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Archiver > SWITZERLAND > 2000-02 > 0949729785


From: "Mike Hobart" <>
Subject: Re: [SWITZ] Swiss-English / English-Swiss software or dictionary
Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2000 22:49:45 -0700


The LDS Family History Library has a dialect dictionary between the Davos
(Graubünden) Swiss-German dialect and standard German that was published
about 1875 or so. I'm pretty sure that it is available on microfilm but
don't have the film number available. I am also aware of at least a couple
other such dictionaries for other areas in Graubünden in the LDS library
collection.

One thing which really broke me up when I first saw this work was that the
German term for a dialect dictionary was "Idiotikon". The term tells worlds
about German language professors and the speakers of dialects <g>.

Regards, Mike Hobart

----- Original Message -----
From: Seelentag Wolfhart Dr. KSSG_RO <>
To: <>
Sent: Friday, February 04, 2000 9:47 AM
Subject: AW: [SWITZ] Swiss-English / English-Swiss software or dictionary


> > Von: C. J. Lisa[SMTP:]
> > Gesendet: Freitag, 4. Februar 2000 16:38
> > An:
> > Betreff: [SWITZ] Swiss-English /English-Swiss software or dictionary
> >
> > Hi all....
> >
> > Does any one know of a source for a Swiss-English dictionary or
software.
> > German does not provide a complete translation and I would like to learn
> > Swiss. I know a little to get by but not enough to be coherent.
> >
> > Thanks for your help.
> >
> Dear Claire,
>
> this question comes up occasionally - and I'm not sure whether there ever
> was a full answer.
>
> I don't know of a serious SwissGerman-English dictionary (I have seen one
as
> souvenir - but that's more of a joke and will be of no use for genealogy)
:
> it's not the words themselfes which make todays Swiss-German difficult to
> understand - it's the pronounciation (dialect). When reading a newspaper,
> I'll still be able to tell you after a few minutes whether it is Swiss or
> German - but this will largely be due to the syntax used; there are only
> very few words used (in "normal" texts) in Switzerland, which you wouldn't
> find in a good German dictionary. The problem are the terms (like
> professions, political positions, and the like) found in the older
documents
> we genealogists often try to read - most Swiss today (unless interested in
> history or genealogy) will not be able to tell you their meaning either,
let
> alone translate them into any other language. This is the same for Germany
:
> for such terms the best "general" dictionary will not help you - you need
a
> "genealogical dictionary"; there is a good one I know of - by Ernest
Thode -
> check
> http://www2.genealogy.net/gene/misc/dictgen.html
> for more detail plus other related references. The problem with
genealogical
> (or historical) dictionaries is that there was no "Germany" during most of
> the time of interest to genealogists (let alone an area including
> Switzerland) - consequently quite different words were used for the same
> thing - or the same word might have had quite different meanings in
> different regions! So if you *really* want to understand, the only way is
to
> search for a book describing these old expressions (in German, don't think
> you'll find one in English) for your region of research - and then
translate
> this description (using a good general dictionary) to English.
>
> Ernest Thode may want to add something to this comment (?).
>
> If anyone out there really wants to get into this, and compile relevant
> information of this type for Switzerland - you'd be more than welcome to
> join our SwissGen Team ;-).
>
> Best regards - Wolf
>
>
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