This is my first post to the list. I'm a swiss german (Schwytzertütsch)
native speaker, not Baseldytsch though. I'm not a linguistic specialist
but maybe I can give you a feeling for our language:
*Baseldytsch is one of several swiss-german/Alemanic dialects.
*All speakers of swiss-german dialects understand every other dialect
without any difficulties.
*swiss-german dialects usualy don't have a normalized writting form or
spelling rule.
*Swiss read and write in German. We don't learn how to write and read
in swiss german at school
*Baseldytsch is not further from every other swiss-german dialect than
Brooklyn-english from Manhattan-english or Paris-french from
Bretagne-french.
Am 18.11.2004 um 07:30 schrieb Pablo Saratxaga:
As building an encyclopedia is a *VERY BIG* task, it
would be advisable
not to divert efforts, imho; so there should only be one Wikipedia
per language, not per dialect.
I agree. As speakers of Baseldytsch usualy write and read in German and
perfectly understand German there shouldn't be one more Wiki for the
same content. As you can see there are only 245 Articles in Alemanic WP
so far.
Am 18.11.2004 um 07:30 schrieb Pablo Saratxaga:
Note that some define themselves as different
languages while,
linguistically, they are not; but they feel as different enough; but
that doesn't seem the case here.
That is the case here
Am 18.11.2004 um 00:29 schrieb Stephen Forrest:
According to the requester on [[meta:Request for new
language]],
"Baseldytsch is like other swiss dialects extremely different from the
"language" used on the Alemannic Wikipedia."
Spelling might be slightly different, 99% of the used words are the
same.
As long as Wikipedia aims to build an encyclopedia that wants to
provide the world with free knowledge, the German WP serves this aim
perfectly for all swiss-german/Alemanic dialects.
If WP helps to preserve local and regional dialects and language
culture, a Baseldytsch WP should be set up. But also a Wikipedia for
Berne-dialect, Zurich-dialect, Grisons-dialect, St.-Gallen-dialect and
every other swiss-german dialect.
I hope this gives you an impression 'from the inside'
Cheers
Andreas