Helvetism - Swiss Expressions Loaned Into Standard German

Swiss Expressions Loaned Into Standard German

The word Putsch is one of those widely used in political context even in notable Standard German newspapers. The word Müsli, however, is a special case: in Swiss German (and only there), Müsli is the diminutive of Mus ("mouse") and stands for "little mouse". To describe the food, the Swiss would use a special spelling, which is nowhere used abroad (in English one says Muesli): Müesli.

  • Nature:
    • Gletscher (A glacier, in the Western Alps; in the East Alps a glacier is called a Ferner or Kees)
    • Gülle (Liquid manure)
    • Lärche (Larch)
    • Lawine (Avalanche)
    • Murmeltier(Marmot)
    • Senn(Swiss alps farmer)
  • Politics:
    • Putsch (Putsch, or Coup d'état)
    • Reichsdeutsche (Germans living in the German Empire; this term was coined in 1871 by Swiss German-speaking people.)
    • Überfremdung (So-called "over-alienation" of the country)
  • conventions and customs:
    • Heimweh (Homesickness; first described among Swiss soldiers who missed their homes in the Alps)
    • Vignette (Automobile sticker verifying payment of a road tax)
  • kitchen:
    • Müsli (Muesli, a breakfast food)
    • Cordon bleu (Cordon bleu, a chicken dish)
    • Fondue (Fondue, a melted cheese dish)
    • Raclette (Raclette, a melted cheese dish)
    • Bündnerfleisch (A seasoned, dried meat, also called Bindenfleisch or Viande des Grisons.)
  • other:
    • unentwegt (Steadfast)

Read more about this topic:  Helvetism

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