südtirolerisch – the south tyrol dialect cont.

south tirol counts more than 40 dialects, all belonging to southern bavarian idioms.

these dialects may strongly vary from a valley or a mountainside to another one, and in the course of the 20th century italian expressions have crept progressively into the vocabulary, making of south tyrolean a multicoloured togetherness and coexistence of austro-german and italian culture.

a pleasure – and a challenge – linguistically as well as culturally. here another picking of words.

• augngleser = brille (glasses)
• beck = bäcker (baker)
• bloam = blume (flower)
• casino = durcheinander, zirkus (mess)
• dai = los!, weiter!, erzähl mir nichts (go!, come on)
• fertig (die sind fertig) = alle, ausverkauft (over, sold-out)
• guat = gut (good) (hoi, ins geats guat!)
• kassa = bank, kasse (bank, checkout)
• keschtn = kastanien (chestnut)
• ma dai = echt, wirklich? (really?)
• marillen = aprikose (apricot)
• paktl = geschenkpaket (gift-wrapping)
• patent = führerschein (driving licence)
• radel = fahrrad (bike)
• roafen = reifen (wheel)
• säckele, täschele = plastik-, papier-tragetasche (paper/plastic bag)
• schlutzer = schlutzkrapfen, maultaschen (ravioli tirolesi, mezzelune)
• stiege = treppe (stairs)
• stitze = beine (leg)
• zusperren = ein geschäft, einen (kino-, konzert-)saal schließen (to close)

folks cultivate their sense of belonging not only by speaking but also by writing sms in dialect – cryptic messages in the eyes of those-like-me who don't master this art!

early winter cold this year. brr. freezing.