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Department of Computational Linguistics — Phonogram Archives

Stadtberndeutsch (1990er)

Stadtberndeutsch: Sprachporträts aus der Stadt Bern

Bernese German from the City: Language Portraits from the City of Bern

Edited by Beat Siebenhaar and Fredy Stäheli
Phonogram Archives of the University of Zurich, Schweizer Dialekte in Text und Ton 5.1
Licorne, 2000

Description

There is hardly any other Swiss city that displays such a variety in its traditional city dialect as Bern. Two CDs provide an insight into the dialectal characteristics of different social classes in interviews about language and in literary texts. The traditional and endangered form of Bernese German is presented alongside the almost extinct "Mattenenglisch" and flattened, no longer distinct variants of urban Bernese German. Added to this are rural Bernese German, the Bernese German of an integrated Romand, and scene-specific variants. Historical recordings and readings complete the collection.
The interviews are transcribed in the book; all recordings are translated into standard German and are accompanied by an introductory text and commentary.

  • The title page of the publication bears the title in standard German and in the Bernese dialect. A city skyline is depicted in dark blue on a yellow background.

    Front cover of the publication "Stadtberndeutsch"

  • The excerpt from the publication shows the transcription in the Bernese dialect and the translation into standard German for the audio sample.

    Transcription of the audio sample on Mattenenglisch.

Audio sample: Excerpt from the interview about Mattenenglisch

Recording date: 1994
Speaker: Roger Friedelance
Roger Friedelance was born in the former working-class neighbourhood of Matte, where he spent his childhood and youth.

Roger Friedelance gives examples of Mattenenglisch and translates them in an interview.

Transcription in dialect

R. F.: Ja, was söu̯u̯ i ẹtz ... ich verzeu̯u̯e? I ha imme gseit: Iderhẹ ittumẹ ingerhẹ iszhẹ ịmmerhẹ ittlechgmẹẹ, das heisst: I der Matte ungər isch es immer gmüetlech gsẹ. Nächär cha me o säge: I der Iuschẹẹ ịmerhẹ ingerm… ịngeremhẹẹ Iggerẹẹ ịmfẹ Ịrerlẹẹ imerhẹ Ịttumẹinglischẹ ịdgre, nẹẹd. Au̯so i də Schueu̯ hei mer eigetlech hingerem Rügge vom Leerer immer Mattenänglisch gredt, ọ so hei mer äbe (R. R.: m-m) aso chli chönne abmache, was mer ẹtz wei mache u was mer eigelech nẹd wette mache.

Standard German translation

R. F.: Ja was soll ich jetzt Euch erzählen? Ich habe immer gesagt: Iderhe ittume ingerhe iszhe immerhe ittlechgme, das heisst: In der Matte unten ist es immer gemütlich gewesen. Nachher kann man auch sagen: Imfe Irerlee imerhei Ittumeinglische idgre, nicht. Also, in der Schule haben wir eigentlich hinter dem Rücken des Lehrers stets Mattenenglisch gesprochen. Auch haben wir eben ein wenig abmachen können, was wir jetzt machen wollen und was wir eigentlich nicht machen möchten. 

The publication "Stadtberndeutsch: Sprachporträts aus der Stadt Bern" is available in ouronline shop.