Zipser German (German: Zipserisch, Zipserdeutsch, Hungarian: ''szepességi szász nyelv'' or ''cipszer nyelv'') is a Germanic

dialect The term dialect (from Latin , , from the Ancient Greek word , 'discourse', from , 'through' and , 'I speak') can refer to either of two distinctly different types of linguistic phenomena: One usage refers to a variety of a language that is ...

which developed in the Upper Zips region of what is now

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the ...

among people who settled there from central Germany beginning in the 13th century.Karl Julius Schröer, ''Die deutschen Mundarten des ungrischen Berglandes'' (1864) These German settlers are collectively known as

Zipser Germans The Zipser Germans or Zipsers (german: Zipser, ro, Țipțeri, hu, Cipszer) are a German-speaking (specifically Zipser German-speaking) sub-ethnic group which developed in the Szepes County (german: Zips; sk, Spiš) of Upper Hungary—today mostl ...

in Central Europe and as

Carpathian Germans Carpathian Germans (german: Karpatendeutsche, Mantaken, hu, kárpátnémetek or ''felvidéki németek'', sk, karpatskí Nemci) are a group of ethnic Germans. The term was coined by the historian Raimund Friedrich Kaindl (1866–1930), originall ...

in Slovakia. The Lower Zips was inhabited by other Central Germans who spoke a similar dialect called "Gründlerisch" which is considered to be the same language. Beginning in at least the 18th century, many Zipsers migrated to northern

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

, including to southern

Bukovina Bukovinagerman: Bukowina or ; hu, Bukovina; pl, Bukowina; ro, Bucovina; uk, Буковина, ; see also other languages. is a historical region, variously described as part of either Central or Eastern Europe (or both).Klaus Peter Berge ...

,Oskar Hadbawnik, ''Die Zipser in der Bukowina'' (1968) discusses the Zipserfest held in Jakobeny in 1936 to commemorate 150 years since the Zipsers migrated to Jakobeny in 1786. where several other Germanic dialects were also spoken.Willi Kosiul, ''Die Bukowina und ihre Buchenlanddeutschen'', 2012, , volume 2 Over time, the speech of the Zipsers in Romania was heavily influenced by that of people from Upper Austria who settled among them and were ultimately assimilated into the Zipser ethnic community. During and after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, most Zipsers evacuated or were expelled to Germany, but a community of speakers remains in Hopgarten; their distinctive dialect is called "Outzäpsersch" (German: "Altzipserisch", literally "Old Zipserish").Somewhat confusingly, literature on the language also uses "Altzipserisch" in two other ways: to refer to the dialect of the Upper Zips as contrasted with "Gründlerisch", and to refer to the original Central German (Gründlerisch) dialect of the speakers who migrated to Romania, as contrasted with the Upper-Austrian-influenced dialect they now speak. For example, Claus Stephani in ''Zipser Mära und Kasska'' (1989) writes that the later settlers "sprachen Oberösterreichisch, die anderen eine Gründler Mundart: Altzipserisch" (spoke Upper Austrian,

hile Hile ( ne, हिले) is a hill town located in the Eastern Part of Nepal, 13 km north of the regional center of Dhankuta Bazar. At an elevation of 1948 meters, it is the main route to other hilly districts like Bhojpur and Sankhuwasa ...

the others

poke Poke may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Poke (''Ender's Game''), a fictional character * Poke (game), a two-player card game * Poke, a fictional bar owner in the television series '' Treme'' * The Poke, a British satirical website Fo ...

a Gründler dialect: Old Zipserish).

Dialectal differences

The dialect spoken in Bukovina, Gründlerisch in origin, was characterized by the shift of original (

Middle High German Middle High German (MHG; german: Mittelhochdeutsch (Mhd.)) is the term for the form of German spoken in the High Middle Ages. It is conventionally dated between 1050 and 1350, developing from Old High German and into Early New High German. Hig ...

) /v/ to /b/ and of original /b/ to /p/.І. Я. Яцюк, ''Тернопільський національний педагогічний університет ім. Володимира Гнатюка'', ''Наукові записки. Серія “Філологічна”'', ''УДК 81’282.4:811.112.2(477)'': ''Lexikalische Besonderheiten Deutscher Dialekte in Galizien- und der Bukowina'': “Die Siedler in den ursprünglichen Bergwerksgemeinden im Südwesten der Bukowina sprachen Zipserisch und zwar Gründlerisch, wie es in der Unterzips gesprochen wurde. Dabei wurde im Anlaut wie ausgesprochen: Werke – berka, weh – be, Schwester – schbesta. Anlautendes wurde zu Brot – prot, Brücke – prik.”Oskar Hadbawnik, ''Die Zipser in der Bukowina'' (1968): “Prof. Lang führt dazu aus: «Die Zipser sprechen noch gründlerisch, die Mundart der unteren Zips. Statt w sagen sie b und statt b sagen sie p. «Berka» heißt Werke, «Basa» heißt Wasser und «Perg» heißt Berg.»” The dialect of Hopgarten distinctively shifts Middle High German /l/, in all positions, to 'u'.

References

{{Languages of Slovakia West Germanic languages Languages of Slovakia Languages of Romania Languages of Ukraine Languages of Germany German dialects Carpathian German people