A Dictionary with National Variants of German

Language culture at the end of the 20th century is characterized by an increasing tolerance of other languages & variants & their speakers. However, linguistic tolerance is frequently disturbed by existing language asymmetries. This is best illustrated with German, which is an official language in several European countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy) but only "Germany's German" is considered to be the norm for other national varieties to follow. The linguistic situation in German Switzerland is described with special attention to standard-dialect diglossia. The project Nationale Varianten des Deutschen (National Variants of German), in which teams from Duisburg, Innsbruck, & Basel cooperate in the compilation of a dictionary of Teutonisms, Helvetisms, & Austriacisms, is reported. The question "what is a national variant?" is addressed & illustrated with designations & word formations differing in the three German dialects. The rationale for such a dictionary & its potential users are discussed. 4 References. Z. Dubiel