Cimbrian language
Spoken in
Cim
Cimbrian ( proper name Cimbrian gaprècht, Cimbrian Zunga, Cimbrian, Italian called Cimbro ) is the traditional Upper German language of the Cimbri in northern Italy, which was spoken in three enclaves and by the end of the 18th century, churches and official language in the former Republic of the Seven Churches. As a special variant of the Bavarian, she also belongs to the German dialects. Today, it is only in the village Lusern in Trentino everyday language and has no more than 1000 speakers.
Distribution area
Beginning of the 19th century Cimbrian of about 20,000 people in the thirteen communities north of Verona, in the seven communities around Schlege ( Sleeghe, Italian Asiago ) and in parts of Nova Tyrol (Trentino ) was spoken northwest of the Seven Churches. Possibly even more in the 17th century there was a coherent zimbrisches language area, which additionally covered the area between the three later language islands. Then assign field names out of Germanic origin.
Dialects
The Cimbrian consists of three linguistic islands, each with its own dialect: the seven communities that Thirteen municipalities and Cimbrian of Lusern, Lafraun and Vielgereut in Trentino. Of these dialects, that of the seven churches is the most ancient and the most modern in Trentino.
History
The Cimbrian is probably due to several waves of settlement in the 12th and 13th centuries from the upper Lechrain in Bavaria and the Tyrol. The most ancient form was spoken to Schlege where the use as a written language favored the preservation of old features.
With the abolition of the autonomy of the Seven Churches under Napoleon the status of the Cimbrian ended as an official language. Since then Italianisation also spread to this area.
Documentation
1602, Bishop Marco Corner of Padua the Catechism "Christ Like unt korze Dottrina ", a translation of the Italian ' Dottrina christiana breve " by Cardinal Robert Bellarmine, the oldest book in print Cimbrian language in Vicenza. To 1685/86 also dealt with the polymath Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Cimbric language. In the 6th edition of the second part of its " geography " made the German cosmograph Anton Friedrich Büsching 1769 Cimbri in the German language known. In the years 1813 and 1843, the then Italian catechism " Piccolo Catechismo ad uso del Regno d' Italia " was re- translated into Cimbrian and printed under the title "Dar Runt Catechismo before dec Béloseland ".
Middle of the 19th JHT. traveled to the Bavarian philologist and linguist Johann Andreas Schmeller several times Cimbrian islands and realized that Cimbrian is an ancient German dialect Bavarian- Tyrolean expression that is spoken since the High Middle Ages. In 1855 Schmeller was a " Cimbrisches dictionary " out.
In the 20th century dealt mainly Bruno Schweizer ( the Langobardentheorie of Cimbrian founded) and the Bavarian researchers Hugo Resch from Landshut with the dialect of the Cimbri. Contributions to the study and documentation submitted by Anthony Rowley. The Munich-based linguist Hans Tyroller studied the Luserna dialect in the first place and to present a comprehensive grammar 1997.
In the vernacular of seven communities in the ecclesiastical texts have been published since 1602 up to the present folk tales and poems are produced. 1979, published in Schlege in Vicenza a missal for Cimbrian that is used to this day, although the language is no longer learned as a native language. Also building and grave inscriptions there are in this language. In the Thirteen municipalities and Trentino however, there is no Cimbric literary tradition.
Today's sociolinguistic situation
In 2008 Cimbrian the Seven Churches ( Toitsches Gaprècht, Cimbrian Gaprècht, " German " or " Cimbric language ") was only spoken by less than fifty people in the community Roana ( Robàan, German Rain), most of which are in the fraction Mezzaselva ( Mittenwald ) live. The youngest speaker was about 50 years old in the same year, most significantly older. In the other communities it is extinct, some since the end of the 19th century. However, there is a fairly strong, again increasing identification with the Cimbri history and traditional Cimbric written language of the seven communities in the texts still produced today. Also in the Holy Mass will still regularly used, the Missal is used by 1979.
The Cimbrian the Thirteen communities - self-description Tautsch or Taut Shas Garëida ( " German, German talk " ) - has already spoken end of the 19th century, only in two villages in Gliesen ( Giazza ) even of children, in Campo - Fontana, however, only by a few elders. Beginning of the 21st century is Gliesen, where about 300 people live, the last village where some old people speak the language. However, they hardly have any opportunity to use it in everyday life. In elementary school, there are lessons for learning the dialect, which no longer learned as mother tongue. In the church here Cimbrian is not needed.
In Trentino Cimbrian in Lafraun and Vielgereut beginning of the 20th century is extinct, so that Lusern is the last village where Cimbrian is still alive and is learned by children. In Trentino, the mother language is levied only since 2001 censuses. The Cimbrian is recognized next to the Fersentalerischen and the Ladin language as a minority language in Trentino for several years. At the 2001 census gave 267 of 297 inhabitants in Lusern ( 89.9 %) Cimbrian as mother tongue. Across Trentino there were 882 of 477 017 ( 0.2%). In the 2011 census counted themselves only 238 of 284 inhabitants in Lusern ( 83.8 % ) for Cimbric language group throughout Trentino 1072 of 526 510 ( 0.2%). After all counted but also a considerable number of people in Folgaria (249 out of 3151 or 7.9 %) and Lavarone (85 of 1088 or 7.8 %) to Cimbric language group. In Lusern very few school-age children live. 2006, the village school was closed, the last had only three students. Students attend primary school from Lafraun where no one speaks in everyday Cimbrian. Instruction is in Italian, but there are one hour in the week as elective classes in Cimbrian. German lessons do not exist. Although the census results indicate a very high degree of identification with the Cimbri language is increasingly used by the young generation in Lusern Italian as their language. In worship no Cimbrian used.
The UNESCO classified Cimbrian as a "clearly endangered language " ( definitely endangered language). Please note, however, is that the situation in the seven and thirteen municipalities rather meets the criteria for a " highly endangered language" ( critically endangered language ), because the Cimbrian there used only by people with older age and solely in Lusern is also spoken by some children.
Phonology
The Cimbrian belongs to the Bavarian dialects.
Stressed vowels
The vowels of the Cimbrian show to a large extent the development of the Bavarian dialects. So is medium high German become ei oa: goas ( goat ), hoatar (fun ). From Old High German quëman has become khemmen as in the other Bavarian dialects, while it is elsewhere become already come to the Middle High German period.
The Middle High German long vowels î, û and iu [y ː ] are ai, au and tn broken: mouse ( mouse ), ( be ) sain, hewed ( today).
As in Lech Rainer dialect is ê ô to ea and oa to: Groas (large), Hoach (high), roat (red), khlea ( clover), snea ( snow), bea ( hurt ).
Light a remains as well as Middle High German æ retained and is not to å or a darkened: Bassar ( water ), has ( o) ( Hare), khes (cheese), spet [ ʃ ] ( late). Herein Cimbrian by other linguistic island dialects as Pladen / Sappada, Zahre / Sauris, Tischlwang / Timau and Gottschee different.
Unlike in Bavarian ou is too long o and ÖU too long ö: oge (eye, MHG Ouge ), ( run, MHG loufen ) lovan, would suspend ( lift, MHG höuwe ) Stroebe ( aspire, MHG ströuwe ).
Unstressed vowels
In Cimbrian the seven municipalities, the final vowels are from the Old High German period obtained ( a, o, e), which are elsewhere weakened since the Middle High German e [ e] and continue to schwa [ ə ]: sunna ( Sun), erda (Earth) mano ( the Moon ), haso (hare ), Faffe ( priest, priest). In the thirteen communities there is a weakening to e ( sunne, earth, mane, jackrabbit, Faffe ), while in the Cimbrian of Trentino the ending completely eliminated ( sunn, earth, man, HAS, faff ).
Consonants
The second sound shift is performed in its entirety, so that not only b and d ( from Germanic * d ), but also become g voiceless (p, t, k): prennen ( burn ), Prunn (wells ), kagl ( Gagel: Ziegen-/Schafkot ) zakkl ( tail < Zagel ). Moreover, in some words themselves from Germanic * d th at t: tach (roof), TempFan ( dampen ) tengln ( peening ), tondarn ( thunder ), tunkhl (dark). The k from Germanic * k is tinged as in Lechrainischen and many other Upper German dialects.
The v [ * f] of the Middle High German - in NHG anlautendes f or v - is always voiced as standard German w [v ] spoken: Vassan ( grasp ), Vatar (father). Middle High German w [ β * ] - and neuhochdeutsches w [v ] - might b: burza (root), Boaze (wheat). These changes of f / v and w occur in other Bavarian linguistic island dialects, including Pladen ( Sappada ) and Tischelwang ( Timau ) in Friuli and Zarz ( Sorica ) and Gottschee in Carniola (Slovenia).
Morphology
In the derivation of adjectives from nouns to describe properties Cimbrian uses the Bavarian ending- at: Narrat ( foolish ), Deppat; , squarate ( 4eckig ) (see südd / österr dopey and Depp stupid, stupid.. ).
Vocabulary
The vocabulary is predominantly bavarian with typical expressions such as erta (Tuesday), finzta (Thursday), Foat (shirt ) and khrånebitt ( bair. cranes Witt, juniper). There are some ancient words that are extinct in other areas for a long time, such as lüsnen ( listen, see Engl. lists) and khödan ( say, Old High German quëdan ). Are very numerous Italian loanwords. Since there was little contact with the German-speaking countries, there is this Romanesque expressions, even where written German expressions used in other German dialects. Examples are vinzern ( win, it. Vincere ), SPUSA ( bride it. Sposa ) and Giust (yes, it. Giusto ).
Grammar
In the conjugation of verbs, there is large agreement with the other Bavarian dialects. Thus, the forms of the 3rd person plural in the end Cimbrian the seven communities -nt. In Lusern however, they are collapsed as in standard German with the first person plural. In the present tense are no umlauts ä, ö and AEU formed: vallen - ear vallet ( fall - he falls ). However, there is still an umlaut i from e, in all three persons of the singular: ezan ( eat ): I Izze, you izzest, ear izzet biar ezzen, iar ezzet, seü ezzent. In addition to the simple infinitive has its own dependent infinitive with to: vallen - zo ( fall - to fall ) valla.
As in the other Upper German dialects the past tense is lost and is replaced by the perfect tense. The prefix ga - the participle is not reduced. Originally strong verbs in the past participle get inspired by the weak usually the ending- t: vallen - gavallet ( fall - like ).
The subjunctive I differs in the 3rd person singular and plural of the present indicative by the absence of final t. The subjunctive II is expressed by the suffix- ete, even with most originally strong verbs.
Unlike in Bavaria no old dual forms in the second person plural are used in Cimbrian. So stands for " her, you" do not it / Aus, enk, but iar / ear (t) / ar, eüch / aüch / as. Therefore, the corresponding verb forms receive no -s: iar maketh ( you do, see, Bavaria: it makes it ).
Ordinals are missing and are expressed by cardinal numbers.
In declination there is nominative, dative and accusative. Strong nouns in the dative get a - e, which is also true for feminines: deü bant - dear bente (the wall - the wall). The products have long - and short enclitic forms, so is ( the ) shortened to me, for example edema.
The genitive is lost and is replaced by the dative with of. In the Catechism of 1602 it is still used a lot, the shapes largely correspond to those of present-day standard German, s but is expressed by z. In the Catechism of 1813, the genitive does not happen anymore. A comparison between the translations of the Ave Maria shows impressively how the dating of the " death of the genitive " was. The translation of 1602, with its many genitive forms, however, is strongly influenced by domestic German texts. It should be noted that Mary in 1602 with "You " is styled and 1813 with "You ":
Syntax
The syntax is subject to strong Italian influences. So there is no more compelling example for the German position of the verb in second place in the declarative sentence as the main set.
Text Example: Our Father
Z Gapeet of god me Heeren ( The Lord's Prayer on Cimbrian ), seven municipalities, from the Cimbrian Catechism of 1602 and the Cimbrian Catechism of 1813
A more recent translation of the Our Father is in the Missal of 1979: