German Dialects and Language Translation Software
When you translate German into English it is important to remember that
there are many different German dialects. Learning a bit about language dialects
can go a long way in helping you to maximize your use of language translation
software.
The German language is spoken by approximately 130 million people worldwide;
with approximately 100 million being native German speakers, and the other
30 million learned speakers. There are six main dialects of German today,
with hundreds more utilized by people around the world.
What is a Dialect?
A language dialect is created by the variations in grammar, pronunciation,
and vocabulary of a particular language. These variations have developed
over time based on the geographical and social differences from one area
to another.
English Dialects / American English Compared to UK English
The easiest way to understand dialects is to look at the two major English
dialects – American English and UK English. While the major parts of
speech are the same between the two, if you were to go to the UK you would
find slight changes in the spellings and use of words. For example, in American
English we spell “color” while in the UK it is spelled “colour.”
In Systran’s Translation Software we have built in the ability to
translate using either the American English or the UK English dialect.
The Six Major German Dialects
Standard German
All people educated in German learn what is referred to as Hochdeutsch or
Standard German. This is the dialect used for broadcast, movies books,
tv and official documents.
In addition to Standard German, the most popular dialects,
moving from the geographic North to South, are: Fiesian, Low German/Plattdeutsch,
Middle German, Frankish, Alemannic, and Bavarian-Austrian. The Fiesian German Dialect
The Fiesian German dialect is spoken in the north of Germany along the coast
of the North Sea. In addition, West Fiesian, North Fiesian and East Fiesian
are further dialects spoken in their own geographic areas of Northern Germany.
The Low German / Plattdeutsch Dialect
The Low German dialect, also referred to as Plattdeutsch, derives its name
from the flat plain terrain of the area, which is located from the Dutch
border eastward towards the areas formerly known as Eastern Pommerania and
East Prussia.
The Middle German Dialect
The Middle German dialect is spoken in areas across Germany from Luxembourg
to Poland. As with other German dialects, Middle German has many local dialects.
The Frankish German Dialect
The Frankish German dialect is spoken along Germany’s main river and
in the center of the country. Two other dialects, known as South Frankish
and Rhine Frankish are spoken in the Northwestern region towards the Moselle
River.
The Alemannic German Dialect
The Alemannic German dialect is spoken mostly in the country of Switzerland.
The Bavarian-Austrian German Dialect
The Bavarian-Austrian German dialect is spoken within the entire region
of Bavaria and Austria. While there are some regional differences in speech,
they are not significant.
What is Localization?
Localization is when you modify a translation for a certain dialect. Learn
more about German Localization.
Systran’s Translation Software Uses Standard German
Systran’s translation software uses the Standard German or Hochdeutsch
for the translation. However, you can easily customize the German translation
into another dialect by simply training the software to recognize different
words for another dialect. You can accomplish this by building your own custom
dictionaries, building translation memory and more. For example, you can
easily create a “German Dialect” dictionary.
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