According to the map at http://www2.genealogy.net/gene/ghlp/dialekt.gif, - which is about linguistic terms - the "Hochdeutsch" (High German) Group of dialects consists of - group of "Mitteldeutsch" (Middle German) dialects: Ripuarisch, Moselfränkisch, Rheinfränkisch, Hessisch, Thüringisch, Obersächsisch, Sorbisch, Lausistzisch, - group of "Oberdeutsch" (Upper Deutsch) dialects: Ostfränkisch, Südfränkisch, Schwäbisch, Niederalemmanisch, Hochalemannisch, Nordbairisch (roughly the Oberpfalz), Mittelbairisch (from the river Lech up to East of Wien), Südbairisch (South of Insbruck and East to Graz) the other Group (not named further) of dialects consists obviously of - Niederfränkisch, Westfälisch, Ostfälisch, Märkisch, Nordniedersächsisch, Sauerländisch, Mecklenburgisch - Westfriesisch, Nordfriesisch The subgroupings in this other not further named main group is not very clear on that map. It might be that they are called "Niederdeutsch". As long as this map is valid, it is clear, that 1. the common meaning of the term "Hochdeutsch" has little to do with its linguistic meaning. In common use the opposite of "Hochdeutsch" is "Dialect". 2. The groups of Bairisch dialects are part of the "Oberdeutsch" (Upper German) group, which in turn is part of the "Hochdeutsch" dialect group. 3. What ever criteria is used, no "Lower German" is spoken in Bavaria This explanations here for all who can use only eMail and don't have access to the Web, where they might have a look at this map. If somebody can't get it from the Web, pls. mail me and I will send it via eMail. Here is the URL again: http://www2.genealogy.net/gene/ghlp/dialekt.gif Cheers, Stefan At 12:02 02.04.00 +0200, Georg Paulus wrote: ------------------------- > Thank you, Bernhard Schmidt, for bringing some light into the confusion > about High / Low German that we have been reading recently. I may add that > their is well also the group of "Upper German" (not "High German) dialects. > > So, part of the confusion may also be a result of incorrect translation: > > - High German = Hochdeutsch (= official German language) > - Upper German dialects = Oberdeutsch (= group of dialects spoken in > southern Germany, > Austria and Switzerland) > - Lower German dialects = Niederdeutsch (= group of dialects spoken in > northern > Germany) > > Best Regards > > Georg Paulus > > -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- > Von: "Bernhard Schmidt" <bernhard.schmidt@myokay.net> > An: <BAVARIA-L@rootsweb.com> > Gesendet: Sonntag, 2. April 2000 11:13 > Betreff: [BAVARIA] High and Low > > > > Hi everyone, > > > > here is something more on high/low german because there is still some > confusion. > > > > First of all they are NOT opposites to eachother as high-german vs. > low-german. > > > > Hochdeutsch (high) is the official (written) language of Germany, Austria > and parts of Switzerland and (very small) parts of Belgium. > > > > Niederdeutsche (low) Dialekte, meaning the group of dialects spoken in the > northern part of the country. > > > > > > Greetings from Germany > > Bernhard >