Everything about Hutterite German totally explained
Hutterite German (
Hutterisch) is an
Upper German dialect of the
Austro-Bavarian variety of the
German language, which is spoken by
Hutterite communities in
Canada and the
United States. Hutterite is also called
Tirolean, but this is an anachronism.
Distribution and literacy
Hutterite is spoken in the US states of
Washington,
Montana,
North and
South Dakota, and
Minnesota; and in the Canadian provinces of
Alberta,
Saskatchewan, and
Manitoba. Its speakers belong to the
Schmiedleit,
Lehrerleit, and
Dariusleit Hutterite groups, but there are also speakers among the older generations of
Prairieleit (the descendants of those Hutterites who chose not to settle in colonies). Hutterite children who grow up in the colonies learn and speak first Hutterite German before learning
English, the standard language of the surrounding areas.
As of 2003, there are about 34,000 speakers in the world, 85% of them living in 333 colonies in Canada and the remaining 15% in 123 colonies in the USA. Canadian adults are generally literate in
Biblical German (
Martin Luther's predecessor to
Standard German) that they employ as the written form for Scriptures while
Standard German is used in the USA for religious activities. Children learn English at school; Canadian Hutterites have a functional knowledge of English. Hutterisch, is for the most part an unwritten language, though in August 2006 Hutterite author, Linda Maendel released a children's story titled, "Lindas Glücklicher Tag" in which all the dialogue is written in the dialect. Maendel is also working on a series of bible stories with Wycliff Bible translators.
History and related languages
Hutterite German is descended from the German which was spoken in
Carinthia, in
Austria, in the mid-
18th century, a
Bavarian-Austrian language. Since dialects spoken in
Palatinate and in
Alsace are mostly
Alemannic languages, Hutterite German is only 50% intelligible to a speaker of
Pennsylvania German (source : The Ethnologue, 15th ed.). It is more closely related to
Austro-Bavarian (
Bavaria and
Austria),
Cimbrian and
Mócheno (both spoken in
Italy).
It should be noted that, although at one time the Hutterites spoke
Tirolean German, they no longer do. The switch among Hutterites from Tirolean German to Carinthian German occurred during years of severe persecution in Europe when Hutterite communities were devastated and survival depended on the conversion of many Austrian
Protestant refugees to Hutterite
anabaptism.
The language has since adopted some
Slavic as well as English loan words, which are the result of Hutterite migrations into eastern
Europe and now
North America.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Hutterite German'.
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