Boarisch - Boirisch - Bairisch

As an intangible cultural heritage, the dialect is one of the most important factors of Bavarian identity. This book provides an overview of one and a half millennia of the German language in Bavaria, from the first runic inscriptions to the local written German language and today's dialect poetry. Typical texts are used to illustrate the most important linguistic changes and describe the development of today's dialects. Topics include tribal names, linguistic relics from prehistoric times, the significance of dialects for the history of the region, the age and genesis of important dialectal peculiarities, the influence of Latin, neighbouring languages, the centres of Munich and Vienna and the question of whether Bavarian is a dialect or a language.