View source for Swiss German

{{short description|Alemannic dialects spoken in Switzerland}}
{{About|the closely related languages that are mainly spoken in German-speaking Switzerland|the Swiss variety of written Standard German|Swiss Standard German}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2007}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2014}}
{{Infobox language
|name=Swiss German
|nativename= ''Schwiizerdütsch''
|pronunciation={{IPA|gsw|ˈʃʋitsərˌd̥ytʃ|}}
|states= Switzerland (as ''German''), [[Liechtenstein]], [[Vorarlberg]] (Austria), [[Piedmont]] & [[Aosta Valley]] (Italy)
|region=
|speakers={{#expr: 8.2*0.601 round 2}} million in Switzerland
|ref=<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/01/05/blank/key/sprachen.html |type=official site |title=Sprachen, Religionen – Daten, Indikatoren: Sprachen – Üblicherweise zu Hause gesprochene Sprachen |trans-title=Languages, Religions - Data, Indicators: Languages - Languages commonly spoken at home |date=2015 |publisher=Swiss Federal Statistical Office |location=Neuchâtel, Switzerland |language=de, fr, it |quote=Zu Hause oder mit den Angehörigen sprechen 60,1% der betrachteten Bevölkerung hauptsächlich Schweizerdeutsch |trans-quote=At home or with relatives, 60.1% of the population considered mainly speak Swiss German |access-date=2016-01-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160114180444/http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/01/05/blank/key/sprachen.html |archive-date=14 January 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
|date=2013
|speakers2=Unknown number in Germany and Austria
|familycolor=Indo-European
|fam2=[[Germanic languages|Germanic]]
|fam3=[[West Germanic languages|West Germanic]]
|fam4=[[Elbe Germanic]]
|fam5=[[High German languages|High German]]
|fam6=[[Upper German]]
|fam7=[[Alemannic German|Alemannic]]
|iso2=gsw
|iso3=gsw
|iso3comment=(with [[Alsatian dialect|Alsatian]])
|ietf = {{Wikidata|property|references|P305}}
|lingua=52-ACB-f (45 varieties: 52-ACB-faa to -fkb)
|glotto=swis1247
|glottorefname=Central Alemannic
|glotto2=wals1238
|glottorefname2=Walser
|notice=IPA
|map=Lang Status 80-VU.svg
|mapcaption = {{center|{{small|Swiss German is classified as Potentially Vulnerable by the UNESCO ''[[Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger]]''<ref>{{cite web | url=https://en.wal.unesco.org/languages/central-alemannic | title=Central Alemannic &#124; UNESCO WAL | access-date=4 February 2023 | archive-date=29 January 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129223336/https://en.wal.unesco.org/languages/central-alemannic | url-status=live }}</ref>}}}}
}}
'''Swiss German''' ([[Standard German]]: {{lang|de|Schweizerdeutsch}}, {{langx|gsw|Schwiizerdütsch, Schwyzerdütsch, Schwiizertüütsch, Schwizertitsch Mundart}},<ref group=note>Because of the many different dialects, and because there is no [[#Conventions|defined orthography]] for any of them, many different spellings can be found.</ref> and others; {{langx|rm|tudestg svizzer}}) is any of the [[Alemannic German|Alemannic]] dialects spoken in the [[German-speaking Switzerland|German-speaking part]] of [[Switzerland]], and in some [[Alps|Alpine]] communities in [[Northern Italy]] bordering Switzerland. Occasionally, the Alemannic dialects spoken in other countries are grouped together with Swiss German as well, especially the dialects of [[Liechtenstein]] and Austrian [[Vorarlberg]], which are closely associated to Switzerland's.<ref name="AsherMoseley2018">{{cite book|author1=R.E. Asher|author2=Christopher Moseley|title=Atlas of the World's Languages|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R0xWDwAAQBAJ&pg=PR309|date=19 April 2018|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-317-85108-0|pages=309–|access-date=7 September 2020|archive-date=14 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814213105/https://books.google.com/books?id=R0xWDwAAQBAJ&pg=PR309|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="GorterMarten2011">{{cite book|author1=D. Gorter|author2=H. F. Marten|author3=L. Van Mensel|title=Minority Languages in the Linguistic Landscape|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s3Lvycoqtt0C&pg=PT161|date=13 December 2011|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK|isbn=978-0-230-36023-5|pages=161–|access-date=7 September 2020|archive-date=20 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230520095230/https://books.google.com/books?id=s3Lvycoqtt0C&pg=PT161|url-status=live}}</ref>

Linguistically, Alemannic is divided into [[Low Alemannic German|Low]], [[High Alemannic German|High]] and [[Highest Alemannic German|Highest Alemannic]], varieties all of which are spoken both inside and outside Switzerland. The only exception within German-speaking Switzerland is the municipality of [[Samnaun]], where a [[Bavarian language|Bavarian dialect]] is spoken. The reason Swiss German dialects constitute a special group is their almost unrestricted use as a spoken language in practically all situations of daily life, whereas the use of the Alemannic dialects in other countries is restricted or even endangered.<ref>{{cite web  |url= https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/alem1243  |title= Family: Alemannic  |publisher= Glottolog  |access-date= September 7, 2020  |archive-date= 11 August 2020  |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200811213511/https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/alem1243  |url-status= live  }}</ref>

The dialects that comprise Swiss German must not be confused with [[Swiss Standard German]], the variety of [[Standard German]] used in Switzerland. Swiss Standard German is fully intelligible to all speakers of Standard German, and is one of three major standards of German today.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dollinger |first=Stefan |date=2021 |title=Österreichisches Deutsch oder Deutsch in Österreich? {{!}} NID - NetInteractive Documents |url=https://www.nid-library.com/Home/ViewBook/512/49/view |access-date=2025-03-26 |website= |page=Abb. 2.2 |quote=Abbildung 2.2 zeigt die Konzeption der Sprache "Deutsch" mit drei Standards, drei Arten von Hochdeutsch: Österreichisches Standarddeutsch, Schweizer Standarddeutsch und Deutsches Standarddeutsch, die die Spitzen der Pyramiden ausmachen.}}</ref> While Swiss Standard German is internationally easily intelligible, many people in Germany – especially in the north – do not understand non-standard Swiss German.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tensha |date=2020-11-04 |title=Verstehen Deutsche wirklich Schweizerdeutsch? {{!}} Auswanderluchs |url=https://auswanderluchs.ch/verstehen-deutsche-wirklich-schweizerdeutsch/ |access-date=2025-03-26 |language=de}}</ref> An interview with a Swiss German speaker, when shown on television in Germany, generally requires subtitles.<ref name=3sat>{{cite web |url=http://www.3sat.de/page/?source=/sfdrs/176772/index.html |title=10vor10 – Nachrichtenmagazin von Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen |publisher=3sat – ZDF ORF SRG ARD, the television channel collectively produced by four channels from three countries |language=de |quote=Swiss German talks and interviews on the daily night news show 10vor10 by the major German Swiss channel SRF1 is consistently subtitled in German on 3sat |access-date=2015-09-18 |archive-date=27 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927101545/http://www.3sat.de/page/?source=/sfdrs/176772/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Although Swiss German is the native language in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, Swiss school students are taught Swiss Standard German from the age of six. They are thus capable of understanding, writing and speaking Standard German, with varying abilities.

==Use==
Unlike most regional languages in modern Europe, Swiss German is the everyday spoken language for the majority of the population, in all social strata, from urban centers to the countryside. Using Swiss German conveys neither social nor educational inferiority and is done with pride.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thuleen |first=Nancy |date=1991-12-20 |title=An Examination of Swiss German in and around Zürich |url=http://www.nthuleen.com/papers/130paper2.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060514124652id_/http://www.nthuleen.com/papers/130paper2.html |archive-date=2006-05-14 |access-date=2004-07-10 |website=Nancy Thuleen}}</ref>  There are a few settings where speaking Standard German is demanded or polite, e.g., in education (but not during breaks in school lessons, where the teachers will speak with students in Swiss German), in multilingual parliaments (the federal parliaments and a few cantonal and municipal ones), in the main news broadcast or in the presence of non-[[Alemannic German|Alemannic]] speakers.<ref>Schmidlin, Regula. 2011. Die Vielfalt des Deutschen: Standard und Variation: Gebrauch, Einschätzung und Kodifizierung einer plurizentrischen Sprache. Berlin: de Gruyter, p. 102. "[Die] Funktionsbreite der Standardsprache in der Schweiz viel schmaler ist als in den anderen deutschsprachigen Gebieten."</ref> This situation has been called a "medial [[diglossia]]", since the [[spoken language]] is mainly Swiss German, whereas the [[written language]] is mainly [[Swiss Standard German|(the Swiss variety of) Standard German]].<ref>{{Citation |last=Werlen |first=Iwar |title=Die Konstruktion der Deutschschweizer Diglossie in der Schule |date=2001-01-25 |work=Sprachkontakt, Sprachvergleich, Sprachvariation |pages=415–436 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/9783110917437.415 |access-date=2024-02-16 |publisher=DE GRUYTER |doi=10.1515/9783110917437.415 |isbn=978-3-484-73055-7|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

In 2014, about 87% of the people living in the German-speaking portion of Switzerland were using Swiss German in their everyday lives.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/kataloge-datenbanken/publikationen.assetdetail.3543997.html|title=Schweizerdeutsch und Hochdeutsch in der Schweiz - Analyse von Daten aus der Erhebung zur Sprache, Religion und Kultur 2014 {{!}} Publikation|last=Statistik|first=Bundesamt für|work=Bundesamt für Statistik|access-date=2018-12-01|language=de|archive-date=2 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191102183319/https://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/de/home/statistiken/kataloge-datenbanken/publikationen.assetdetail.3543997.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Swiss German is intelligible to speakers of other [[Alemannic German|Alemannic]] dialects, but largely unintelligible to speakers of Standard German who lack adequate prior exposure. This is also a challenge for French- or Italian-speaking Swiss who learn Standard German at school. In the rare cases that Swiss German is heard on TV in Germany and Austria, the speaker is most likely to be dubbed or subtitled. More commonly, a Swiss speaker will speak Standard German on non-Swiss media.

"Dialect rock" is a music genre using the language;<ref>{{cite web	| url = https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/culture/swiss-pop-rock-anthology-mundart-swiss-dialect-rock-vol-5/121968	| title = Swiss Pop & Rock Anthology – MUNDART-SWISS DIALECT ROCK (Vol. 5)	| date = 30 December 2002	| website = Swiss Info	| access-date = 7 March 2024	| archive-date = 27 April 2024	| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240427092224/https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/culture/swiss-pop-rock-anthology-mundart-swiss-dialect-rock-vol-5/121968	| url-status = live	}}</ref> many [[Swiss rock]] bands, however, sing in English instead.

The [[Swiss Amish]] of [[Adams County, Indiana]], and their daughter settlements also use a form of Swiss German.<ref>{{cite journal | jstor=30028275 | last1=Thompson | first1=Chad | title=The Languages of the Amish of Allen County, Indiana: Multilingualism and Convergence | journal=Anthropological Linguistics | publisher=Spring | year=1994 | volume=36 | issue=1 | pages=69–91 }}</ref>

==Variation and distribution==
Swiss German is a regional or political [[umbrella term]], not a linguistic unity. For all Swiss-German dialects, there are idioms spoken outside Switzerland that are more closely related to them than to some other Swiss-German dialects. The main linguistic divisions within Swiss German are those of [[Low Alemannic German|Low]], [[High Alemannic German|High]] and [[Highest Alemannic German|Highest]] Alemannic, and mutual intelligibility across those groups is almost fully seamless, despite some differences in vocabulary. Low Alemannic is only spoken in the northernmost parts of Switzerland, in [[Basel]] and around [[Lake Constance]]. High Alemannic is spoken in most of the [[Swiss Plateau]], and is divided into an eastern and a western group. Highest Alemannic is spoken in the [[Swiss Alps|Alps]].

[[File:Swiss languages 1.png|thumb|Language distribution in Switzerland
----
{{legend|#c6f|[[Swiss French|French]] ([[Romandy]])}}
{{legend|#ff6|[[Swiss Standard German|German]]}}
{{legend|#8f4|[[Swiss Italian|Italian]]}}
{{legend|#f66|[[Romansh language|Romansh]]}}]]

*[[Low Alemannic German|Low Alemannic]]:
**[[Basel German]] in [[Basel-Stadt]] (BS), closely related to [[Alsatian language|Alsatian]]
*[[High Alemannic]]:
**Western:
***[[Bernese German]], in the [[Swiss Plateau]] parts of [[Canton of Bern|Bern]] (BE)
***Dialects of [[Basel-Landschaft]] (BL)
***Dialects of [[Canton of Solothurn|Solothurn]] (SO)
***Dialects of the western part of [[Aargau]] (AG)
**In a middle position between eastern and western:
***Dialects in the eastern part of [[Aargau]] (AG)
***Dialects of [[Canton of Lucerne|Lucerne]] (LU)
***Dialects of [[Canton of Zug|Zug]] (ZG)
***[[Zürich German]], in [[Canton of Zürich|Zürich]] (ZH)
**Eastern:
***Dialects of [[Canton of St. Gallen|St. Gallen]] (SG)
***Dialects of [[Appenzell]] (AR & AI)
***{{anchor|Thurgovian}}Dialects of [[Thurgau]] (TG)
***Dialects of [[Canton of Schaffhausen|Schaffhausen]] (SH)
***Dialects in parts of [[Graubünden]] (GR)
*[[Highest Alemannic]]:
**Dialects in parts of [[Canton of Fribourg]] (FR)
**Dialects of the [[Bernese Oberland]] (BE)
**Dialects of [[Unterwalden]] (OW & NW) and [[Canton of Uri|Uri]] (UR)
**Dialects of [[Canton of Schwyz|Schwyz]] (SZ)
**Dialects of [[Canton of Glarus|Glarus]] (GL)
**[[Walliser German]] in parts of the [[Canton of Valais|Valais]] (VS)
**[[Walser German]]: due to the medieval migration of the [[Walser]], Highest Alemannic spread to pockets of what are now parts of northern Italy (Piedmont), the north-west of [[Ticino]] (TI), parts of [[Graubünden]] (GR), [[Liechtenstein]] and [[Vorarlberg]].

One can separate each dialect into numerous local subdialects, sometimes down to a resolution of individual villages. Speaking the dialect is an important part of regional, [[cantonal]] and national identities. In the more urban areas of the [[Swiss plateau]], regional differences are fading due to increasing mobility and to a growing population of non-Alemannic background. Despite the varied dialects, the Swiss can still understand one another, but may particularly have trouble understanding [[Walser German|Walliser]] dialects.

==History==
Most Swiss German dialects have completed the [[High German consonant shift]]; exceptions are all ''Highest Alemanic'' dialects. Unlike [[Standard German]], which has only shifted ''t'' to {{IPA|[t͡s]}} or {{IPA|[s]}} and ''p'' to {{IPA|[p͡f]}} or {{IPA|[f]}}, they have also shifted ''k'' to {{IPA|[k͡x]}} or {{IPA|[x]}}; the dialects of [[Chur]] and [[Basel]] are exceptions to this particular difference. Basel German is a ''Low Alemannic'' dialect (mostly spoken in Germany near the Swiss border), and Chur German is basically ''High Alemannic'' without initial {{IPA|[x]}} or {{IPA|[k͡x]}}.

Examples:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! High Alemannic
! Low Alemannic
! Standard German
! Spelling
! Translation
|-
| {{IPA|/ˈxaʃtə/}}
| {{IPA|/ˈkʰaʃtə/}}
| {{IPA|/ˈkʰastn̩/}}
| 'Kasten'
| 'box'
|-
| {{IPA|/k͡xaˈri(ː)b̥ik͡x/}}
| {{IPA|/kʰaˈriːbikʰ/}}
| {{IPA|/kʰaˈʁiːbɪk/}}
| 'Karibik'
| 'Caribbean'
|}

The High German consonant shift occurred between the 4th and 9th centuries south of the [[Benrath line]], separating High German from Low German (where ''high'' refers to areas of greater altitude). It combines [[Upper German]] and [[Central German]] varieties - also referring to their geographical locations.

The [[Walser]] migration, which took place in the 12th and 13th centuries, spread varieties from upper [[Valais]] to the east and south, into [[Grisons]] and to modern western Austria and northern Italy. Informally, a distinction is made between the German-speaking people living in Valais, the ''Walliser'', and those who have migrated, the ''[[Walser]]s''. The latter can mainly be found in Grisons and [[Ticino]] in Switzerland, [[Vorarlberg]] in Austria, south of the [[Monte Rosa]] mountain chain in Italy (e.g. in [[Issime]] in [[Aosta Valley|Valle d'Aosta]]), [[South Tyrol]] in northern Italy, and the [[Allgäu]] in Bavaria).

Generally, the Walser communities were situated on higher alpine regions, so were able to stay independent of the ruling forces of those days, who did not or were not able to oversee them all the time in these hostile environments. Hence the Walsers were pioneers of the liberation from [[serfdom]] and [[feudalism]]. In addition, Walser villages are easily distinguishable from Grisonian ones, as Walser houses are made of wood rather than stone.

==Phonology==
===Consonants===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Bernese German consonant system
! &nbsp;
![[Labial consonant|Labial]]
![[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
![[Postalveolar consonant|Postalveolar]]
![[Velar consonant|Velar]]
![[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-align=center
![[Nasal stop|Nasal]]
| {{IPA link|m}} – {{IPA link|ː|mː}}
| {{IPA link|n}} – {{IPA link|ː|nː}}
| &nbsp;
| {{IPA link|ŋ}}
| &nbsp;
|-
|-align=center
![[Stop consonant|Stop]]
| {{IPA link|p|b̥}} – {{IPA link|p}}
| {{IPA link|t|d̥}} – {{IPA link|t}}
| &nbsp;
| {{IPA link|k|ɡ̊}} – {{IPA link|k}}
| &nbsp;
|-align=center
![[Affricate consonant|Affricate]]
| {{IPA link|p͡f}}
| {{IPA link|t͡s}}
| {{IPA link|t͡ʃ}}
| {{IPA link|k͡x}}
| &nbsp;
|-align=center
![[Fricative consonant|Fricative]]
| {{IPA link|f|v̥}} – {{IPA link|f}}
| {{IPA link|s|z̥}} – {{IPA link|s}}
| {{IPA link|ʃ|ʒ̊}} – {{IPA link|ʃ}}
| {{IPA link|x|ɣ̊}} – {{IPA link|x}}
| {{IPA link|h}}
|-align=center
![[Approximant]]
| {{IPA link|ʋ}}
| {{IPA link|l}} – {{IPA link|ː|lː}}
| {{IPA link|j}}
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
|-align=center
![[Rhotic consonant|Rhotic]]
| &nbsp;
| {{IPA|r}}
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
|}

Like most other Southern German dialects, Swiss German dialects have no voiced [[obstruent]]s. The voiceless lenis obstruents are often marked with the IPA diacritic for voicelessness as {{IPA|/b̥ d̥ ɡ̊ v̥ z̥ ɣ̊ ʒ̊/}}.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Fleischer|Schmid|2006|p=245}}</ref> Swiss German {{IPA|/p, t, k/}} are not aspirated. Nonetheless, there is an opposition of consonant pairs such as {{IPA|[t]}} and {{IPA|[d]}} or {{IPA|[p]}} and {{IPA|[b]}}. Traditionally, it has been described as a distinction of [[fortis and lenis]] in the original sense, that is, distinguished by articulatory strength or [[tenseness]].<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Fleischer|Schmid|2006|p=244s.}}</ref> Alternatively, it has been claimed to be a distinction of quantity.<ref>Astrid Krähenmann: Quantity and prosodic asymmetries in Alemannic. Synchronic and diachronic perspectives. de Gruyter, Berlin 2003. {{ISBN|3-11-017680-7}}</ref>

Aspirated {{IPA|[pʰ, tʰ, kʰ]}} have secondarily developed by combinations of prefixes with word-initial {{IPA|/h/}} or by borrowings from other languages (mainly Standard German): {{IPA|/ˈphaltə/}} 'keep' (standard German {{Lang|de|behalten}} {{IPA|[bəˈhaltn̩]}}); {{IPA|/ˈtheː/}} 'tea' (standard German {{Lang|de|Tee}} {{IPA|[ˈtʰeː]}}); {{IPA|/ˈkhalt/}} 'salary' (standard German {{Lang|de|Gehalt}} {{IPA|[ɡəˈhalt]}}). In the dialects of Basel and Chur, aspirated {{IPA|/kʰ/}} is also present in native words, corresponding to the affricate {{IPA|/kx/}} of the other dialects, which does not occur in Basel or Chur.

Swiss German keeps the fortis–lenis opposition at the end of words. There can be minimal pairs such as {{Lang|gsw|graad}} {{IPA|[ɡ̊raːd̥]}} 'straight' and {{Lang|gsw|Graat}} {{IPA|[ɡ̊raːt]}} '[[arête]]' or ''bis'' {{IPA|[b̥ɪz̥]}} 'be ([[Imperative mood|imp.]])' and {{Lang|gsw|Biss}} {{IPA|[b̥ɪs]}} 'bite'. That distinguishes Swiss German and [[Swiss Standard German]] from [[German Standard German]], which [[neutralization (linguistics)|neutralizes]] the fortis–lenis opposition at the ends of words. The phenomenon is usually called [[final-obstruent devoicing]] even though, in the case of German, [[voice (phonetics)|phonetic voice]] may not be involved.

Unlike Standard German, Swiss German {{IPA|/x/}} does not have the allophone {{IPA|[ç]}} but is typically {{IPA|[x]}}, with allophones {{IPA|[ʁ̥ – χ]}}. The typical Swiss [[shibboleth]] features this sound: {{Lang|gsw|Chuchichäschtli}} ('kitchen cupboard'), pronounced {{IPA|[ˈχuχːiˌχæʃtli]}}.

Most Swiss German dialects have gone through the Alemannic ''n''-[[apocope]], which has led to the loss of final ''-n'' in words such as {{Lang|gsw|Garte}} 'garden' (standard German {{Lang|de|Garten}}) or {{Lang|gsw|mache}} 'to make' (standard German {{Lang|de|machen}}). In some Highest Alemannic dialects, the ''n''-apocope has also been effective in consonant clusters, for instance in {{Lang|gsw|Hore}} 'horn' (High Alemannic {{Lang|gsw|Horn}}) or {{Lang|gsw|däiche}} 'to think' (High Alemannic {{Lang|gsw|dänke}}). Only the Highest Alemannic dialects of the [[Lötschental]] and of the [[Haslital]] have preserved the -''n''.

The [[phoneme]] {{IPA|/r/}} is pronounced as an [[alveolar trill]] {{IPA|[r]}} in many dialects, but some dialects, especially in the Northeast or in the [[Basel]] region, have a [[uvular trill]] {{IPA|[ʀ]}}, and other allophones resulting in fricatives and an approximant as [{{IPA|ʁ ʁ̥ ʁ̞}}] like in many German varieties of Germany.

In many varieties of Bernese German and adjacent dialects, an {{IPA|/l/}} at the [[syllable coda]] and intervocalic {{IPA|/lː/}} are pronounced as a {{IPA|[w]}} or {{IPA|[wː]}} respectively.

A [[labiodental approximant]] {{IPA|[ʋ]}} is used instead of the Northern Standard German fricative {{IPA|[v]}} as the reflex of Middle High German {{IPA|/w/}}. In Walser German, the fricative is used instead.<ref>{{Cite book|title=High Alemmanic|last=Russ|first=Charles V. J.|publisher=Routledge|year=1990|location=The Dialects of Modern German: a Linguistic Survey|pages=364–393}}</ref>

===Vowels===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Zürich & Bernese dialect vowel system
! rowspan="2" |
! colspan="2" | [[Front vowel|Front]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Central vowel|Central]]
! rowspan="2" |[[Back vowel|Back]]
|- class="small"
! [[Roundedness|<small>unrounded</small>]]
! [[Roundedness|<small>rounded</small>]]
|-
! [[Close vowel|Close]]
|{{IPA link|i}}
|{{IPA link|y}}
| 
|{{IPA link|u}}
|-
![[Near-close vowel|Near-close]]
|{{IPA link|ɪ}}
|{{IPA link|ʏ}}
|
|{{IPA link|ʊ}}
|-
! [[Close-mid vowel|Close-mid]]
| {{IPA link|e}}
|{{IPA link|ø}}
|{{IPA link|ə}}
|{{IPA link|o}}
|-
! [[Open-mid vowel|Open-mid]]
| {{IPA link|ɛ}}
|{{IPA link|œ}}
|
|{{IPA link|ɔ}}
|-
! [[Open vowel|Open]]
|{{IPA link|æ}}
| 
|({{IPA link|a}})
|{{IPA link|ɒ}} ~ {{IPA link|ɑ}}
|}
[[File:Zürich German monophthongs chart.svg|thumb|200px|right|Monophthongs of the Zürich dialect, from {{Harvcoltxt|Fleischer|Schmid|2006|p=246}}]]
Most Swiss German dialects have rounded front vowels, unlike other High German dialects.<ref>Werner König: dtv-Atlas zur deutschen Sprache. München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, 1989. {{ISBN|3-423-03025-9}}</ref> Only in Low Alemannic dialects of northwestern Switzerland (mainly Basel) and in Walliser dialects have rounded front vowels been unrounded. In Basel, rounding is being reintroduced because of the influence of other Swiss German dialects.

Like [[Bavarian language|Bavarian]] dialects, Swiss German dialects have preserved the opening [[diphthongs]] of [[Middle High German]]: {{IPA|/iə̯, uə̯, yə̯/}}: in {{IPA|/liə̯b̥/}} 'lovely' (standard German {{Lang|de|lieb}} but pronounced {{IPA|/liːp/}}); {{IPA|/huə̯t/}} 'hat' (standard German {{Lang|de|Hut}} {{IPA|/huːt/}}); {{IPA|/xyə̯l/}} 'cool' (Standard German {{Lang|de|kühl}} {{IPA|/kyːl/}}). Some diphthongs have become unrounded in several dialects. In the Zürich dialect, there traditionally exists a separate ''phonemic'' series of near-close vowels /ɪ/, /ʏ/ and /ʊ/ contrasting with /i/, /y/ and /u/ (as shown by minimal pairs such as [tʏ:r] 'dry' vs [ty:r] 'expensive'), but this contrast is in the process of being lost. Short pronunciations of /{{IPA|i y u}}/ are realized slightly more openly than the long ones, but the difference is so small that it is appropriate to indicate it only in narrow transcription and only with an opening diacritic rather than by separate symbols such as [ɪ], [ʏ], [ʊ].<ref>Fleischer and Schmid (2006: 247)</ref> Sounds like the monophthong {{IPA|[ɒ]}} can frequently become unrounded to {{IPA|[ɑ]}} among many speakers of the Zürich dialect. Vowels such as a centralized [{{IPA|a}}] and an open-mid [{{IPA|ɔ}}] only occur in the Bernese dialect.<ref>Marti, Werner (1985), ''Berndeutsch-Grammatik'', Bern: Francke</ref>

Like in [[Low German]], most Swiss German dialects have preserved the old West-Germanic monophthongs {{IPA|/iː, uː, yː/}}: {{IPA|/pfiːl/}} 'arrow' (Standard German {{Lang|de|Pfeil}} {{IPA|/pfaɪ̯l/}}); {{IPA|/b̥uːx/}} 'belly' (Standard German {{Lang|de|Bauch}} {{IPA|/baʊ̯x/}}); {{IPA|/z̥yːlə/}} 'pillar' (Standard German {{Lang|de|Säule}} {{IPA|/zɔʏ̯lə/}}). A few Alpine dialects show diphthongization, like in Standard German, especially some dialects of Unterwalden and Schanfigg (Graubünden) and the dialect of Issime (Piedmont).

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Diphthongization in some dialects
|-
! Middle High German/many Swiss German dialects
! Unterwalden dialect
! Schanfigg and Issime dialects
! Standard German
! translation
|-
| {{IPA|[huːs]}}
| {{IPA|[huis]}}
| {{IPA|[hous]}}
| {{IPA|[haʊ̯s]}}
| 'house'
|-
| {{IPA|[tsiːt]}}
| {{IPA|[tseit]}}
| {{IPA|[tseit]}}
| {{IPA|[tsaɪ̯t]}}
| 'time'
|}

Some Western Swiss German dialects like Bernese German have preserved the old diphthongs {{IPA|/ei̯, ou̯/}}, but the other dialects have {{IPA|/ai̯, au̯/}} like Standard German or {{IPA|/æi̯, æu̯/}}. [[Zürich German]], and some other dialects distinguish primary diphthongs from secondary ones that arose in [[hiatus (linguistics)|hiatus]]: Zürich German {{IPA|/ai̯, au̯/}} from Middle High German {{IPA|/ei̯, ou̯/}} versus Zürich German {{IPA|/ei̯, ou̯/}} from Middle High German {{IPA|/iː, uː/}}; Zürich German {{IPA|/bai̯, frau̯/}} 'leg, woman' from Middle High German {{Lang|gmh|bein}}'','' {{Lang|gmh|vrouwe}} versus Zürich German {{IPA|/frei̯, bou̯/}} 'free, building' from Middle High German {{Lang|gmh|frī}}'','' {{Lang|gmh|būw}}.

===Suprasegmentals===
In many Swiss German dialects, [[gemination|consonant length]] and [[vowel length]] are independent from each other, unlike other modern Germanic languages. Here are examples from Bernese German:

{| class="wikitable"
|
!short {{IPA|/a/}}
!long {{IPA|/aː/}}
|-
!short {{IPA|/f/}}
|{{IPA|/hafə/}} 'bowl'
|{{IPA|/d̥i b̥raːfə/}} 'the honest ones'
|-
!long {{IPA|/fː/}}
|{{IPA|/afːə/}} 'apes'
|{{IPA|/ʃlaːfːə/}} 'to sleep'
|}

[[Lexical stress]] is more often on the first syllable than in Standard German, even in French loans like {{IPA|[ˈmɛrsːi]}} or {{IPA|[ˈmersːi]}} 'thanks' (despite stress falling on the final syllable [[French phonology#Stress|in French]]). However, there are many different stress patterns, even within dialects. Bernese German has many words that are stressed on the first syllable: {{IPA|[ˈkaz̥inɔ]}} 'casino' while Standard German has {{IPA|[kʰaˈziːno]}}. However, no Swiss German dialect is as consistent as [[Icelandic language|Icelandic]] in that respect.

==Grammar==
The grammar of Swiss dialects has some idiosyncratic features in comparison to Standard German:

*There is no [[preterite]] [[Indicative mood|indicative]] (yet there is a [[preterite]] [[Subjunctive mood|subjunctive]]).
*The [[preterite]] is replaced by perfect constructs (this also happens in spoken Standard German, particularly in Southern Germany and Austria).
*It is still possible to form [[pluperfect]] phrases, by applying the perfect construct twice to the same sentence.
*There is no [[genitive case]], though certain dialects have preserved a [[Possession (linguistics)|possessive]] genitive (for instance in rural [[Bernese German]]). The [[genitive case]] is replaced by two constructions: The first of these is often acceptable in Standard German as well: possession + Prp. {{Lang|gsw|vo}} (Std. German {{Lang|de|von}}) + possessor: {{lang|gsw|es Buech vomene Profässer}} vs. Standard German {{lang|de|ein Buch von einem Professor}} ('a book of a professor'), {{Lang|gsw|s Buech vom Profässer}} vs. Standard German {{Lang|de|das Buch des Professors}} ('the professor's book'). The second is still frowned on where it appears in Standard German (from dialects and spoken language): dative of the possessor + the possessive pronoun referring to the possessor + possession: {{Lang|gsw|em Profässer sis Buech}} ('the professor his book').<ref name="AL">Andreas Lötscher: Schweizerdeutsch – Geschichte, Dialekte, Gebrauch. Huber, Frauenfeld/Stuttgart 1983 {{ISBN|3-7193-0861-8}}</ref>
*The order within verb groups may vary, e.g. {{Lang|gsw|wo du bisch cho/wo du cho bisch}} vs. Standard German {{Lang|de|als du gekommen bist}} 'when you have come/came'.<ref>See Rudolf Hotzenköcherle, Rudolf Trüb (eds.) (1975): ''Sprachatlas der deutschen Schweiz'' II 261s.</ref> In fact, dependencies can be arbitrarily [[cross-serial dependency|cross-serial]], making Swiss German one of the few known non-[[context-free language|context-free]] natural languages.<ref name="shieber1985">{{citation | title=Evidence against the context-freeness of natural language | year=1985 | last=Shieber | first=Stuart | journal=Linguistics and Philosophy | volume=8 | pages=333–343 | url=http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~shieber/Biblio/Papers/shieber85.pdf | doi=10.1007/BF00630917 | issue=3 | s2cid=222277837 | access-date=20 August 2019 | archive-date=15 April 2004 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040415200116/http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~shieber/Biblio/Papers/shieber85.pdf | url-status=live }}.</ref>
*All [[relative clause]]s are introduced by the [[relativizer|relative particle]] {{Lang|gsw|wo}} ('where'), never by the [[relative pronoun]]s {{Lang|de|der, die, das, welcher, welches}} as in Standard German, e.g. {{Lang|gsw|ds Bispil, wo si schrybt}} vs. Standard German {{Lang|de|das Beispiel, das sie schreibt}} ('the example that she writes'); {{Lang|gsw|ds Bispil, wo si dra dänkt}} vs. Standard German {{Lang|de|das Beispiel, woran sie denkt}} ('the example that she thinks of'). Whereas the relative particle {{Lang|de|wo}} replaces the Standard German relative pronouns in the Nom. (subject) and Acc. (direct object) without further complications, in phrases where {{Lang|de|wo}} plays the role of an indirect object, a prepositional object, a possessor or an adverbial adjunct it has to be taken up later in the relative clause by reference of (prp. +) the [[personal pronoun]] (if ''{{Lang|de|wo}}'' refers to a person) or the [[pronominal adverb]] (if ''{{Lang|de|wo}}'' refers to a thing). E.g. {{lang|gsw|de Profässer won i der s Buech von em zeiget ha}} ('the professor whose book I showed you'), {{lang|gsw|de Bärg wo mer druf obe gsii sind}} ('the mountain that we were upon').<ref name=AL/>

=== Reduplication verbs ===

==== Overview ====
In Swiss German, a small number of verbs reduplicate in a reduced infinitival form, i.e. unstressed shorter form, when used in their [[Finite verb|finite form]] governing the [[infinitive]] of another verb. The reduced and reduplicated part of the verb in question is normally put in front of the infinitive of the second verb.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Glaser|first1=Elvira|last2=Frey|first2=Natascha|date=2011|title=Empirische Studien zur Verbverdoppelung in schweizerdeutschen Dialekten|url=http://www.linguistik-online.com/45_11/editorial.pdf|journal=Linguistik Online|volume=45|issue=1|pages=3–7|doi=10.5167/uzh-52463|s2cid=189169085 |issn=1615-3014}}</ref> This is the case for the motion verbs {{Lang|gsw|gaa}} 'to go' and {{Lang|gsw|choo}} 'to come' when used in the meaning of 'go (to) do something', 'come (to) do something', as well as the verbs {{Lang|gsw|laa}} 'to let' and in certain dialects {{Lang|gsw|afaa}} 'to start, to begin' when used in the meaning of 'let do something', or 'start doing something'.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Brandner|first1=Ellen|last2=Salzmann|first2=Martin|date=2012|editor-last=Ackema|editor-first=Peter|editor2-last=Alcorn|editor2-first=Rhona|editor3-last=Heycock|editor3-first=Caroline|editor4-last=Jaspers|editor4-first=Dany|editor5-last=van Craenenbroeck|editor5-first=Jeroen|editor6-last=Vanden Wyngaerd|editor6-first=Guido|title=Crossing the lake: Motion verb constructions in Bodensee-Alemannic and Swiss German|url=https://benjamins.com/catalog/la.191.03bra|journal=Linguistik Aktuell/Linguistics Today|publisher=John Benjamins Publishing Company|volume=191|pages=67–98|doi=10.1075/la.191.03bra|access-date=26 November 2021|archive-date=26 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126030234/https://benjamins.com/catalog/la.191.03bra|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Most affected by this phenomenon is the verb {{Lang|gsw|gaa}}, followed by ''{{Lang|gsw|choo}}''. Both ''{{Lang|gsw|laa}}'' and ''{{Lang|gsw|afaa}}'' are less affected and only when used in [[present tense]] [[Independent clause|declarative main clauses]].<ref>{{Citation|last=Lötscher|first=Andreas|title=Zur Genese der Verbverdopplung bei gaa, choo, laa, aafaa ("gehen", "kommen", "lassen", "anfangen") im Schweizerdeutschen|date=1993|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-322-97032-9_9|work=Dialektsyntax|pages=180–200|editor-last=Abraham|editor-first=Werner|series=Linguistische Berichte Sonderheft|place=Wiesbaden|publisher=VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften|language=de|doi=10.1007/978-3-322-97032-9_9|isbn=978-3-322-97032-9|access-date=2021-11-26|editor2-last=Bayer|editor2-first=Josef|archive-date=29 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129223337/https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-322-97032-9_9|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Declarative sentence examples: 
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Swiss German'''
|{{Lang|gsw|Ich}} 
|{{Lang|gsw|gang}}
|{{Lang|gsw|jetzt}}
|{{Lang|gsw|go}} 
|{{Lang|gsw|ässe}}
|-
|'''Gloss'''
|I
|go-1<sub>SG</sub>
|now
|go
|eat-INF
|-
|'''Standard German'''
|{{Lang|de|Ich}}
|{{Lang|de|gehe}}
|{{Lang|de|jetzt}}
|Ø
|{{Lang|de|essen}}
|-
|'''English'''
| colspan="5" |I'm going to eat now.  / I'll go eat now.
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Swiss German'''
|{{Lang|gsw|Er}}
|{{Lang|gsw|chunnt}}
|{{Lang|gsw|jetzt}}
|{{Lang|gsw|cho}}
|{{Lang|gsw|ässe}}
|-
|'''Gloss'''
|He
|comes
|now
|come
|eat-INF
|-
|'''Standard German'''
|{{Lang|de|Er}}
|{{Lang|de|kommt}}
|{{Lang|de|jetzt}}
|Ø
|{{Lang|de|essen}}
|-
|'''English'''
| colspan="5" |He's coming to eat now. 
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Swiss German'''
|{{Lang|gsw|Du}}
|{{Lang|gsw|lahsch}}
|{{Lang|gsw|mi}}
|{{Lang|gsw|la}}
|{{Lang|gsw|ässe}}
|-
|'''Gloss'''
|You
|let-2<sub>SG</sub>
|me-ACC
|let
|eat-INF
|-
|'''Standard German'''
|{{Lang|de|Du}}
|{{Lang|de|lässt}}
|{{Lang|de|mich}}
|Ø
|{{Lang|de|essen}}
|-
|'''English'''
| colspan="5" |You're letting me eat. / You let me eat. 
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Swiss German'''
|{{Lang|gsw|Mier}}
|{{Lang|gsw|fanged}}
|{{Lang|gsw|jetzt}}
|align="right" |{{Lang|gsw|a}}
|{{Lang|gsw|fa}}
|{{Lang|gsw|ässe}}
|-
|'''Gloss'''
|We
|start-1<sub>PL</sub>
|now
|start-PREF
|start
|eat-INF
|-
|'''Standard German'''
|{{Lang|de|Wir}}
|{{Lang|de|fangen}}
|{{Lang|de|jetzt}}
|{{Lang|de|an}}
|{{Lang|de|zu}}
|{{Lang|de|essen}}
|-
|'''English'''
| colspan="6" |We're starting to eat now. / We start eating now. 
|}
As the examples show, all verbs are reduplicated with a reduced infinitival form when used in a declarative main clause. This is especially interesting as it stands in contrast to the standard variety of German and other varieties of the same, where such doubling effects are not found as outlined in the examples.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Brandner|first1=Ellen|url=https://kops.uni-konstanz.de/handle/123456789/17335|title=Die Bewegungverbkonstruktion im Alemannischen : Wie Unterschiede in der Kategorie einer Partikel zu syntaktischer Variation führen|last2=Salzmann|first2=Martin|year=2011|isbn=978-3-515-09900-4|editor-last=Glaser|editor-first=Elvira|pages=47–76|publisher=Franz Steiner Verlag |language=German|editor-last2=Schmidt|editor-first2=Jürgen E.|editor-last3=Frey|editor-first3=Natascha|access-date=26 November 2021|archive-date=29 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240129223346/https://kops.uni-konstanz.de/member_indicator.png|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== {{Lang|gsw|Afaa}}: weakest doubling effects ====
[[Reduplication]] effects are weaker in the verbs {{Lang|gsw|laa}} 'to let' and {{Lang|gsw|afaa}} 'to start, to begin' than they are in {{Lang|gsw|gaa}} 'to go' and {{Lang|gsw|choo}} 'to come'. This means that ''{{Lang|gsw|afaa}}'' is most likely to be used without its reduplicated and reduced form while retaining grammaticality, whereas utterances with ''goo'' are least likely to remain grammatical without the reduplicated part.

Between ''{{Lang|gsw|laa}}'' and ''{{Lang|gsw|afaa}}'', these effects are weakest in ''{{Lang|gsw|afaa}}''. This means that while reduplication is mandatory for ''{{Lang|gsw|laa}}'' in declarative main clauses almost everywhere in the country, this is the case for fewer varieties of Swiss German with ''{{Lang|gsw|afaa}}''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Andres|first=Marie-Christine|date=2011-01-01|title=Verdopplung beim Verb afaa im nord-östlichen Aargau|url=https://bop.unibe.ch/linguistik-online/article/view/385|journal=Linguistik Online|language=de|volume=45|issue=1|doi=10.13092/lo.45.385|issn=1615-3014|doi-access=free|access-date=26 November 2021|archive-date=26 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126030236/https://bop.unibe.ch/linguistik-online/article/view/385|url-status=live}}</ref> The reason for this is unknown, but it has been hypothesized that the fact that ''afaa'' has [[German verbs#Separable prefixes|a separable prefix]] (''a''-) might weaken its doubling capacity.<ref name=":0" /> The presence of this separable prefix also makes the boundaries between the reduced infinitival reduplication form and the prefix hard if not impossible to determine.<ref name=":0" /> Thus, in the example above for ''{{Lang|gsw|afaa}}'', an argument could be made that the prefix a- is left off, while the full reduplicated form is used:

{{interlinear |lang=gsw |indent=2
|Mier fanged jetzt afa ässe
|We start-1PL now start eat-INF
|We're starting to eat now. / We start eating now.}}

In this case, the prefix would be omitted, which is normally not permissible for separable prefixes, and in its place, the reduplication form is used.

Meanwhile, ''{{Lang|gsw|afaa}}'' is not reduplicated when used in a [[Dependent clause|subordinate clause]] or in the past tense. In such instances, doubling would result in ungrammaticality:

Past tense example with {{Lang|gsw|afaa}}:

{{interlinear |lang=gsw |indent=2
|Sie händ aagfange *afa ässe
|They have-3PL started-PTCP *start eat-INF
|They started to eat.}}

The same is true for subordinate clauses and the verb ''{{Lang|gsw|afaa}}'':

Subordinate clause examples with {{Lang|gsw|afaa}}:

{{interlinear |lang=gsw |indent=2
|Ich weiss dass sie jetzt afaat *afa ässe
|I know-1SG that she now starts *start eat-INF
|I know that she's starting to eat now. / I know that she starts eating now.}}

In order to achieve grammaticality in both instances, the reduced doubling part {{Lang|gsw|afa}} would have to be taken out.

==== {{Lang|gsw|Laa}} and optionality of reduplication ====
While ''{{Lang|gsw|afaa}}'' 'to start, to begin' is quite restricted when it comes to [[reduplication]] effects, the phenomenon is more permissive, but not mandatory in the verb {{Lang|gsw|laa}} 'to let'. While present tense declarative sentences are generally ungrammatical when ''{{Lang|gsw|laa}}'' remains unduplicated, this is not true for [[past tense]] and subordinate clauses, where doubling effects are optional at best:

Past tense example with ''{{Lang|gsw|laa}}'':

{{interlinear |lang=gsw |indent=2
|Er het mi la ässe (laa)
|He has me-ACC let eat-INF (let-PTCP)
|He has let me eat. / He let me eat.}}

Subordinate clause example with ''{{Lang|gsw|laa}}'':

{{interlinear |lang=gsw |indent=2
|Ich weiss dass er mi laat (la) ässe
|I know-1SG that he me-ACC lets (let) eat-INF
|I know that he lets me eat. / I know that he's letting me eat.}}

In the use of this form, there are both geographical and age differences. [[Reduplication]] is found more often in the western part of Switzerland than in the eastern part, while younger generations are much more inclined to leave out reduplication, which means that the phenomenon is more widespread in older generations.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Gappisch|first=Katja Schlatter|date=2011-01-01|title=Die Verdopplung des Verbs laa 'lassen' im Zürichdeutschen|url=https://bop.unibe.ch/linguistik-online/article/view/387|journal=Linguistik Online|language=de|volume=45|issue=1|doi=10.13092/lo.45.387|issn=1615-3014|doi-access=free|access-date=26 November 2021|archive-date=26 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126030236/https://bop.unibe.ch/linguistik-online/article/view/387|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== {{Lang|gsw|Gaa}} and {{Lang|gsw|choo}}: stronger reduplication ====
Ungrammaticality in reduplication of {{Lang|gsw|afaa}} 'to start, to begin' in the past tense and in subordinate clauses as well as the somewhat more lenient use of reduplication with ''{{Lang|gsw|laa}}'' 'to let' stand in contrast to doubling effects of the motion verbs ''{{Lang|gsw|gaa}}'' 'to go' and {{Lang|gsw|choo}} 'to come'. When the latter two verbs are used in other utterances other than a declarative main clause, where the finite verb traditionally is in second position, their use might not be mandatory; however, it is correct and grammatical to double them both in the past tense and in subordinate clauses:

Past tense example with {{Lang|gsw|gaa}} and {{Lang|gsw|choo}}:

{{interlinear |lang=gsw |indent=2
| Er isch go ässe (g'gange)
| He is go eat-INF (gone)
| He has gone to eat. / He went to eat.}}

{{interlinear |lang=gsw |indent=2
| Sie isch cho ässe (cho)
| She is come eat-INF (come-PTCP)
| She has come to eat. / She came to eat.}}

As outlined in both examples, the reduplicated form of both {{Lang|gsw|gaa}} and {{Lang|gsw|choo}} can but does not have to be used in order for the past tense sentences to be grammatical.Notably, it is the reduced form of both verbs that is necessary, not the full [[Participle|participle form]].

Subordinate clause examples for {{Lang|gsw|gaa}} and {{Lang|gsw|choo}}:

{{interlinear |lang=gsw |indent=2
| Ich weiss dass sie gaat go ässe
| I know-1SG that she goes go eat-INF
| I know that she'll go eat. / I know that she's going to eat.}}

{{interlinear |lang=gsw |indent=2
| Ich weiss dass sie chunnt cho ässe
| I know-1SG that she comes come eat-INF
| I know that she'll come to eat. / I know that she's coming to eat.}}

In subordinate clauses, the reduplicated part is needed as the sentence would otherwise be ungrammatical in both ''{{Lang|gsw|gaa}}'' and ''{{Lang|gsw|choo}}''.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=https://www.meertens.knaw.nl/projecten/edisyn/Online_proceedings/Paper_Glaser-Frey.pdf|title=Doubling Phenomena in Swiss German Dialects|last1=Glaser|first1=Elvira|last2=Frey|first2=Natascha|publisher=[[University of Zurich]]|access-date=26 November 2021|archive-date=8 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108110107/https://www.meertens.knaw.nl/projecten/edisyn/Online_proceedings/Paper_Glaser-Frey.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

The same is true for the past tense. Since there is only one past tense in Swiss German and since this is formed using an auxiliary verb – {{Lang|gsw|sii}} 'to be' or {{Lang|gsw|haa}} 'to have', depending on the main verb – reduplication seems to be affected and therefore, less strictly enforced for ''{{Lang|gsw|gaa}}'' and ''{{Lang|gsw|choo}}'', while it is completely ungrammatical for {{Lang|gsw|afaa}} and optional for {{Lang|gsw|laa}} respectively.

==== Questions ====
Questions behave a lot like their declarative counterparts, and reduplication is therefore mandatory for both motion verbs ''{{Lang|gsw|gaa}}'' 'to go' and ''{{Lang|gsw|choo}}'' 'to come', while ''{{Lang|gsw|laa}}'' 'to let' and ''{{Lang|gsw|afaa}}'' 'to start, to begin' show weaker doubling effects and more optionality. Furthermore, this is the case for both open and close (yes/no) questions. Consider the following examples:

{{Lang|gsw|Afaa}} in open and close questions:

{{interlinear |indent=2
| Fangt er a (fa) ässe
| Starts he start-PREF (start) eat-INF
| Does he start eating? / Is he starting to eat?}}

{{interlinear |indent=2
| Wenn fangt er a (fa) ässe
| When starts he start-PREF (start) eat-INF
| When does he start eating? / When is he starting to eat?}}

Just like in declarative forms, {{Lang|gsw|afaa}} could be reduced to ''a-'' and thus be considered the detachable prefix. In this case, ''{{Lang|gsw|afaa}}'' would no longer be a reduplicated verb, and that is where the language development seems to move towards.<ref name=":0" />

{{Lang|gsw|Laa}} in open and close questions: 

{{interlinear |indent=2
| Laat er sie (la) ässe
| Lets he her-ACC (let) eat-INF
| Does he let her eat? / Is he letting her eat?}}

{{interlinear |indent=2
| Wenn laat er sie (la) ässe
| When lets he her-ACC (let) eat-INF
| When does he let her eat? / When is he letting her eat?}}

{{Lang|gsw|Choo}} and especially {{Lang|gsw|gaa}}, however, do not allow for their reduced doubling part to be left out in questions, irrespective of the fact whether they are open or close:

{{Lang|gsw|Choo}} in open and close questions:

{{interlinear |indent=2
| Chunnt er cho ässe
| Comes he come eat-INF
| Does he come to eat? / Is he coming to eat?}}

{{interlinear |indent=2
| Wenn chunnt er cho ässe
| When come he come eat-INF
| When does he come to eat? / When is he coming to eat?}}

{{Lang|gsw|Gaa}} in open and close questions:

{{interlinear |indent=2
| Gaat er go ässe
| Goes he go eat-INF
| Does he go eat? / Is he going to eat?}}

{{interlinear |indent=2
| Wenn gaat er go ässe
| When goes he go eat-INF
| When does he go eat? / When is he going to eat?}}

==== Imperative mood ====
In the [[imperative mood]], just like in questions, {{Lang|gsw|gaa}} 'to go' and {{Lang|gsw|choo}} 'come' are very strict in their demand for doubling. The same is true for {{Lang|gsw|laa}} 'to let'; it is ungrammatical to use it in imperative mood undoubled. On the other hand, {{Lang|gsw|afaa}} leaves a lot more room for the speaker to play with. Speakers accept both sentences with only the detachable prefix and no doubling, and sentences with the full doubled form.

Imperative mood: {{Lang|gsw|gaa}}

{{interlinear |indent=2
| Gang go ässe
| Go-2SG.IMP go eat-INF
| Go eat!}}

Imperative mood: {{Lang|gsw|choo}}

{{interlinear |indent=2
| Chum cho ässe
| Come-2SG.IMP come eat-INF
| Come eat!}}

Imperative mood: {{Lang|gsw|laa}}

{{interlinear |indent=2
| Laa mi la ässe
| Let-2SG.IMP me-ACC let eat-INF
| Let me eat!}}

Imperative mood: {{Lang|gsw|afaa}}

{{interlinear |indent=2
| Fang a ässe
| Start-2SG.IMP start-PREF eat-INF
|}}

{{interlinear |indent=2
| Fang afa ässe
| Start-2SG.IMP start eat-INF
| Start eating!}}

==== Cross-doubling with {{Lang|gsw|choo}} and {{Lang|gsw|gaa}}====
In the case of the verb {{Lang|gsw|choo}} 'to come', there are situations when instead of it being reduplicated with its reduced form {{Lang|gsw|cho}}, the doubled short form of {{Lang|gsw|gaa}} 'to go', {{Lang|gsw|go}}, is used instead. This is possible in almost all instances of ''{{Lang|gsw|choo}}'', regardless of mood or tense.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="Schaengold1999">{{Cite journal |last=Schaengold |first=Charlotte Christ |date=1999 |title=Short-form "Doubling Verbs" in Schwyzerdütsch |url=http://hdl.handle.net/1811/81985 |journal=Working Papers in Linguistics |language=en |volume=52 |issue=52 |pages=89–95 |issn=0473-9604 |hdl=1811/81985 |access-date=2021-11-26 |via=[[Ohio State University]] |hdl-access=free}}</ref> The examples below outline ''{{Lang|gsw|choo}}'' reduplicated with both its reduced form ''{{Lang|gsw|cho}}'' and the reduced form of ''{{Lang|gsw|gaa}}'', ''{{Lang|gsw|go}}'', in different sentence forms.

Declarative main clause, present tense

{{interlinear |lang=gsw |indent=2
| Er chunnt cho/go ässe
| He comes come/go eat-INF
| He comes to eat. / He's coming to eat.}}

Declarative main clause past tense

{{interlinear |lang=gsw |indent=2
| Er isch cho/go ässe cho
| He is come/go eat-INF come-PTCP
| He came to eat. / He has come to eat.}}

Subordinate clause

{{interlinear |lang=gsw |indent=2
| Ich weiss dass er chunnt cho/go ässe
| I know-1SG that he comes come/go eat-INF
| I know that he's coming to eat. / I know that he comes to eat.}}

Imperative mood

{{interlinear |lang=gsw |indent=2
| Chum cho/go ässe
| Come-2SG.IMP come/go eat-INF
| Come eat!}}

==== Multiple reduplication with {{Lang|gsw|gaa}} and {{Lang|gsw|choo}} ====
With the motion verbs {{Lang|gsw|gaa}} 'to go' and {{Lang|gsw|choo}} 'to come', where reduplication effects are strongest, there is some variation regarding their reduplicated or reduced forms. Thus, in some Swiss German dialects, ''{{Lang|gsw|gaa}}'' will be doubled as {{Lang|gsw|goge}}, while {{Lang|gsw|choo}} will be doubled as {{Lang|gsw|choge}}. In some analyses, this is described as a multiple reduplication phenomenon in that the reduced infinitives {{Lang|gsw|go}} or {{Lang|gsw|cho}} part is repeated as {{Lang|gsw|ge}}, providing the forms ''{{Lang|gsw|goge}}'' and ''{{Lang|gsw|choge}}''.<ref>{{Cite thesis|title=Bedeutet Är isch ga schwümme das gleiche wie Er ist schwimmen? Eine empirische Untersuchung zu den Perfektformen der schweizerdeutschen Verbverdoppelung und zur Funktion des Absentivs|url=https://boristheses.unibe.ch/2128/|publisher=Universität Bern|date=2020-08-14|place=Bern|degree=single|doi=10.24442/boristheses.2128|first=Thomas Martin|last=Kobel|access-date=26 November 2021|archive-date=26 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126030234/https://boristheses.unibe.ch/2128/|url-status=live}}</ref> However, these forms are used less frequently than their shorter counterparts and seem to be concentrated into a small geographic area of Switzerland.

== Vocabulary ==
The vocabulary is varied, especially in rural areas: many specialized terms have been retained, e.g., regarding cattle or weather. In the cities, much of the rural vocabulary has been lost. A Swiss German greeting is {{Lang|gsw|Grüezi}}, from {{Lang|gsw|Gott grüez-i}} (Standard German {{Lang|de|Gott}} ''{{wikt-lang|de|grüßen|grüsse}}'' {{Lang|de|Euch}}), loosely meaning 'God bless you'.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://digital.idiotikon.ch/idtkn/id2.htm#!page/20811/mode/1up |title=Schweizerisches Idiotikon |volume=2 |location=[[Zurich]] |pages=511–512 |language=de |trans-title=Swiss Idioticon}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.idiotikon.ch/wortgeschichten/grueezi |title=Grüezi - Schweizerisches Idiotikon |date=27 May 2019 |access-date=16 July 2022 |archive-date=16 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220716181347/https://www.idiotikon.ch/wortgeschichten/grueezi |url-status=live }}</ref>

Most word adoptions come from Standard German. Many of these are now so common that they have totally replaced the original Swiss German words, e.g. the words {{Lang|gsw|Hügel}} 'hill' (instead of {{Lang|gsw|Egg}}'','' {{Lang|gsw|Bühl}}), {{Lang|gsw|Lippe}} 'lip' (instead of {{Lang|gsw|Lëfzge}}). Others have replaced the original words only in parts of Switzerland, e.g., {{Lang|gsw|Butter}} 'butter' (originally called {{Lang|gsw|Anke}} in most of Switzerland). Virtually any Swiss Standard German word can be borrowed into Swiss German, always adapted to Swiss German phonology. However, certain Standard German words are never used in Swiss German, for instance {{Lang|de|Frühstück}} 'breakfast', {{Lang|de|niedlich}} 'cute' or {{Lang|de|zu Hause}} 'at home'; instead, the native words {{Lang|gsw|Zmorge}}, {{Lang|gsw|härzig}} and {{Lang|gsw|dehei}} are used.

Swiss dialects have quite a few words from French and Italian, which are perfectly assimilated. {{Lang|gsw|Glace}} (ice cream) for example is pronounced {{IPA|/ɡlas/}} in French but {{IPA|[ˈɡ̊lasːeː]}} or {{IPA|[ˈɡ̊lasːə]}} in many Swiss German dialects. The French word for 'thank you', {{Lang|fr|merci}}, is also used as in {{Lang|gsw|merci vilmal}} ({{literally|thanks many times}}, cf. Standard German's {{Lang|de|danke vielmals}} and {{Lang|de|vielen Dank}}). Possibly, these words are not direct adoptions from French but survivors of the once more numerous [[French loanwords in Standard German]], many of which have fallen out of use in Germany.

In recent years, Swiss dialects have also taken some English words which already sound very Swiss, e.g., {{IPA|[ˈfuːd̥ə]}} ('to eat', from 'food'), {{IPA|[ɡ̊ei̯mə]}} ('to play computer games', from ''game'') or {{IPA|[ˈz̥nœːb̥ə]}} or {{IPA|[ˈb̥oːrd̥ə]}} – ('to snowboard', from ''snowboard''). These words are probably not direct loanwords from English but have been adopted through standard German intermediation. While most of those loanwords are of recent origin, some have been in use for decades, e.g. {{IPA|[ˈ(t)ʃutːə]}} ('to play [[Association football|football]]', from ''shoot'').

There are also a few English words which are modern adoptions from Swiss German. The dishes ''[[müesli]]'', and ''[[rösti]]'' have become English words, as did ''[[loess]]'' (fine grain), ''[[flysch]]'' (sandstone formation), ''[[kepi]]'', ''[[landammann]]'', ''[[kilch (disambiguation)|kilch]]''<!--intentional link to DAB page-->, ''{{linktext|schiffli}}'', and ''[[putsch]]'' in a political sense. The term ''{{linktext|bivouac}}'' is sometimes explained as originating from Swiss German,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harper |first=Douglas R. |name-list-style=vanc |title=bivouac (noun) |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/bivouac |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501172157/https://www.etymonline.com/word/bivouac |archive-date=2019-05-01 |access-date=2009-01-05 |website=[[Online Etymology Dictionary|Etymonline]]}}</ref> while printed etymological dictionaries (e.g. the German ''[[Friedrich Kluge|Kluge]]'' or ''[[Droemer Knaur|Knaurs]] Etymological Dictionary'') derive it from [[Low German]] instead.

=== Sample phrases ===

{| class="wikitable"
!English
!Swiss German (Bernese)<ref>{{Cite web |title=berndeutsch.ch |url=https://www.berndeutsch.ch/ |publisher=Stephan Burkard |location=Solothurn, Switzerland |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=berndeutsch.ch |language=de }}</ref>
!German
|-
|Hello!
|Grüessech!
|Hallo!
|-
|Good morning.
|Guete Morge!
|Guten Morgen!
|-
|Good evening.
|Gueten Aabe!
|Guten Abend!
|-
|Welcome!
|Härzlech wiukomme!
|Herzlich willkommen!
|-
|Goodbye.
|Tschüss!
|Ade!
|-
|Good night.
|Guet Nacht!
|Gute Nacht!
|-
|Yes!
|Ja/Jo/Ieu/Iu!
|Ja!
|-
|Yes, please!
|Jo, gärn.
|Ja, bitte!
|-
|Please!
|Bitte!
|Bitte!
|-
|Thank you!
|Merci.
|Danke/Merci!
|-
|Thank you very much!
|Merci viu mau!
|Merci vielmal!
|-
|You're welcome.
|Gärn gscheh./Bitte.
|Gern geschehen.
|-
|No!
|Nei/Ä-ää!
|Nein!
|-
|No thank you/no thanks.
|Nei merci.
|Nein, danke!
|-
|Excuse me.
|Exgüsee.
|Entschuldigung!

|-

|Of course not! ''or'' What did you mean?

|Au-wä (allwäg)!

|Selbstverständlich nicht! ''or'' Was hast du gemeint?
|-
|What time is it?
|Was isch für Ziit?
|Wie spät ist es? ''or'' Wie viel Uhr ist es?
|-
|Can you repeat that, please?
|Chöiter das bitte wyderhole?
|Könntet Ihr das bitte wiederholen?
|-
|Please speak more slowly!
|Red chli langsamer, bitte!
|Sprich ein bisschen langsamer, bitte!
|-
|I don't understand!
|Das verschtaani nid.
|Das verstehe ich nicht.
|-
|I'm sorry!
|Es tuet mer leid.
|Es tut mir leid!
|-
|I'd like a coffee, please!
|I hätti gärn es Kaffi.
|Ich hätte gerne einen Kaffee.
|-
|Two beers, please!
|Zwöi Bier, bitte!
|Zwei Bier, bitte!
|-
|How much does this cost?
|Was choschtet das?
|Wie viel kostet das?
|-
|Where are the toilets?
|Wo isch d'Toilette?
|Wo ist das WC?
|}

==Orthography==
=== History ===
Written forms that were mostly based on the local Alemannic varieties, thus similar to [[Middle High German]], were only gradually replaced by the forms of [[New High German]]. This replacement took from the 15th to 18th centuries to complete. In the 16th century, the Alemannic forms of writing were considered the original, truly Swiss forms, whereas the New High German forms were perceived as foreign innovations. The innovations were brought about by the [[printing press]] and were also associated with [[Lutheranism]]. An example of the language shift is the [[Froschauer Bible]]: Its first impressions after 1524 were largely written in an Alemannic language, but since 1527, the New High German forms were gradually adopted. The Alemannic forms were longest preserved in the chancelleries, with the chancellery of [[Bern]] being the last to adopt New High German in the second half of the 18th century.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sonderegger |first=Stefan |title=Historischen Lexikon der Schweiz |title-link=Historical Dictionary of Switzerland |publisher=[[Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences|Akademien der Wissenschaften Schweiz]] [Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences] |year=1998 |location=[[Switzerland|Schweiz]] [Switzerland] |language=de |trans-title=Historical Dictionary of Switzerland |chapter=2.3 - Frühneuhochdeutsch und älteres Neuhochdeutsch in der Schweiz |trans-chapter=2.3 - Early New High German and older Modern High German in Switzerland |chapter-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109140021id_/http://hls-dhs-dss.ch/textes/d/D11194-3-3.php}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Gsteiger |first=Manfred |title=Historische Lexikon der Schweiz |title-link=Historical Dictionary of Switzerland |date=2016-07-11 |publisher=[[Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences|Akademien der Wissenschaften Schweiz]] [Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences] |location=[[Switzerland|Schweiz]] [Switzerland] |language=de |translator-last=Neuenschwander |translator-first=Christoph |trans-title=Historical Dictionary of Switzerland |chapter=Dialektliteratur |trans-chapter=Dialect literature |chapter-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190728195631id_/https://hls-dhs-dss.ch/de/articles/011206/2016-07-11/}}</ref><ref>Walter Haas: ''Dialekt als Sprache literarischer Werke.'' In: ''Dialektologie. Ein Handbuch zur deutschen und allgemeinen Dialektforschung.'' Ed. by Werner Besch, Ulrich Knoop, Wolfgang Putschke, Herbert Ernst Wiegand. 2nd half-volume. Berlin&nbsp;/ New York: Walter de Gruyter, 1983, pp.&nbsp;1637–1651.</ref>

Today all formal writing, newspapers, books and much informal writing is done in [[Swiss Standard German]], which is usually called {{Lang|de|Schriftdeutsch}} (written German). Certain dialectal words are accepted regionalisms in Swiss Standard German and are also sanctioned by the [[Duden]], e.g., {{Lang|gsw|Zvieri}} (afternoon snack). Swiss Standard German is virtually identical to Standard German as used in Germany, with most differences in pronunciation, vocabulary, and orthography. For example, Swiss Standard German always uses a double s (''ss'') instead of the [[eszett]] (''ß'').

There are no official rules of Swiss German orthography. The orthographies used in the Swiss-German literature can be roughly divided into two systems: Those that try to stay as close to standard German spelling as possible and those that try to represent the sounds as well as possible. The so-called {{Lang|gsw|Schwyzertütschi Dialäktschrift}} was developed by [[Eugen Dieth]], but knowledge of these guidelines is limited mostly to language experts. Furthermore, the spellings originally proposed by Dieth included some special signs not found on a normal [[Alphanumeric keyboard|keyboard]], such as {{angle bracket|ʃ}} instead of {{angle bracket|sch}} for {{IPA|[ʃ]}} or {{angle bracket|ǜ}} instead of {{angle bracket|ü}} for {{IPA|[ʏ]}}. In 1986, a revised version of the ''Dieth-Schreibung'' was published, designed to be typed with a regular typewriter.<ref>Dieth, Eugen: ''Schwyzertütschi Dialäktschrift. Dieth-Schreibung''. 2nd ed. revised and edited by Christian Schmid-Cadalbert, Aarau: Sauerländer, 1986. {{ISBN|3-7941-2832-X}}</ref>

=== Conventions ===
A few letters are used differently from the Standard German rules:
*{{angle bracket|k}} (and {{angle bracket|ck}}) are used for the [[affricate]] {{IPA|/kx/}}.
*{{angle bracket|gg}} is used for the [[unaspirated]] [[fortis (phonetics)|fortis]] {{IPA|/k/}}.
*{{angle bracket|y}} (and sometimes {{angle bracket|yy}}) traditionally stands for the {{IPA|/iː/}} (in many dialects shortened to {{IPA|/i/}}, but still with closed quality) that corresponds to Standard German {{IPA|/aɪ̯/}}, e.g. in {{Lang|gsw|Rys}} 'rice' (standard German {{Lang|de|Reis}} {{IPA|/raɪ̯s/}}) vs. {{Lang|de|Ris}} 'giant' (standard German {{Lang|de|Riese}} {{IPA|/riːzə/}}). This usage goes back to an old [[IJ (letter)|ij-ligature]]. Many writers, however, do not use {{angle bracket|y}}, but {{angle bracket|i}}/{{angle bracket|ii}}, especially in the dialects that have lost distinction between these sounds, compare [[Zürich German]] {{Lang|gsw|Riis}} {{IPA|/riːz̥/}} 'rice' or 'giant' to [[Bernese German]] {{Lang|gsw|Rys}} {{IPA|/riːz̥/}} 'rice' vs. {{Lang|gsw|Ris}} {{IPA|/rɪːz̥/}} ('giant'). Some use even {{angle bracket|ie}}, influenced by Standard German spelling, which leads to confusion with {{angle bracket|ie}} for {{IPA|/iə̯/}}.
*{{angle bracket|w}} represents {{IPA|[ʋ]}}, slightly different from Standard German as {{IPA|[v]}}.
*{{angle bracket|ä}} usually represents {{IPA|[æ]}}, and can also represent {{IPA|[ə]}} or {{IPA|[ɛ]}}.
*{{angle bracket|ph}} represents {{IPA|[pʰ]}}, {{angle bracket|th}} represents {{IPA|[tʰ]}}, and {{angle bracket|gh}} represents {{IPA|[kʰ]}}.
*Since {{IPA|[ei]}} is written as {{angle bracket|ei}}, {{IPA|[ai]}} is written as {{angle bracket|äi}}, though in eastern Switzerland {{angle bracket|ei}} is often used for both of these phonemes.

==Literature==
Since the 19th century, a considerable body of Swiss German literature has accumulated. The earliest works were in Lucerne German (Jost Bernhard Häfliger, Josef Felix Ineichen), in [[Bernese German]] (Gottlieb Jakob Kuhn), in Glarus German (Cosimus Freuler) and in [[Zürich German]] (Johann Martin Usteri, Jakob Stutz); the works of [[Jeremias Gotthelf]] which were published at the same time are in Swiss Standard German, but use many expressions of Bernese German. Some of the more important dialect writing authors and their works are:

*Anna Maria Bacher (born 1947), {{Lang|gsw|Z Kschpel fam Tzit; Litteri un Schattä; Z Tzit fam Schnee}} (South Walser German of Formazza/Pomatt)
*Albert Bächtold (1891–1981), {{Lang|gsw|De goldig Schmid; Wält uhni Liecht; De Studänt Räbme; Pjotr Ivanowitsch}} (Schaffhausen dialect of Klettgau)
*Ernst Burren (born 1944), {{Lang|gsw|Dr Schtammgascht; Näschtwermi}} (Solothurn dialect)
*August Corrodi (1826–1885), {{Lang|gsw|De Herr Professer; De Herr Vikari; De Herr Dokter}} (Zurich dialect)
*Barbara Egli (1918–2005), {{Lang|gsw|Wildi Chriesi}} (Zurich Oberland dialect)
*Fritz Enderlin (1883–1971), {{Lang|gsw|De Sonderbunds-Chrieg}}'','' translated from C. F. Ramuz's French poem "{{Lang|fr|La Grande Guerre du Sondrebond|italic=no}}" (Upper Thurgovian dialect)
*Martin Frank (born 1950), {{Lang|gsw|Ter Fögi ische Souhung; La Mort de Chevrolet}} (Bernese dialect with Zurich interferences)
*Simon Gfeller (1868–1943), {{Lang|gsw|Ämmegrund; Drätti, Müetti u der Chlyn; Seminarzyt}} (Bernese dialect of Emmental)
*Georg Fient (1845–1915), {{Lang|gsw|Lustig G'schichtenä}} (Graubünden Walser dialect of Prättigau)
*Paul Haller (1882–1920), {{Lang|gsw|Maria und Robert}} (Western Aargau dialect)
*Frida Hilty-Gröbli (1893–1957), {{Lang|gsw|Am aalte Maartplatz z Sant Galle; De hölzig Matroos}} (St Gall dialect)
*Josef Hug (1903–1985), {{Lang|gsw|S Gmaiguet; Dunggli Wolgga ob Salaz}} (Graubünden Rhine Valley dialect)
* Guy Krneta (born 1964), {{Lang|gsw|Furnier}} (collection of short stories), {{Lang|gsw|Zmittst im Gjätt uss}} (prose), {{Lang|gsw|Ursle}} (Bernese dialect)
*Michael Kuoni (1838–1891), {{Lang|gsw|Bilder aus dem Volksleben des Vorder-Prättigau's}} (Graubünden Walser dialect of Prättigau)
*Maria Lauber (1891–1973), {{Lang|gsw|Chüngold; Bletter im Luft; Der jung Schuelmiischter}} (Bernese Oberland dialect)
*Pedro Lenz (born 1965), {{Lang|gsw|Plötzlech hets di am Füdle; Der Goalie bin ig}} (Bernese Dialect)
*Meinrad Lienert (1865–1933), {{Lang|gsw|Flüehblüemli; 's Mirli; Der Waldvogel}} (Schwyz dialect of Einsiedeln)
*Carl Albert Loosli (1877–1959), {{Lang|gsw|Mys Dörfli; Mys Ämmitaw; Wi's öppe geit!}} (Bernese dialect of Emmental)
*[[Kurt Marti]] (born 1921), {{Lang|gsw|Vierzg Gedicht ir Bärner Umgangssprache; Rosa Loui}} (Bernese dialect)
*Werner Marti (1920–2013), {{Lang|gsw|Niklaus und Anna; Dä nid weis, was Liebi heisst}} (Bernese dialect)
*[[Mani Matter]] (1936–1972), songwriter (Bernese dialect)
*Traugott Meyer (1895–1959), {{Lang|gsw|'s Tunnälldorf; Der Gänneral Sutter}} (Basel-Landschaft dialect)
*[[Gall Morel]] (1803–1872), {{Lang|gsw|Dr Franzos im Ybrig}} (Schwyz German of Iberg)
*Viktor Schobinger (born 1934), {{lang|gsw|Der Ääschme trifft simpatisch lüüt}} and a lot of other ''Züri Krimi'' (Zurich dialect)
*Caspar Streiff (1853–1917), {{Lang|gsw|Der Heiri Jenni im Sunnebärg}} (Glarus dialect)
*[[Jakob Stutz]] (1801–1877), {{Lang|gsw|Gemälde aus dem Volksleben; Ernste und heitere Bilder aus dem Leben unseres Volkes}} (Zurich Oberland dialect)
*[[Rudolf von Tavel]] (1866–1934), {{Lang|gsw|Ring i der Chetti; Gueti Gschpane; Meischter und Ritter; Der Stärn vo Buebebärg; D'Frou Kätheli und ihri Buebe; Der Frondeur; Ds velorene Lied; D'Haselmuus; Unspunne; Jä gäl, so geit's!; Der Houpme Lombach; Götti und Gotteli; Der Donnergueg; Veteranezyt; Heinz Tillman; Die heilige Flamme; Am Kaminfüür; Bernbiet; Schweizer daheim und draußen; Simeon und Eisi; Geschichten aus dem Bernerland}} (Bernese dialect)<ref>{{cite web |title=Dstimm Vo De Schwiiz: Publication for Swiss German Dialects in North America |url=http://www.iwaynet.net/~watts/deutsch/dstimm.html |website=Iwaynet |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060808225543/http://www.iwaynet.net/~watts/deutsch/dstimm.html |archive-date=8 August 2006}}</ref>
*Alfred Tobler (1845–1923), {{Lang|gsw|Näbes oß mine Buebejohre}} (Appenzell dialect)
*[[Johann Martin Usteri]] (1763–1827), {{Lang|gsw|Dichtungen in Versen und Prosa}} (Zurich German)
*Hans Valär (1871–1947), {{Lang|gsw|Dr Türligiiger}} (Graubünden Walser dialect of Davos)
*Bernhard Wyss (1833–1889), {{Lang|gsw|Schwizerdütsch. Bilder aus dem Stilleben unseres Volkes}} (Solothurn dialect)

Parts of the Bible were translated in different Swiss German dialects, e.g.:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bibel-gesangbuch.de/bibel/mundartuebersetzungen/|title=Mundartübersetzungen – Bibel und Gesangbuch|access-date=9 September 2020|archive-date=29 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129020831/https://bibel-gesangbuch.de/bibel/mundartuebersetzungen/|url-status=live}}</ref>

* {{Lang|gsw|Ds Nöie Teschtamänt bärndütsch}} (Bernese New Testament, translated by [[Hans Bietenhard|Hans]] and Ruth Bietenhard, 1989)
* {{Lang|gsw|Ds Alte Teschtamänt bärndütsch}} (parts of the Old Testament in Bernese dialect, translated by Hans and Ruth Bietenhard, 1990)
* {{Lang|gsw|D Psalme bärndütsch}} (Psalms in Bernese dialect, translated by Hans, Ruth and Benedikt Bietenhard, 1994)
* {{Lang|gsw|S Nöi Teschtamänt Züritüütsch}} (Zurich German New Testament, translated by Emil Weber, 1997)
* {{Lang|gsw|D Psalme Züritüütsch}} (Psalms in Zurich German, translated by Josua Boesch, 1990)
* {{Lang|gsw|Der guet Bricht us der Bible uf Baselbieterdütsch}} (parts of the Old and the New Testament in Basel dialect, 1981)
* {{Lang|gsw|S Markus Evangelium Luzärntüütsch}} (Gospel of Mark in Lucerne dialect, translated by Walter Haas, 1988)
* {{Lang|gsw|Markusevangeeli Obwaldnerdytsch}} (Gospel of Mark in the [[Obwalden]] dialect, translated by Karl Imfeld, 1979)

==Cinema and television==
{{see|Category:Swiss German-language films}}
Many films and TV series produced in German-speaking Switzerland are filmed in Swiss German, although these are sometimes [[dubbing|re-dubbed]] into Standard German for broadcast or when shown in cinemas.<ref>{{cite web |first=Marc |last=Reichwein |lang=de |url=https://www.welt.de/kultur/kino/article167229313/Ich-habe-einen-Tiger-zwischen-den-Beinen.html |title=Kino: Kritik "Die göttliche Ordnung" von Petra Volpe |trans-title=Cinema: Review "The Divine Order" by Petra Volpe |work=Die Welt |access-date=1 March 2024 |date=2 August 2017 |archive-date=28 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328160826/https://www.welt.de/kultur/kino/article167229313/Ich-habe-einen-Tiger-zwischen-den-Beinen.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="tatort">{{cite news |url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/gesellschaft/menschen/der-schweizer-tatort-und-die-synchronisation-14436996.html |title=Der Schweizer Tatort und die Synchronisation |trans-title=The Swiss ''Tatort'' and Dubbing |newspaper=[[Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung]] |date=18 September 2016 |last1=Primus |first1=Yannik |lang=de |access-date=1 March 2024 |archive-date=1 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240301130839/https://www.faz.net/aktuell/gesellschaft/menschen/der-schweizer-tatort-und-die-synchronisation-14436996.html |url-status=live }}</ref> For instance, ''Swiss [[Tatort]]''  episodes are originally re-recorded with dialogue in dialects, usually various Swiss German dialects, or for example French or Italian, as required by the corresponding role, for broadcasting on German Swiss channels ([[Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen |SRF]]), and dubbed in Standard German spoken with a Swiss accent to preserve the local colour of the setting for broadcasting on German and Austrian channels.<ref name="tatort"/>

== See also ==
*[[Argentinien-schwyzertütsch dialect]]
*[[Swiss French]]
*[[Swiss Italian]]
*[[Swiss Standard German]]
*[[Linguistic geography of Switzerland]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* Albert Bachmann (ed.), ''Beiträge zur schweizerdeutschen Grammatik'' (BSG), 20 vols., Frauenfeld: Huber, 1919–1941.
* {{citation
|last1=Fleischer
|first1=Jürg
|last2=Schmid
|first2=Stephan
|year=2006
|title=Zurich German
|journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association
|volume=36
|issue=2
|pages=243–253
|doi=10.1017/S0025100306002441
|s2cid=232347372
|doi-access=free
}}
* Rudolf Hotzenköcherle (ed.), ''Beiträge zur schweizerdeutschen Mundartforschung'' (BSM), 24 vols., Frauenfeld: Huber, 1949–1982.
* Rudolf Hotzenköcherle, Robert Schläpfer, Rudolf Trüb (ed.), ''[[Sprachatlas der deutschen Schweiz]].'' Bern/Tübingen: Francke, 1962–1997, vol. 1–8. – Helen Christen, Elvira Glaser, Matthias Friedli (ed.), ''Kleiner Sprachatlas der deutschen Schweiz.'' Frauenfeld: Huber, 2010 (and later editions), {{ISBN|978-3-7193-1524-5}}. [https://sprachatlas.ch]
* Verein für das Schweizerdeutsche Wörterbuch (ed.), ''[[Schweizerisches Idiotikon]]: Wörterbuch der schweizerdeutschen Sprache''. Frauenfeld: Huber; Basel: Schwabe, 17 vols. (16 complete), 1881–, {{ISBN|978-3-7193-0413-3}}. [https://www.idiotikon.ch]

== External links ==
{{InterWiki|Alemannic|code=als}}
*[http://dialects.from.ch/ Chochichästli-Orakel] – choose the Swiss German words you would normally use and see how well this matches the dialect of your area. {{In lang|de}}
*[http://www.dialekt.ch/ Dialekt.ch] a site with sound samples from different dialects. {{In lang|de}}
*[http://www.idiotikon.ch/ Schweizerisches Idiotikon] The homepage of the Swiss national dictionary.
*[http://www.forums9.ch/sprachen/Rosetta.htm One poem in 29 Swiss dialects]  {{In lang|de|en}}
*[http://www.nthuleen.com/papers/130paper2.html Zürich's Swiss German morphology and lexicon]

<section begin="list-of-glossing-abbreviations"/><div style="display:none;">
PREF:prefix
</div><section end="list-of-glossing-abbreviations"/>

{{Languages of Switzerland}}
{{Germanic languages}}
{{Portal bar|Language|Switzerland}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Swiss German language|*]]
[[Category:Alemannic German language]]
[[Category:Upper German languages]]
[[Category:German dialects]]
[[Category:Languages of Switzerland]]
[[Category:Diglossia]]