Sorry Dave, but the work your mention is NOT the work I was referring to. The work he mentions is one you see when you check the online catalog but it is different. The one Dave mentions is for Romansch<>German and was published in 1962. The one I was thinking of is Swiss-German<>standard German and was published circa 1875 or so. A brief check of the online catalog did not show the listing, so my first guess is that it is cataloged under the German locality of publication. I know where it's located on the shelves of the library, but it will take a bit of digging to find it in the catalog. Regards, Mike Hobart ----- Original Message ----- From: <dschmutz@es.com> To: <SWITZERLAND-L@rootsweb.com> Cc: <mhobart@worldnet.att.net> Sent: Friday, February 04, 2000 11:30 PM Subject: RE: [SWITZ] Swiss-English / English-Swiss software or dictionary Dear Swiss researchers: The dictionary to which Mike refers is called: " Dicziunari rumantsch ladin-tudais-ch " by Peer, Oscar (Main Author) It has NOT been microfilmed. You may view the on-line FHL Catalog description by searching on the webpage: http://www.familysearch.org/fhlc/supermainframeset.asp Click on "All Searches" Click on "Author Searches" enter peer Click on Peer, Oscar then click on the title: Dicziunari rumantsch ladin-tudais-ch For more information on dictionaries from Switzerland, please visit the following weblink (between http and 375990 must all be included in your webbrowser): http://www.familysearch.org/fhlc/supermainframeset.asp?display=topicdetails& subject=375990 (if nothing seems to load on the webpage, hit your refresh/reload button.....it took me several tries to get the page to display) The following books were listed (not sure if they have been microfilmed or not - you'll need to check each individually): 1) Aargauer Wörterbuch in der Lautform der Leerauer Mundart Hunziker, J 2) Berndeutsches Wörterbuch : für die heutige Mundart zwischen Burgdorf, Lyss und Thun Greyerz, Otto von, 1863-1940 3) Dicziunari rumantsch ladin-tudais-ch Peer, Oscar 4) Glossaire du patois de la Suisse romande : avec un appendice comprenant une série de traductions de la parabole de l'enfant prodigue, quelques morceaux patois en vers et en prose et une collection de proverbes Bridel 5) Schweizerische Idiotikon : mit etymologischen Bemerkungen untermischt, samt einem Anhange der verkürzten Taufnamen Stalder, Franz Joseph 6) Zürichdeutsches Wörterbuch für Schule und Haus Weber, Albert Information about Ernest Thode's Genealogical German Dictionary, mentioned by Wolf S. below, (publ. 1992, NOT microfilmed) can be found at: http://www.familysearch.org/fhlc/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails& titleno=47299 (remember, all on one line between http and 47299) Other books by Mr. Thode can be researched by going to: http://www.familysearch.org/fhlc/supermainframeset.asp?display=authordetails &authorno=19166 (again, all on one line between htp and 19166) best wishes in your continued Swiss research, Dave Schmutz -----Original Message----- From: Mike Hobart [mailto:mhobart@worldnet.att.net] Sent: Friday, February 04, 2000 10:50 PM To: SWITZERLAND-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [SWITZ] Swiss-English / English-Swiss software or dictionary The LDS Family History Library has a dialect dictionary between the Davos (Graubünden) Swiss-German dialect and standard German that was published about 1875 or so. I'm pretty sure that it is available on microfilm but don't have the film number available. I am also aware of at least a couple other such dictionaries for other areas in Graubünden in the LDS library collection. One thing which really broke me up when I first saw this work was that the German term for a dialect dictionary was "Idiotikon". The term tells worlds about German language professors and the speakers of dialects <g>. Regards, Mike Hobart ----- Original Message ----- From: Seelentag Wolfhart Dr. KSSG_RO <wolf.seelentag@kssg.ch> To: <SWITZERLAND-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, February 04, 2000 9:47 AM Subject: AW: [SWITZ] Swiss-English / English-Swiss software or dictionary > > Von: C. J. Lisa[SMTP:cjlisa@worldnet.att.net] > > Gesendet: Freitag, 4. Februar 2000 16:38 > > An: SWITZERLAND-L@rootsweb.com > > Betreff: [SWITZ] Swiss-English /English-Swiss software or dictionary > > > > Hi all.... > > > > Does any one know of a source for a Swiss-English dictionary or software. German does not provide a complete translation and I would like to learn Swiss. I know a little to get by but not enough to be coherent. > > > > Thanks for your help. > > > Dear Claire, > > this question comes up occasionally - and I'm not sure whether there ever was a full answer. > > I don't know of a serious SwissGerman-English dictionary (I have seen one as souvenir - but that's more of a joke and will be of no use for genealogy) : > it's not the words themselfes which make todays Swiss-German difficult to understand - it's the pronounciation (dialect). When reading a newspaper, I'll still be able to tell you after a few minutes whether it is Swiss or German - but this will largely be due to the syntax used; there are only very few words used (in "normal" texts) in Switzerland, which you wouldn't find in a good German dictionary. The problem are the terms (like professions, political positions, and the like) found in the older documents we genealogists often try to read - most Swiss today (unless interested in history or genealogy) will not be able to tell you their meaning either, let alone translate them into any other language. This is the same for Germany: > for such terms the best "general" dictionary will not help you - you need a "genealogical dictionary"; there is a good one I know of - by Ernest Thode - check http://www2.genealogy.net/gene/misc/dictgen.html for more detail plus other related references. The problem with genealogical (or historical) dictionaries is that there was no "Germany" during most of the time of interest to genealogists (let alone an area including Switzerland) - consequently quite different words were used for the same thing - or the same word might have had quite different meanings in different regions! So if you *really* want to understand, the only way is to search for a book describing these old expressions (in German, don't think you'll find one in English) for your region of research - and then translate this description (using a good general dictionary) to English. > > Ernest Thode may want to add something to this comment (?). > > If anyone out there really wants to get into this, and compile relevant information of this type for Switzerland - you'd be more than welcome to join our SwissGen Team ;-). > > Best regards - Wolf