This is a question you've probably asked yourself many times if you're not a dialect speaker.
Let's start by putting things into context, by shedding some light on the beautiful language of Alsatian.
What is Alsatian?
Alsatian is the name given to the traditional Germanic languages of Alsace. It is a regional language that qualifies as a "dialect" in the sense that its grammar has not been codified. Standard German is the language used to transcribe it today. However, all these "dialects" have a common linguistic origin that predates that of Standard German.
Alsatian therefore has the same origins as German, and is one of the Germanic dialects.
Alsatian belongs to the High German language family, a group of Germanic dialects spoken mainly in southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
As you can see, there's no such thing as standard Alsatian, but several variants, including 2 main ones: Upper Rhine and Lower Rhine. There is no spelling code for written Alsatian, and pronunciation can vary, even between two neighboring villages.
Last but not least, Alsatian is now spoken by around 800,000 people, making it the second most widely spoken regional language in mainland France (behind Occitan)!
Main differences between Alsatian and German
- Pronunciation differences between Alsatian and German
It's important to note that Alsatian is not a unified language, so there are pronunciation differences within it (mainly between Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin and Sundgau).
Here are some notable pronunciation differences with German:
The Alsatian "a" is pronounced like a French "o". It is pronounced like an "a" in German.
The Alsatian "e" is pronounced like a French "é" or "ê". It is pronounced like a German "eu".
The Alsatian "b" is pronounced like the French "b" and "p". It is pronounced like a German "b".
- Vocabulary differences
Alsatian is a Germanic language, so it has a large majority of German vocabulary.
Even if the base is the same, many words have evolved differently on the other side of the Rhine. Here are just a few examples:
Alsatian / German / French
Mege / mögen / Love or appreciate
Miesse / müssen / Duty
Welle / wollen /Vouloir
S 'Hüs / das Haus / La maison
Der Rhi / der Rhein / Le Rhin
s'Làwe / das Leben / la vie
s'Fiewer / das Fieber / la fièvre
Der Wi / der Wein / Le vin
Gsàh / sehen / See
S'Stork / Der Storch / La cigogne
You'll notice that similarities can be found in many situations. For example, the German infinitive "en" becomes an "e" in Alsatian. Similarly, the German "ein" becomes an "i" in Alsatian. And the German "b" between two vowels becomes a "w" in Alsatian.
You can even use German to form your own Alsatian words!
- Alsatian personal pronouns
Alsatian personal pronouns have two distinctive forms: an accented (tonic) form and an unaccented (atonic) form. The atonic form is the most commonly used. Here are the details:
French / Tonic form / Atonic form
je / ich / i
tu / dü / de
he / er / 'r
elle / sie, si / se
that / es / 's
we / sea / mr
you / ehr / 're
ils / sie, si / se
elles / sie, si / se
- Auxiliaries in Alsatian
Unlike German, which has only 3, Alsatian has 4 auxiliaries for conjugating verbs in different tenses and modes:
se or senn, equivalent to German sein (to be)
ha, equivalent to German haben (to have)
wàre, equivalent to German werden (to become)
düe, equivalent to the German machen (to do). The latter does not exist in German as an auxiliary.
Examples of the use of auxiliaries as verbs :
"Ich bin e Mann" I am a man
"Se esch e Fraj" is a woman
Examples of auxiliary applications :
"Er düet si Wage fahre" he is driving his car (present progressive)
"Se hat e nejer Hund bikumme" she got a new dog (past tense)
- Alsatian modal verbs
Unlike German, which has 7 modal verbs (savoir, vouloir, devoir, etc.), Alsatian has 8. Indeed, the verb to dare (droje) is considered a modal in Alsatian.
The progressive present
Another striking difference between Alsatian and German is the use of a progressive present tense. Whereas in German we would use the present simple to express the fact of being in the process of carrying out an action, in Alsatian we use the auxiliary düe (to do) - conjugated auxiliary düe + infinitive verb).
Ex : He is driving his car
German: Er fährt sein Auto
Alsacien: Er düet si Wage fahre
This form can also be used to form the present simple. You only need to know the conjugation of düe?
Why the differences between Alsatian and German?
Alsatian has evolved differently from German due to the fact that it has been part of France since the 17th century. Alsatian thus borrowed from French, while preserving certain archaisms that evolved into standard German. Alsatian was also enriched by the Yiddish brought by Jewish populations from Eastern Europe. The proximity of the two languages can also be explained by the fact that the Alsace region has changed nationality several times. If you have Alsatian grandparents, ask them how many times the language of instruction at school has changed. The answer should be around 4.
Here's a quick summary of the main differences between Alsatian and German. Although both languages have the same origin, Standard German and Alsatian dialects have evolved differently over the centuries. Nevertheless, the two languages remain relatively close, especially in terms of vocabulary and grammar.
If you already speak Alsatian, your learning of German will be all the easier (even if you'll have to get rid of some Alsatian habits).
This article was originally published on http://www.deutschsprachschuleortenau.eu/
Link to article: http://www.deutschsprachschuleortenau.eu/blog/differences-alsacien-allemand.html
