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Styrian Dialect

Styria, or Steiermark in German, is a federal state in the southeast of Austria. It borders Slovenia to the south, Carinthia to the west, Burgenland to the east, and Upper and Lower Austria to the north. The province is often called the “green heart of Austria” because of its forests, vineyards, and Alpine foothills. Its capital, Graz, is the second-largest city in Austria and a UNESCO World Heritage site, with a history that blends medieval roots with a vibrant student population. While Standard German is the language of administration, education, and media, the daily spoken language in Styria is a local dialect of Bavarian, known as Schtairisch.

The Dialect: Schtairisch in Depth

The Styrian dialect belongs to the Austro-Bavarian group of German dialects. Linguistically, it sits mainly within Southern Bavarian, but in northern and eastern parts of Styria it transitions toward Central Bavarian, making the dialect landscape internally diverse. Within Styria itself, dialectologists usually distinguish between Upper Styrian, Western Styrian, Eastern Styrian, Southern Styrian, and Grazerisch (spoken around Graz). Each has its own particular flavor, shaped by history, geography, and contact with neighboring dialects.

Phonology:
One of the most distinctive features of Styrian is its vocalism. Long vowels and diphthongs often take on “barking” qualities, with highly distinctive pronunciations. For example:

  • Standard German Apfel becomes Öupfl
  • Standard German Semmel becomes Söumml

Consonant shifts are also common. For instance, k often becomes a softer fricative sound in some regions, and endings are frequently dropped or heavily reduced. The reduction of final vowels and syllables can make words sound clipped to outsiders. Pronouns and small function words often appear in shortened forms: ich becomes i, nicht becomes nid.

Morphology and Grammar:
Styrian shares several features with other Bavarian dialects but uses them in its own way. Umlaut is often absent in verb forms:

  • Standard German er fährt → Styrian er fahrt
  • Standard German er läuft → Styrian er laft

Diminutives are frequently formed with -erl or -l: Hund (dog) becomes Hunderl. Double diminutives are also possible and common in affectionate speech.

Lexicon:
Styrian vocabulary contains many unique words and expressions. Examples include:

  • brouckn – to pick
  • köbln – to chatter, to talk
  • kan Scheara – not to care, literally “no shears”
  • Schanti – police
  • Gselcht’s – smoked meat, a Styrian culinary specialty

Because Styria borders Slovenia, there has also been some lexical influence from Slovene, especially in southern areas.

Variation within Styria:

  • Upper Styria (north, around Ennstal): transitional forms with Central Bavarian.
  • South Styria: stronger Southern Bavarian features, some Slovene lexical influence.
  • West Styria: known for particularly strong vowel shifts.
  • East Styria: closer to Burgenland dialects.
  • Graz: the “cleanest” and most leveled form, where dialect traits are softened and more intelligible to speakers of Standard German.

Altogether, Schtairisch can sound markedly different from Standard German, to the point that German speakers from northern regions may struggle to understand it without prior exposure. Yet for locals, it is the living everyday language and an important part of regional identity.

Asterix in Schtairisch

Fans of Asterix have the pleasure of reading two albums in Styrian dialect, where the adventures of the indomitable Gauls are retold in local flavor and expression:

  1. Asterix und da Aweanaschüld (Asterix and the Chieftain’s Shield) — published in 1998 as Mundart volume 21. Translated into Styrian by Reinhard P. Gruber.
  2. Asterix ba di Olümpschn Schpüle (Asterix at the Olympic Games) — published in 2000 as Mundart volume 37.

These editions give readers not only the wit of René Goscinny and the art of Albert Uderzo, but also the unmistakable cadence of Styria’s spoken word. The result is a unique cultural blend: one part ancient Gaul, one part Austrian Alps, and entirely entertaining for anyone fluent in Schtairisch.