![](http://i.imgur.com/JIOS6.jpg")
This is a future president? What a piece of garbage that has migrated from the sewers of Chicago to what is now the White Hut in DC.
Posted on 08/01/2011 9:01:36 PM PDT by lbryce
Your friend is right. I speak, read & write German fairly fluently (i.e. Hochdeutsch = high German, or more accurately known as “standard or standardized” German, taught at schools, used by the media, etc.. in Germany).
German spoken in Southern Germany (Bavaria) or other regions, & in Austria are classified as various dialects, not separate or distinct languages. Differences are in accents as well as expressions, words, and sometimes even sentence construction.
Swiss German is also a dialect but with many more differences than those between Austrian/southern German & HochDeutsch.
For example, I don’t have too many problems understanding most *spoken* Austrian or Bavarian German dialects, but would need to concentrate. Though, I find understanding Swiss German quite difficult. Dutch has German roots, but is a different language. Though, when I spent some time in Holland, I could more or less understand the gist of a conversation in Dutch. Equally, many Dutch people could understand when I spoke German, even those who didn’t specifically speak German.
But what she said about Ukrainian, Russian and Białorussian being similar is true and yet they are classified as separate languages
Also many Germans tell me that they find Austrians and Bavarians sometimes impossible to understand
But, your friend also mentions having a separate "written" script, form. And, perhaps distinct grammar (for the above languages), as differentiators between a dialect v/s a language?
Also many Germans tell me that they find Austrians and Bavarians sometimes impossible to understand
In my experience I mostly didn't. Though, had problems understanding when not concentrating. Maybe they were kind when speaking to me (as a non-German). Though, I think if they decided to speak purely dialect, or what we may call "pigeon english", I would've had more difficulty.
I learned "hochdeutsch" in Germany as a youngster. Though, as previously said, I've to concentrate when hearing or conversing w/ someone who doesn't speak "hochdeutsch"; because of varying accents as well as different expressions, words & sentence construction. IOW, because they tend to speak a *dialect* of the same language.
Hochdeutsch* is standardized, "official" German language, written, read & spoken. Officially taught & used in German speaking world, as opposed to *Oberdetusch*, which often refers to dialects spoken in Bavaria & Austria, by ordinary people & communities in different regions.
IOW, some consider *HochDeutsch* to be an *artifical* German language. The intent, as far as I know, was to standardize the language, so that most have a common, standard means of communicating, written & oral, in the German speaking world.
Funnily, HochDeutsch doesn't only refer to Northern parts of Germany, though I think Hanover is the closest to it. Even in Hamburg (Northern Germany), there are distinct pronunciations of words, though in Hamburg, HochDeutsch is much more spoken than Bavaria. For example, "stein" (stone) by traditional, "echt" (true) Hamburgers (not the eating kind) is pronounced as "s..tein", rather than "sh..tein". OR, "Straße" (street) is pronounced as "s...trasse" rather than "sh..trasse", in Hamburger German.
grüß Gott or Guten Tag - Orangensaft oder Apfelsine... as very basic examples of differences.
*Oberdetusch* = *Oberdeutsch*
The different written scripts she's referring to is Serbo-Croat which is written in different scripts depending on whether you are Serb, Croat or Bosnian
I get the same experience in Poland -- as a non-Pole, they speak mostly standard Polish to me and I don't speak pidgin English to them
thanks for the examples of German spracht :)
” It seems insignificant, but it shows that he’s trying to pretend he’s a big baseball fan when he’s not. Why does he do that? “
Like Hillary to gain that one extra vote because he’s like them and a fan of their team
” Also many Germans tell me that they find Austrians and Bavarians sometimes impossible to understand”
Similar to the Welsh dialect. Many Brits, and Americans have a hard time discerning their particular brand of English.
Have experienced this myself.
In the end we all have an “ accent” based on our birthplace, experience, etc.
That's outstanding.
From your post #40, and your friend's words below:
swiss german is often considered as not intelligible by germans; but at the same time it's considered as a german dialect (since there is not a standardisised written swiss german version).
Same applies to Bavarian & Austrian German.
there is a linguist who sais that in the germanophonoc countries people consider their varieties more as dialects of the same language while in the slawic countires there is a tendency to speak about two languages even if they are quite close to eachother (eg. russian and belarusian).
Wasn't clear what the above exactly meant.
This is a future president? What a piece of garbage that has migrated from the sewers of Chicago to what is now the White Hut in DC.
Really interesting. Tell me, is Welsh not considered a separate language (rather than dialect), compared to modern English? Or is it old Welsh?
Reason I ask is because I had a Welsh professor in London many yrs ago, who made a point of telling his students that "English" was not his native tongue. I have also heard that Welsh is the original language spoken by inhabitants of what we now know as "England". OR, that the Welsh were the original inhabitants of what we now know as "England". Obviously & presumably going back centuries.
I am unclear. Do you know more or can you elaborate on differences & origins?
As much of a louse as Obama is, the issue really is more of a dysfunctional electorate that would entrust the highest elective office in the land to such a POS. I really fear for a country with a majority of the voting public choosing a scumbag like this.
2012 is coming up shortly. BIG opportunity for him not be a "future" president.
He really said “teutonic” (instead of tectonic)? OMG!
During a speech he addressed the “fallen heroes” in the audience. (An audience attended by ghosts, I guess.)
In a speech 11/10/2010, he said the U.S. Motto is “E pluribus unum”. (“In God We Trust” is the official U.S. Motto established by Congress in 1956.)
He said his father served in WWII. (His father would have been 10 years old during WWII.)
He referenced Emperor Hirohito personally surrendering to MacArthur. (Duh!)
About Russian and Białorussian -- the thing is that the original Białorussian "language" was actually a language continuum -- the Ruthenian people never had a chance to standardise their language and were sandwiched between Poland and Muscovy
The Belarussian language now is pretty much artificial imho and is very close to Russian (most Białorussians can speak Russian)
Anyway, she meant that sometimes the difference between a language and a dialect is what the speakers want to call it -- a Russian will say that Belarussian is a dialect OF Russian (hence giving it and correspondingly the people and the nation of Belarus a subordinate position to Russia), while Belarussians will call it a separate language
While in the Germanic speaking world, there doesn't seem to be that problem -- perhaps because Germania was so fragmented until 1870
And, imho Scottish is not a separate language anymore -- it may have been in the time of Robert Burns "gang aft agley", but now, at least in the Edinburgh-Glasgow region, it's just heavily accented standard English.
Gaelic on the other hand is of course a different language
They really sould have included him making fun of Special Olympics kids on Letterman.
I think American English is diverging considerably from British English: common(have you ever been so knackered you couldn’t even snog?) as well as BBC. Then there is Chinglish (a dialect I personally would say), Australian English (ok, this is just an accent veering towards a dialect), Indian english (strangely like Victorian english mixed with various Indic languages’ grammars!)
“It seems insignificant, but it shows that he’s trying to pretend he’s a big baseball fan when he’s not. Why does he do that?”
Probably for the same reason Gore lied about EVERYTHING, for no particular reason. They can’t help themselves; it happens when Satan has more control over a person’s life than the Holy Spirit does.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.