasɐ/ | Water /vɑːtɐ/ | Wasser /vasɐ/ | Wasser /vasə/ | Wasser /vasːə/ | Wasser /ˈvasːər/ | water /vatər/ |
| Fire | Füer /fyːɐ/ | Füer /fyːɐ/ | Feuer /fɔɪ̯ɐ/ | Feuer /foiɐ/ | Feier /faɪɐ/ | Fewr /foɪ̯r/ | vuur /vyːr/ |
| Sun | Sonn /zɔn/ | Sünn /zʏn/ | Sonne /zɔnə/ | Sonne /sonə/ | Sunn /sʊn/ | Sonne /ˈzɔnə/ | zón /zɔn/ |
| Moon | Mond /moːnt/ | Maand /mɑːnt/ | Mond /moːnt/ | Mond /moːnd/ | Maa /maː/ | Mond /moːnt/ | maon /maːʊn/ |
| Mother | Moder /moːdɐ/ | Moder /moːdɐ/ | Mutter /mʊtɐ/ | Mädder /mɛdɐ/ | Mudder /mʊdɐ/ | Mutter /ˈmʊtər/ | mam /mam/ |
| Father | Vatter /fatɐ/ | Vader /fɑːdɐ/ | Vater /faːtɐ/ | Vadder /fadɐ/ | Vadder /fadɐ/ | Vater /ˈfaːtər/ | pap /pap/ |
| Eat | esse /ɛsə/ | eten /eːtn̩/ | essen /ɛsn̩/ | essa /ɛsə/ | esse /ɛsə/ | essen /ˈɛsːən/ | ete /eːtə/ |
| Drink | drinke /dʁɪŋkə/ | drinken /drɪŋkn̩/ | trinken /tʁɪŋkn̩/ | drengga /dɾɛŋɡə/ | trinke /trɪŋkə/ | trincken /ˈtrɪŋkən/ | drinke /drɪŋkə/ |
| Love | Leev /leːf/ | Leev /leːf/ | Liebe /liːbə/ | Liab /liə̯b/ | Liebe /liːbə/ | Liebe /ˈliːbə/ | leefde /leːfdə/ |
| Heart | Hätz /hɛts/ | Hart /haɐt/ | Herz /hɛʁt͡s/ | Herz /hɛɐts/ | Herz /hɛrts/ | Hertz /hɛrt͡s/ | hart /hart/ |
| Tree | Boum /baʊm/ | Boom /boːm/ | Baum /baʊ̯m/ | Baum /baum/ | Bauma /baʊmaː/ | Bawm /baʊm/ | boum /bʌʊm/ |
| House | Huus /huːs/ | Huus /huːs/ | Haus /haʊ̯s/ | Hous /haus/ | Haus /haʊs/ | Hauß /haʊs/ | hoes /huːs/ |
| Dog | Hongk /hoŋk/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hond /hond/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | hóndj /hɔnʲ/ |
| Cat | Katz /kats/ | Katt /kat/ | Katze /kat͡sə/ | Katz /kats/ | Katz /kats/ | Katze /ˈkat͡sə/ | kat /kat/ |
| Hand | Hand /hant/ | Hand /hant/ | Hand /hant/ | Hand /hand/ | Hand /hand/ | Handt /hant/ | handj /hanʲ/ |
| Eye | Auch /aʊx/ | Oog /oːx/ | Auge /aʊ̯ɡə/ | Aug /aʊɡ/ | Aach /aːx/ | Aug /aʊk/ | oug /ɔux/ |
| Hello | Tach /tax/ | Moin /mɔɪn/ | Hallo /haloː/ | Grüß Gott /ɡryːs ɡɔt/ | Grüß Gott /ɡrʏs ɡɔt/ | Gott zum Gruß /ɡɔt t͡sʊm ɡruːs/ | hallo /halo/ |
| Thank you | Dankeschön /daŋkəʃøːn/ | Dankschöön /daŋkʃøːn/ | Danke /daŋkə/ | Danggschee /daŋkʃeː/ | Vergelt's Gott /fɛɐɡɛlts ɡɔt/ | Danck /daŋk/ | merci /mɛrsi/ |
| One | ein /aɪn/ | een /eːn/ | eins /aɪ̯ns/ | oine /ɔinə/ | ans /ans/ | eyn /aɪ̯n/ | eine /ɛɪnə/ |
| Good | joot /joːt/ | good /ɡoːt/ | gut /ɡuːt/ | guad /ɡuə̯d/ | guad /ɡuə̯d/ | gut /ɡuːt/ | good /ɡoːt/ |
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