Kölsch dialect
The Colognes byleid (German: Kölsch [kʰœlʃ], Colognes: Kölsch [kœɫːɕ]) is a Wast Central German leid fae the Ripuarian kin ae byleids, thit's tawkit in the ceitie ae Cologne. The name "Kölsch" is yaist fause bi a puckle ae Germans tae ettle ony Ripuarian byleid, fur the yins that arnae tawkit in Cologne an aw, fur thit the name "Ripuarian" isnae kent bi maist Germans, an fur thit nu Kölsch is the muckle maist Ripuarian byleid. Awbesit the Kölsch leid disnae come fae Staundart German, an it's no eith tae jaloose Kölsch gin thit ye ainly ken German, fur thit it's tawkit in Germanie, thay'r cawin it a German byleid. Syne the radio's upmak, ainly a puckle ae fowk in Cologne tawk the fu Kölsch leid, an maist fowk tawk aither German, or the Rhine German byleid, whit is a suithfast byleid ae Staundart German wi intak fae the aulder leids in the aurie, wi them Kölsch. Yit ye hear Kölsch whan it's Carnival time but, fur thit mony singers screive sangs in it.
A puckle ae kenmerks o Kölsch (an mair general ae aw ae Ripuarian) are:
- G oft wirths tae J (thit soonds sae a Y in Scots), fur ensaumple "Geld" (monie) is "Jeld". A puckle ae fowk still screive it "G" bit.
- The endin -e eilies, an -en wirths tae -e, fur ensaumple Gasse (road, gate) an his plural Gassen are Jass, Jasse.
- The vouels are aw no sib wi German, special the lang yins, an ye cannae screive a eith rowle tae cover aw ae the chynges (this is fur Kölsch isnae makkit fae Staundart German).
- A puckle ae the daenwirds are mair no-raigler, fur ensaumple maache (mak). In German it's machen, an it's gaun: ich mache, du machst, er macht. (A mak, ye mak, he maks). In Kölsch hit's: ich maache, do mähs, hä mäht.
- The soonds CH sae "ich" (A) an SCH sae "Fesch" (fish) are said sib wi ilkither, an soond sae the Scots soond sh. (Whan CH maks the soond it daes in Scots wirds sae micht, it's stayin sae at.)
A ither kenmerk which taks mair tae redd oot is whit's cawed Schärfung (shairpin) in German, an whit'll be cawed the Scots wird "shairpin" fae nu an on. Hit's a kin ae tuin cant thit's foond in a puckle ae German weeleids, Colognes wi them. Een a puckle ae leenguists hink thit it gat its stairt in Cologne, an thin abreid. Shairpin can ainly chynge a lang vouel, or the consonant thit follaes a cutty yin. In maist cases, shairpin happent fae a vyced consonant follied bi a vouel. Bit in mony cases, the vouel thit follied wis "e", an sae wis said abuin, E thit ends wirds eilies, E in endins eilies an aw, fur ensaumple -s, whit wis -est in Auld German (fur ensaumple "schrîbest" (ye screive) wirths tae "schrivs" [ʃʁiˑfs], wi shairpin on the i.) This maks wirds thit wid soond alike gin thit thare wis nae shairpin, fur ensuample kunnt [kʊnːt] "cuid", an Kund [kʊnˑt] "customer". Thare's vouels thit aye hae shairpin an aw bit, sae it isnae a eith phonetic law. In maist cases, ony lang vouels thit arnae "i" an is lang in German haes shairpin an aw.
Here's a ensaumple ae somehing screivit in Kölsch, thit's a sang bi an auld singer fae Cologne thit wis cawed Willy Ostermann:
| Kölsch | IPA | German | Scots |
|---|---|---|---|
| Och, wat wor dat fröher schön doch en Colonia
Wenn der Franz mem Nies nohm "Ahle Kohlberg" jingk Wenn der Pitter Ärm en Ärm mem Apollonia Stellverjnöch om Heimwääch aan ze knuutsche fingk |
ɔx vat vɔˑɐ̯ dat ˈfʁøˑɐ ɕøˑn dɔx en koˈɫoˑnia
vɛn dɐ fʁanːts mem niˑs nɔˑm ˈaˑɫə ˈkoːɫbɛʁəɕ jɪŋːk vɛn dɐ ˈpɪtːɐ ˈɛʁəm en ˈɛʁəm mem ˌapoˈɫoˑnia ˈɕteɫːfɐˈʝnøˑɕ om ˈhei̯mvɛˑɕ aːn tsə ˈknuːtɕə fɪŋːk |
Ach, was war das früher schön doch in Colonia
Als Franz mit Agnes zum "Ahle Kohlberg" ging Als Peter Arm in Arm mit Apollonia Stillvergnügt auf dem Heimweg anfing zu schmusen |
O, how luesome it uised tae be in Cologne
Whan Franz wid gae tae the "Ahle Kohlberg" wi Agnes Whan Peter wid stairt tae knuse wi Apollonia An the way hame, innerly blythe |
(The Ahle Kohlberg is an auld restaurant that's been open syne foriver.)
