Gottscheerish
Encyclopedia
Gottscheerish, also called Granish (Göttscheabarisch, German: Gottscheerisch) is a German
dialect
which was the main language of communication in Gottschee County
in Slovenia
before 1941. Today there are only a few speakers left in Slovenia and around the world.
are closest to it. Gottscheerish shares a lot of properties with the Bavarian dialects of the German language islands of the eastern Alps, among them Cimbrian
in Veneto
, Sappada
(Pladen) and Timau (Tischelwang) in Friuli-Venezia Giulia
, and Sorica
(Zarz) in Upper Carniola
(Slovenia).
Gottscheerish developed independently for more than 600 years from the settlement of the first German-speaking settlers from Eastern Tyrol and Western Carinthia around 1330.
The Gottscheer Germans used Gottscheerish as oral language for daily communication, whereas their written language was Standard German
. However, folk songs and folk tales collected in the 19th and 20th century have been published in Gottscheerish.
Already in the 19th century many speakers of Gottscheerish left their homes to emigrate to the United States of America. After resettlement of most Gottscheers by the German occupation forces in 1941 during the Second World War only a few hundred speakers of Gottscheerish remained in their homeland. After the war Gottscheerish was forbidden in Yugoslavia
.
, Gottscheerish is a "critically endangered language". The majority of its speakers live in the USA. Most of them are of the oldest generation, who lived their childhood still in Gottschee County. There are speakers in Canada, Austria and Germany as well, but just as in the USA they have hardly any opportunity to practice it. Everyday language in the family and elsewhere is English and German or the local dialect, respectively.
In Slovenia there are some families who preserved Gottscheerish in spite of the ban after Word War II. Today, however, there are probably no more children learning it as first language. Most Gottscheerish speakers live in Moschnitze valley (Črmošnjiško-Poljanska dolina) between Kočevske Poljane
and Črmošnjice
, where some Gottscheer families collaborated with the partisan movement and therefore were allowed to stay. The Society of the Gottscheers Native Inhabitants (Društvo Kočevarjev staroselcev / Gottscheer Altsiedlerverein) in Občice
offers language courses in Standard German and Gottscheerish, but interest in Standard German is significantly higher.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
dialect
German dialects
German dialect is dominated by the geographical spread of the High German consonant shift, and the dialect continuum that connects the German with the Dutch language.-German dialects in relation to varieties of standard German:...
which was the main language of communication in Gottschee County
Gottschee County
Gottschee County refers to the former German speaking region in the Duchy of Carniola , a crownland of the Habsburg Empire, located in modern day Slovenia...
in Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
before 1941. Today there are only a few speakers left in Slovenia and around the world.
Language history
Gottscheerish belongs to Southern Bavarian within the Bavarian dialect group. The Bavarian dialects of CarinthiaCarinthia
Carinthia may refer to:*Carinthia , a state of the Republic of Austria*Slovenian Carinthia, a traditional region of Slovenia*Koroška statistical region, the statistical region of Slovenia*March of Carinthia, in the Holy Roman Empire...
are closest to it. Gottscheerish shares a lot of properties with the Bavarian dialects of the German language islands of the eastern Alps, among them Cimbrian
Cimbrian language
Cimbrian refers to any of several local Upper German varieties spoken in northeastern Italy. The speakers of the language are known as Zimbern....
in Veneto
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
, Sappada
Sappada
Sappada is a comune in the Province of Belluno in the Italian region Veneto, located about 130 km north of Venice and about 60 km northeast of Belluno...
(Pladen) and Timau (Tischelwang) in Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Friuli–Venezia Giulia is one of the twenty regions of Italy, and one of five autonomous regions with special statute. The capital is Trieste. It has an area of 7,858 km² and about 1.2 million inhabitants. A natural opening to the sea for many Central European countries, the region is...
, and Sorica
Zgornja Sorica
Zgornja Sorica is a village in the Municipality of Železniki in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia.-External links:*...
(Zarz) in Upper Carniola
Upper Carniola
Upper Carniola is a traditional region of Slovenia, the northern mountainous part of the larger Carniola region. The centre of the region is Kranj, while other urban centers include Jesenice, Tržič, Škofja Loka, Kamnik, and Domžale.- Historical background :...
(Slovenia).
Gottscheerish developed independently for more than 600 years from the settlement of the first German-speaking settlers from Eastern Tyrol and Western Carinthia around 1330.
The Gottscheer Germans used Gottscheerish as oral language for daily communication, whereas their written language was Standard German
Standard German
Standard German is the standard variety of the German language used as a written language, in formal contexts, and for communication between different dialect areas...
. However, folk songs and folk tales collected in the 19th and 20th century have been published in Gottscheerish.
Already in the 19th century many speakers of Gottscheerish left their homes to emigrate to the United States of America. After resettlement of most Gottscheers by the German occupation forces in 1941 during the Second World War only a few hundred speakers of Gottscheerish remained in their homeland. After the war Gottscheerish was forbidden in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
.
Present situation
According to the UNESCOUNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, Gottscheerish is a "critically endangered language". The majority of its speakers live in the USA. Most of them are of the oldest generation, who lived their childhood still in Gottschee County. There are speakers in Canada, Austria and Germany as well, but just as in the USA they have hardly any opportunity to practice it. Everyday language in the family and elsewhere is English and German or the local dialect, respectively.
In Slovenia there are some families who preserved Gottscheerish in spite of the ban after Word War II. Today, however, there are probably no more children learning it as first language. Most Gottscheerish speakers live in Moschnitze valley (Črmošnjiško-Poljanska dolina) between Kočevske Poljane
Kočevske Poljane
Kočevske Poljane is a village in the Dolenjske Toplice municipality in Slovenia. The area is part of the historical region of Lower Carniola. The municipality is now included in the Southeast Slovenia statistical region....
and Črmošnjice
Črmošnjice, Semič
Črmošnjice is a village in the municipality of Semič in Slovenia. It lies on the eastern edge of the area that used to be inhabited by Gottschee Germans expelled in 1941 during the Second World War. The area is part of the historical region of Lower Carniola...
, where some Gottscheer families collaborated with the partisan movement and therefore were allowed to stay. The Society of the Gottscheers Native Inhabitants (Društvo Kočevarjev staroselcev / Gottscheer Altsiedlerverein) in Občice
Občice
Občice is a small settlement in the Dolenjske Toplice municipality in Slovenia. It lies on the eastern edge of the territory inhabited by Gottschee Germans that were mostly expelled in 1941 during the Second World War. The area is part of the historical region of Lower Carniola...
offers language courses in Standard German and Gottscheerish, but interest in Standard German is significantly higher.
External links
- Gottscheer Relief Association, New York: Language Lessons. Gottscheerisch for English Speakers
- Gottschee.de: Folk songs in Gottscheerish
- Kultura po 700 letih na robu propada (Domen Caharijas, DnevnikDnevnikDnevnik means "The Daily" or "Daily News" in South Slavic languages. It can also be translated as "Diary".Closely related Slavic variants of the word are Deník Dziennik and Дневник .It may refer to:...
, 17th Oktober 2009, in Slovene), parts of the body in Gottscheerish
