Wallisertiitsch
Walser
Indo-European (Germanic, West, High German, Alemannic, Highest Alemannic)
Walser (Wallisertiitsch) is the Highest Alemannic German variety of the medieval Walser migrations from the Upper Valais (Wallis) into scattered alpine settlements across Switzerland, Italy, Austria, and Liechtenstein. The Walsers (Walliser) were attracted to high alpine valleys in the 12th-14th centuries by feudal lords seeking colonists for newly-cleared land. Their isolated mountain communities preserved archaic Highest Alemannic features (initial /k/ → /x/, retained final consonants) and a distinctive Walser cultural identity. Recognized as a linguistic minority in the Aosta Valley of Italy, where Walser communities (Gressoney, Issime, Macugnaga) are co-official with Italian and French.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Walser
Water
Wasser
/vasːər/
Fire
Für
/fyːr/
Sun
Sunna
/sʊnːa/
Moon
Maa
/maː/
Mother
Müeter
/myə̯tər/
Father
Atti
/atːi/
Eat
ässe
/æsə/
Drink
trinke
/trɪŋkə/
Love
Liebi
/liə̯bi/
Heart
Hërz
/hɛrts/
Tree
Boum
/boʊm/
House
Hus
/huːs/
Dog
Hund
/hʊnt/
Cat
Chatz
/xats/
Hand
Hand
/hant/
Eye
Oug
/oʊɡ/
Hello
Grüössi
/ɡryə̯sːi/
Thank you
Vergelts Gott
/fɛrɡɛlts ɡɔt/
One
eins
/æɪ̯ns/
Good
guet
/ɡuə̯t/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Indo-European (Germanic, West, High German, Alemannic, Highest Alemannic) languages
| Meaning | Walser | Swiss German | Walliser German | East Franconian | Swabian | Kölsch | Early New High German (Luther-era) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Wasser /vasːər/ | Wasser /vasːər/ | Wasser /ʋasːər/ | Wasser /vasːə/ | Wasser /vasə/ | Wasser /vasɐ/ | Wasser /ˈvasːər/ |
| Fire | Für /fyːr/ | Füür /fyːr/ | Fyyr /fyːr/ | Feier /faɪɐ/ | Feuer /foiɐ/ | Füer /fyːɐ/ | Fewr /foɪ̯r/ |
| Sun | Sunna /sʊnːa/ | Sunne /sʊnə/ | Sunna /ˈsʊnːa/ | Sunn /sʊn/ | Sonne /sonə/ | Sonn /zɔn/ | Sonne /ˈzɔnə/ |
| Moon | Maa /maː/ | Mond /moːnd/ | Mánu /ˈmaːnʊ/ | Maa /maː/ | Mond /moːnd/ | Mond /moːnt/ | Mond /moːnt/ |
| Mother | Müeter /myə̯tər/ | Mueter /muə̯tər/ | Mu̜eter /ˈmuə̯tər/ | Mudder /mʊdɐ/ | Mädder /mɛdɐ/ | Moder /moːdɐ/ | Mutter /ˈmʊtər/ |
| Father | Atti /atːi/ | Vatter /fatər/ | Vattär /ˈfatːær/ | Vadder /fadɐ/ | Vadder /fadɐ/ | Vatter /fatɐ/ | Vater /ˈfaːtər/ |
| Eat | ässe /æsə/ | ässe /æsə/ | ässu /ˈæsːʊ/ | esse /ɛsə/ | essa /ɛsə/ | esse /ɛsə/ | essen /ˈɛsːən/ |
| Drink | trinke /trɪŋkə/ | trinke /trɪŋkə/ | trichu /ˈtrɪxʊ/ | trinke /trɪŋkə/ | drengga /dɾɛŋɡə/ | drinke /dʁɪŋkə/ | trincken /ˈtrɪŋkən/ |
| Love | Liebi /liə̯bi/ | Liebi /liə̯bi/ | Liebi /ˈliə̯bi/ | Liebe /liːbə/ | Liab /liə̯b/ | Leev /leːf/ | Liebe /ˈliːbə/ |
| Heart | Hërz /hɛrts/ | Härz /hærts/ | Härz /hærts/ | Herz /hɛrts/ | Herz /hɛɐts/ | Hätz /hɛts/ | Hertz /hɛrt͡s/ |
| Tree | Boum /boʊm/ | Baum /baʊ̯m/ | Boum /bɔʊ̯m/ | Bauma /baʊmaː/ | Baum /baum/ | Boum /baʊm/ | Bawm /baʊm/ |
| House | Hus /huːs/ | Huus /huːs/ | Hus /huːs/ | Haus /haʊs/ | Hous /haus/ | Huus /huːs/ | Hauß /haʊs/ |
| Dog | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnd/ | Hung /hʊŋk/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hond /hond/ | Hongk /hoŋk/ | Hund /hʊnt/ |
| Cat | Chatz /xats/ | Chatz /xats/ | Chatza /ˈxatsa/ | Katz /kats/ | Katz /kats/ | Katz /kats/ | Katze /ˈkat͡sə/ |
| Hand | Hand /hant/ | Hand /hand/ | Hand /hand/ | Hand /hand/ | Hand /hand/ | Hand /hant/ | Handt /hant/ |
| Eye | Oug /oʊɡ/ | Aug /aʊ̯ɡ/ | Oig /ɔɪ̯ɡ/ | Aach /aːx/ | Aug /aʊɡ/ | Auch /aʊx/ | Aug /aʊk/ |
| Hello | Grüössi /ɡryə̯sːi/ | Grüezi /ɡryə̯tsi/ | Tagwol /ˈtaɡʋol/ | Grüß Gott /ɡrʏs ɡɔt/ | Grüß Gott /ɡryːs ɡɔt/ | Tach /tax/ | Gott zum Gruß /ɡɔt t͡sʊm ɡruːs/ |
| Thank you | Vergelts Gott /fɛrɡɛlts ɡɔt/ | Merci /mɛrsi/ | Vergälts Gott /ferˈɡæltsɡot/ | Vergelt's Gott /fɛɐɡɛlts ɡɔt/ | Danggschee /daŋkʃeː/ | Dankeschön /daŋkəʃøːn/ | Danck /daŋk/ |
| One | eins /æɪ̯ns/ | eis /æɪ̯s/ | eis /æɪ̯s/ | ans /ans/ | oine /ɔinə/ | ein /aɪn/ | eyn /aɪ̯n/ |
| Good | guet /ɡuə̯t/ | guet /ɡuə̯t/ | güet /ɡyə̯t/ | guad /ɡuə̯d/ | guad /ɡuə̯d/ | joot /joːt/ | gut /ɡuːt/ |
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