Small linguistic atlas of German-speaking Switzerland

The Little Language Atlas of German Switzerland vividly illustrates the diversity of the Swiss dialect landscape and tells the story of the history and origins of words. Those who want to look beyond the significant differences in dialects within this small country or wish to learn about the linguistic nuances of expressions in areas such as the mountain regions of Graubünden, Upper Valais, Eastern Switzerland, the Jura of Basel-Landschaft, German-speaking Fribourg, or the Bernese Oberland will find this new book, with its handy format and 120 colorful language maps, to offer highly informative and often surprising discoveries.

Dictionaries, language histories, and publications on special languages and dialects are currently in vogue for a reason: the great interest in languages, in both spoken and written words, reflects people's emotional connection to the idiom of their origins. In a society that has never been as mobile as it is today, the linguistic landscape suddenly gains immense emotional significance as a form of identity formation.

While language atlases were previously accessible only to a few specialists, language enthusiasts, cultural historians, dialect lovers, and true language and culture tourists will find the Little Language Atlas of German Switzerland to be a highly enlightening and easily readable guide to the dialects of German-speaking Switzerland.