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
31 core words in Walser
Water
Wasser
/vasːər/
Fire
Für
/fyːr/
Sun
Sunna
/sʊnːa/
Moon
Maa
/maː/
Star
Stärn
/ʃtærn/
Mother
Müeter
/myə̯tər/
Father
Atti
/atːi/
I
ich
/ix/
You
du
/du/
Name
Name
/ˈnamə/
Eye
Oug
/oʊɡ/
Hand
Hand
/hant/
Heart
Hërz
/hɛrts/
Love
Liebi
/liə̯bi/
Tree
Boum
/boʊm/
House
Hus
/huːs/
Dog
Hund
/hʊnt/
Cat
Chatz
/xats/
Eat
ässe
/æsə/
Drink
trinke
/trɪŋkə/
One
eins
/æɪ̯ns/
Two
zwei
/tsʋei/
Hello
Grüössi
/ɡryə̯sːi/
Thank you
Vergelts Gott
/fɛrɡɛlts ɡɔt/
Good
guet
/ɡuə̯t/
Cuckoo
Gugger
/ˈɡʊɡər/
Computer
Computer
/komˈpjuːtər/
Sushi
Sushi
/ˈsuʃi/
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 | German (Swiss) | Yiddish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Wasser /vasːər/ | Wasser /vasːər/ | Wasser /ʋasːər/ | Wasser /vasːə/ | Wasser /vasə/ | Wasser /ˈvasər/ | וואַסער /vasər/ |
| Fire | Für /fyːr/ | Füür /fyːr/ | Fyyr /fyːr/ | Feier /faɪɐ/ | Feuer /foiɐ/ | Feuer /ˈfɔɪ̯ər/ | פֿײַער /fajər/ |
| Sun | Sunna /sʊnːa/ | Sunne /sʊnə/ | Sunna /ˈsʊnːa/ | Sunn /sʊn/ | Sonne /sonə/ | Sonne /ˈsɔnə/ | זון /zun/ |
| Moon | Maa /maː/ | Mond /moːnd/ | Mánu /ˈmaːnʊ/ | Maa /maː/ | Mond /moːnd/ | Mond /moːnt/ | לבֿנה /ləvɔnə/ |
| Star | Stärn /ʃtærn/ | Stärn /ʃtærn/ | Stäru /ˈʃtæru/ | Stern /ʃtɛrn/ | Schtern /ʃtɛrn/ | Stern /ʃtɛrn/ | שטערן /ʃtɛrn/ |
| Mother | Müeter /myə̯tər/ | Mueter /muə̯tər/ | Mu̜eter /ˈmuə̯tər/ | Mudder /mʊdɐ/ | Mädder /mɛdɐ/ | Mutter /ˈmʊtər/ | מאַמע /mamə/ |
| Father | Atti /atːi/ | Vatter /fatər/ | Vattär /ˈfatːær/ | Vadder /fadɐ/ | Vadder /fadɐ/ | Vater /ˈfaːtər/ | טאַטע /tatə/ |
| I | ich /ix/ | ich /ɪx/ | ich /ɪç/ | i /i/ | i /i/ | ich /ɪx/ | איך /ix/ |
| You | du /du/ | du /duː/ | du /du/ | du /du/ | du /du/ | du /duː/ | דו /du/ |
| Name | Name /ˈnamə/ | Name /ˈnaːmə/ | Namu /ˈnamu/ | Nama /ˈnamɐ/ | Nama /ˈnamə/ | Name /ˈnaːmə/ | נאָמען /ˈnɔmən/ |
| Eye | Oug /oʊɡ/ | Aug /aʊ̯ɡ/ | Oig /ɔɪ̯ɡ/ | Aach /aːx/ | Aug /aʊɡ/ | Auge /ˈaʊɡə/ | אויג /ɔɪɡ/ |
| Hand | Hand /hant/ | Hand /hand/ | Hand /hand/ | Hand /hand/ | Hand /hand/ | Hand /hant/ | האַנט /hant/ |
| Heart | Hërz /hɛrts/ | Härz /hærts/ | Härz /hærts/ | Herz /hɛrts/ | Herz /hɛɐts/ | Herz /hɛrts/ | האַרץ /harts/ |
| Love | Liebi /liə̯bi/ | Liebi /liə̯bi/ | Liebi /ˈliə̯bi/ | Liebe /liːbə/ | Liab /liə̯b/ | Liebe /ˈliːbə/ | ליבע /libə/ |
| Tree | Boum /boʊm/ | Baum /baʊ̯m/ | Boum /bɔʊ̯m/ | Bauma /baʊmaː/ | Baum /baum/ | Baum /baʊm/ | בוים /bɔɪm/ |
| House | Hus /huːs/ | Huus /huːs/ | Hus /huːs/ | Haus /haʊs/ | Hous /haus/ | Haus /haʊs/ | הויז /hɔɪz/ |
| Dog | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnd/ | Hung /hʊŋk/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hond /hond/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | הונט /hunt/ |
| Cat | Chatz /xats/ | Chatz /xats/ | Chatza /ˈxatsa/ | Katz /kats/ | Katz /kats/ | Katze /ˈkɑtːsə/ | קאַץ /kats/ |
| Eat | ässe /æsə/ | ässe /æsə/ | ässu /ˈæsːʊ/ | esse /ɛsə/ | essa /ɛsə/ | essen /ˈɛsn̩/ | עסן /ɛsn/ |
| Drink | trinke /trɪŋkə/ | trinke /trɪŋkə/ | trichu /ˈtrɪxʊ/ | trinke /trɪŋkə/ | drengga /dɾɛŋɡə/ | trinken /ˈtrɪŋkn̩/ | טרינקען /trɪŋkən/ |
| One | eins /æɪ̯ns/ | eis /æɪ̯s/ | eis /æɪ̯s/ | ans /ans/ | oine /ɔinə/ | eins /aɪ̯ns/ | איינס /eɪns/ |
| Two | zwei /tsʋei/ | zwöi /tsʋøi/ | zwei /tsvɛi/ | zwaa /tsvaː/ | zwoi /tsvoɪ̯/ | zwei /tsvai/ | צוויי /tsvej/ |
| Hello | Grüössi /ɡryə̯sːi/ | Grüezi /ɡryə̯tsi/ | Tagwol /ˈtaɡʋol/ | Grüß Gott /ɡrʏs ɡɔt/ | Grüß Gott /ɡryːs ɡɔt/ | Hallo /haˈloː/ | שלום־עליכם /ʃoləm aleɪxəm/ |
| Thank you | Vergelts Gott /fɛrɡɛlts ɡɔt/ | Merci /mɛrsi/ | Vergälts Gott /ferˈɡæltsɡot/ | Vergelt's Gott /fɛɐɡɛlts ɡɔt/ | Danggschee /daŋkʃeː/ | danke /ˈdaŋkə/ | אַ דאַנק /a daŋk/ |
| Good | guet /ɡuə̯t/ | guet /ɡuə̯t/ | güet /ɡyə̯t/ | guad /ɡuə̯d/ | guad /ɡuə̯d/ | gut /ɡuːt/ | גוט /ɡut/ |
| Cuckoo | Gugger /ˈɡʊɡər/ | Gugger /ˈɡʊɡər/ | Gugger /ˈɡʊɡər/ | Gutzgauch /ˈɡʊtsɡaʊx/ | Guckguck /ˈɡʊkɡʊk/ | Kuckuck /ˈkʊkʊk/ | קוקאווקע /kuˈkavkə/ |
| Computer | Computer /komˈpjuːtər/ | Computer /komˈpjuːtər/ | Computer /komˈpjuːtər/ | Computer /kɔmˈpjuːdɐ/ | — | Computer /komˈpjuːtər/ | קאָמפּיוטער /kɔmˈpjutɛr/ |
| Sushi | Sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | Sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | Sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | Sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | — | Sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | סושי /ˈsuʃi/ |
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