A butterfly by any other name would look as beautiful
Keystone / Axel Heimken
Schmätterling (butterfly) will completely displace the Swiss dialect words Summervogel and Pfifolter by 2060, according to a linguistic analysis. Other dialect terms will also disappear from use.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts
Español
es
Las coloridas palabras dialectales se enfrentan a la extinción
While in 1940 almost half of German-speaking Swiss still used Summervogel (summer bird) when referring to a butterfly, this term is heading for extinction, the Tages-Anzeiger External linkreportedExternal link on Thursday. It based its article on an analysis by Adrian Leemann, a professor of German studies at the University of Bern.
Kanapee, once sat on by two-thirds of the German-speaking population of Switzerland, is expected to disappear completely from the language by 2100. Instead, Sofa will gain widespread acceptance. Only in cantons Valais and Graubünden will terms like Ggutschi or Ggusch survive.
More
More
English as a common language in Switzerland: a positive or a problem?
This content was published on
It’s not unusual to hear Swiss people from different parts of the country chatting away in English. But what does it mean for national identity?
Leemann predicts that in 80 years it will mainly be Bernese households that will still be spreading Anke on their morning bread. The rest of the country will opt for Butter. Alternative terms such as Schmalz are expected to have melted away by 2060.
In general, the analysis showed that the number of words used is set to decline. In 1940 there were still 21 different terms for dandelion; today there are only nine. In 2100, according to the study, the whole of German-speaking Switzerland will speak only of the Löwenzahn – the Söiblueme will have died out.
Terms that are similar to standard German or that are widespread in large urban agglomerations such as Bern and Zurich will prevail, Leemann believed.
The predictions are based on dialect measurements at three points in time: the dialect of the so-called Lost Generation (1880-1900), Baby Boomers (1940-60), and Millennials (1980-2000). Based on these measurements, statistical modelling could be used to forecast the dialectal development.
More
More
Why the Swiss still speak in dialects
This content was published on
It’s not easy to understand the Swiss, even if you speak one of the national languages. Here’s a guide to why that is.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Switzerland presents special toilet for cows to cut emissions
This content was published on
A toilet specially designed for cows, aimed at reducing ammonia emissions per animal by 15%, was presented at a farm in Hellbühl, canton Lucerne, on Wednesday.
Swiss petition against US F-35 fighter jets gathers 42,000 signatures
This content was published on
A petition by the "Stop-F35 Alliance" urging the Swiss government to immediately halt the purchase of new US fighter jets has gathered 42,500 signatures.
Swiss House of Representatives backs online Schengen visa system
This content was published on
In future, Schengen visa applications should be made via a European Union online platform. On Tuesday, Switzerland's House of Representatives adopted a revision of Swiss legislation on this issue.
UBS study: Switzerland is still the richest country in the world
This content was published on
Average per-capita wealth in Switzerland rose last year to $687,000 (CHF561,000), the UBS Global Wealth Report said on Wednesday.
UBS and Pictet report data leak after cyber attack on provider Chain IQ
This content was published on
Swiss banks UBS and Pictet on Wednesday confirmed they had suffered a data leak due to a cyber attack on their subcontractor Chain IQ in Switzerland.
Iran will respond firmly if US gets directly involved in Israeli strikes, says UN ambassador
This content was published on
Iran says it will respond firmly to the United States if it becomes directly involved in Israel's military campaign, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said on Wednesday.
Swiss politicians concerned by cut to Lausanne-Paris TGV services
This content was published on
The Vaud cantonal parliament wants to maintain six direct daily TGV high-speed train services between Lausanne and Paris.
This content was published on
Switzerland and Norway have signed a bilateral agreement for the future storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) under the North Sea.
Switzerland must better protect whistleblowers, says OECD
This content was published on
Switzerland must step up its anti-corruption efforts and provide better protection for whistleblowers while increasing fines for guilty firms, an OECD anti-bribery group says.
‘I recognise every word, but I have no idea what you’re saying’
This content was published on
For hundreds of years, Pennsylvania Dutch and Swiss German have been spoken in America by the descendants of Swiss immigrants.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.