Alemannic Wikipedia
Encyclopedia
The Alemannic Wikipedia is the Alemannic language
edition of the Web
-based free-content encyclopedia
Wikipedia
. The project was started on November 13, 2003 as an Alsatian language
edition. A year later it was expanded to encompass all Alemannic dialects because of low activity in the first year. Since 2004 all Alemannic dialects are accepted on als:wp.
As of June 3, 2009, this edition has over 6,000 articles and is the 109th largest Wikipedia by number of articles. Contributors and users include people from Germany
, Switzerland
, Austria
, France
, Liechtenstein
, and even a few Walser people
from Italy
.
A peculiarity of the Alemannic Wikipedia is the wide range of dialects permitted; all varieties of Alemannic, including Swiss German
, Swabian
, Alsatian
, and all others are accepted. Authors may not normally alter the dialect used by another contributor, though exceptions are made for local topics, in which modifying the text to reflect the local variety is encouraged. Articles may thus be written in a mix of different varieties. Since there is no standardized orthography for Alemannic, spelling rules are quite relaxed. However, contributors are encouraged to adhere to spelling conventions found in the Alemannic-language literature, and introducing new symbols is not tolerated .
The codeals was used because in 2003 there had been no language code for Alsatian. ISO 639-3
gives four codes for several Alemannic dialects:
As all of these four dialects are accepted on the Alemannic Wikipedia, it was decided not to move the Alemannic Wikipedia to gsw.wikipedia.org, even though the codeals stands for Tosk Albanian
in ISO 639-3. To solve this problem a request for a superior code for all Alemannic dialects has been submitted to SIL International
by Alemannic Wikipedians.
It was the first Wikipedia in a German dialect, followed by the Bavarian Wikipedia and the Ripuarian Wikipedia.
Other Wikimedia projects in Alemanic have also been created, such as an Alemannic Wiktionary, an Alemannic Wikiquote, and an Alemannic Wikibooks. As activity in these projects was low even after years, the community of the Alemannic Wikipedia decided to merge all Alemannic projects and import all contents of the other projects into the Alemannic Wikipedia. Since April 2008 these projects are separate namespaces within the Alemannic Wikipedia. Also an Alemannic Wikisource and an Alemannic Wikinews have been created as separate namespaces within als:wp.
Alemannic German
Alemannic is a group of dialects of the Upper German branch of the Germanic language family. It is spoken by approximately ten million people in six countries: Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, France and Italy...
edition of the Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
-based free-content encyclopedia
Encyclopedia
An encyclopedia is a type of reference work, a compendium holding a summary of information from either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge....
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
. The project was started on November 13, 2003 as an Alsatian language
Alsatian language
Alsatian is a Low Alemannic German dialect spoken in most of Alsace, a region in eastern France which has passed between French and German control many times.-Language family:...
edition. A year later it was expanded to encompass all Alemannic dialects because of low activity in the first year. Since 2004 all Alemannic dialects are accepted on als:wp.
As of June 3, 2009, this edition has over 6,000 articles and is the 109th largest Wikipedia by number of articles. Contributors and users include people from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein
The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan...
, and even a few Walser people
Walser German
The Walser language , also known as Walliser German , is a group of Highest Alemannic dialects spoken in Walser settlements in parts of Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, and Austria and in the German-speaking part of the Canton of Wallis , in the uppermost Rhône valley.The terms Walser and...
from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
A peculiarity of the Alemannic Wikipedia is the wide range of dialects permitted; all varieties of Alemannic, including Swiss German
Swiss German
Swiss German is any of the Alemannic dialects spoken in Switzerland and in some Alpine communities in Northern Italy. Occasionally, the Alemannic dialects spoken in other countries are grouped together with Swiss German as well, especially the dialects of Liechtenstein and Austrian Vorarlberg...
, Swabian
Swabian
Swabian may refer:* to the German region of Swabia ; or* to Swabian German, a dialect spoken in Baden-Württemberg in south-west Germany and adjoining areas See also:...
, Alsatian
Alsatian language
Alsatian is a Low Alemannic German dialect spoken in most of Alsace, a region in eastern France which has passed between French and German control many times.-Language family:...
, and all others are accepted. Authors may not normally alter the dialect used by another contributor, though exceptions are made for local topics, in which modifying the text to reflect the local variety is encouraged. Articles may thus be written in a mix of different varieties. Since there is no standardized orthography for Alemannic, spelling rules are quite relaxed. However, contributors are encouraged to adhere to spelling conventions found in the Alemannic-language literature, and introducing new symbols is not tolerated .
The code
ISO 639-3
ISO 639-3:2007, Codes for the representation of names of languages — Part 3: Alpha-3 code for comprehensive coverage of languages, is an international standard for language codes in the ISO 639 series. The standard describes three‐letter codes for identifying languages. It extends the ISO 639-2...
gives four codes for several Alemannic dialects:
-
gct is the code for Alemán ColonieroAlemán ColonieroAlemán Coloniero, spoken in Colonia Tovar, Venezuela, is a dialect that belongs to the Low Alemannic branch of German.-Characteristics:The language, like other Alemannic dialects, is not mutually intelligible with Standard German. It is spoken by descendants of Germans from the Black Forest region... -
gsw is the code for Swiss GermanSwiss GermanSwiss German is any of the Alemannic dialects spoken in Switzerland and in some Alpine communities in Northern Italy. Occasionally, the Alemannic dialects spoken in other countries are grouped together with Swiss German as well, especially the dialects of Liechtenstein and Austrian Vorarlberg...
, also for Alsatian -
swg is the code for Swabian GermanSwabian GermanSwabian is one of the Alemannic dialects of High German. It is spoken in Swabia, a region which covers much of Germany's southwestern state Baden-Württemberg, including its capital Stuttgart, the rural area known as the Swabian Alb, and Bavaria... -
wae is the code for Walser GermanWalser GermanThe Walser language , also known as Walliser German , is a group of Highest Alemannic dialects spoken in Walser settlements in parts of Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, and Austria and in the German-speaking part of the Canton of Wallis , in the uppermost Rhône valley.The terms Walser and...
As all of these four dialects are accepted on the Alemannic Wikipedia, it was decided not to move the Alemannic Wikipedia to gsw.wikipedia.org, even though the code
Tosk Albanian
Tosk is the southern dialect of the Albanian language. The line of demarcation between Tosk and Gheg is the Shkumbin River. Tosk is the basis of the standard Albanian language.- Tosks :...
in ISO 639-3. To solve this problem a request for a superior code for all Alemannic dialects has been submitted to SIL International
SIL International
SIL International is a U.S.-based, worldwide, Christian non-profit organization, whose main purpose is to study, develop and document languages, especially those that are lesser-known, in order to expand linguistic knowledge, promote literacy, translate the Christian Bible into local languages,...
by Alemannic Wikipedians.
It was the first Wikipedia in a German dialect, followed by the Bavarian Wikipedia and the Ripuarian Wikipedia.
Other Wikimedia projects in Alemanic have also been created, such as an Alemannic Wiktionary, an Alemannic Wikiquote, and an Alemannic Wikibooks. As activity in these projects was low even after years, the community of the Alemannic Wikipedia decided to merge all Alemannic projects and import all contents of the other projects into the Alemannic Wikipedia. Since April 2008 these projects are separate namespaces within the Alemannic Wikipedia. Also an Alemannic Wikisource and an Alemannic Wikinews have been created as separate namespaces within als:wp.
Milestones
| Milestone | Date | Article |
|---|---|---|
| 1 article | December 27, 2003 | Chemie |
| 1,000 articles | October 13, 2005 | Le Landeron (Zunftwesen) |
| 2,000 articles | June 7, 2006 | Geschichte des Elsass |
| 3,000 articles | May 1, 2007 | Arlesheim |
| 4,000 articles | July 12, 2008 | Erklärung der Menschen- und Bürgerrechte |
| 5,000 articles | May 8, 2009 | Hunspach |
| 6,000 articles | February 21, 2010 | Amt Meienberg |
See also
- Alemannic Wikibooks
- Alemannic Wikinews
- Alemannic Wikiquote
- Alemannic Wikisource
- Alemannic Wiktionary
Sources and External links
- (Alemannic) Alemannic Wikipedia
- (Alemannic) Alemannic Wikipedia mobile version (not fully supported)
- Statistics for Alemannic Wikipedia by Erik Zachte
- Katja Fischer: Di freji Enzyklopädie (Tagblatt, SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, 20 May 2009) (German) - Wikipedia feiert den 5000. Artikel des alemannischen Sprachprojekts (Liechtensteiner Volksblatt, LiechtensteinLiechtensteinThe Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan...
, 18 May 2009) (German) - 16. Mai 2009 - Felix Müller: Im weltweiten Netz spricht man auch Alemannisch. (Stuttgarter Zeitung, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, 16 May 2009) (German) - Maja Tolsdorf: Arbeit an der freien Enzyklopädie (Badische Zeitung, Germany, 25 February 2009) (German)
- 15. September 2008 - Louisa Knobloch: Dialekt im Internet – die Alemannische Wikipedia (Badische Zeitung, Germany, 16 September 2009) (German)
- Nikolaj E. A. Schutzbach: Kurios! So liest sich Wikipedia auf Alemannisch (Südkurier, Germany, 23 January 2008) (German)
- Christian Keller: Wiki und die schlauen Helfer (der arbeitsmarkt 9/2007, Switzerland) (German)
- D’alemannisch Wikipedia (Südkurier, Germany, 24 January 2007) (German)
- "Que voulez-vous savoir sur „Wikipedia uff Alemannisch“?" (Land un Sproch 63, France, Summer 2007) (French)
- Joachim Grzega Zur Stärkung des Status von Sprachen durch Wikipedia (Journal for EuroLinguistiX 6 (2009): 1-12) (German)