Recently, I met a woman from Switzerland. We talked about the different regional dialects of German and Swiss German. Among other things, she gave me some examples in order to realize how differently Swiss people talk. Of course, I do not want to withhold my newly acquired knowledge about Swiss German.<\/p>\n
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Cake \u2013 der Kuchen<\/strong><\/p>\n Swiss people have, at least, eleven different words for \u201ccake\u201d, which is Kuchen<\/em><\/strong> in standard German. Although, I neither speak nor understand Swiss German there are, nevertheless, some terms I could have guessed. These are:<\/p>\n Tuurte<\/p>\n Taatere<\/p>\n Ch\u00fceche<\/p>\n Chueche<\/p>\n Flaade<\/p>\n Tuurte<\/em> and Taatere<\/em> remind me of the standard German word (die) Torte<\/em>, which is \u201ccake\u201d in English or \u201cpie\u201d. The Swiss German term Flaade reminds me of the High German word (der) Fladen<\/em>. A Fladen<\/em> can be a round flat cake or a round flat bread.<\/p>\n When a Swiss person would have used one of the following words I had not understood anything.<\/p>\n Patsch<\/p>\n T\u00fcnne<\/p>\n Pitte<\/p>\n T\u00fcnnele<\/p>\n W\u00e4\u00e4je<\/p>\n T\u00fclle<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Kiss \u2013 der Kuss<\/strong><\/p>\n The standard German word for \u201ckiss\u201d is Kuss<\/em>. Some Swiss people use this expression, too, but other would prefer other ones. The terms Chuss<\/em> and Ch\u00fcssli<\/em> are close to Kuss<\/em> and I had probably understood a Swiss German speaker using this expression before I had come familiar with these terms. I would also have understood the term (der)<\/em> Schmatz<\/em> because this is also a word in standard German. It means \u201csmacker\u201d, \u201csmacking kiss\u201d or \u201csmack (of a kiss)\u201d in English.<\/p>\n The term Schmutz<\/em> confuses me a little bit because in High German (der)<\/em> Schmutz<\/em> means \u201cdirt\u201d. Last but not least, I\u2019m drawing a blank on the other terms because I cannot draw a parallel between those ones and any standard German words.<\/p>\n Kuss<\/p>\n Chuss<\/p>\n Ch\u00fcssli<\/p>\n Schmatz<\/p>\n Schmutz<\/p>\n Muntsi<\/p>\n M\u00fcntsi<\/p>\n Muntschi<\/p>\n Schm\u00fctzeli<\/p>\n M\u00fcntschi<\/p>\n Tr\u00fc\u00fctli<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Core \u2013 das Kerngeh\u00e4use<\/strong><\/p>\n What is left when you nibble off an apple? Ask this question a native German and you would probably receive different answers. The High German word for an apple\u2019s interior is Kerngeh\u00e4use<\/em> (core) but I don\u2019t think that any German would use this term, at least, I would not. I think most Germans would opt for a regional variety. For examples, I would call the core of an apple Griepsch<\/em>, like maybe most people form Berlin and Brandenburg. I am also familiar with the term Butze<\/em> but unfortunately, I have forgotten in which region of Germany this term is used. And how do Swiss people call the interior of an apple? Here are the answers:<\/strong><\/p>\n Ch\u00e4schi<\/p>\n \u00dc\u00fcrbi<\/p>\n Butze<\/p>\n Bitzgi<\/p>\n G\u00fcegi<\/p>\n Bixi<\/p>\n Gr\u00f6ibschi<\/p>\n B\u00fctschgi<\/p>\n Gigetschi<\/p>\n B\u00e4tzi<\/p>\n G\u00fcrbschi<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Crust \u2013 der Brotkanten<\/strong><\/p>\n Bread is one of THE German foodstuffs. And there is something special about fresh bread from the bakery, at least for me. When I buy a whole loaf of bread I usually cut off the crust, spread it with butter, besprinkle it with some salt, and then eat it with relish. The High German word for my beloved crust is Brotkanten<\/em> but in everyday communication I only say Kanten<\/em> (edge). And here are the terms Swiss people use in their everyday discourse.<\/p>\n Brotd\u00fcnkli<\/p>\n H\u00e4uli<\/p>\n G\u00fcpf<\/p>\n Ag\u00f6\u00e4li<\/p>\n B\u00f6deli<\/p>\n Chropf<\/p>\n M\u00fcrggu<\/p>\n M\u00f6tschu<\/p>\n Putti<\/p>\n Ah\u00e4uli<\/p>\n Muger<\/p>\n Aagoal<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Recently, I met a woman from Switzerland. We talked about the different regional dialects of German and Swiss German. Among other things, she gave me some examples in order to realize how differently Swiss people talk. Of course, I do not want to withhold my newly acquired knowledge about Swiss German. Cake \u2013 der…<\/p>\n