Jakob speaking Zipser German

Video license

CC BY-SA 4.0

Video file downloads

Dropbox (.mp4)
Wikimedia Commons (.webm)

This video was recorded by Robert Keresztesy in Cluj-Napoca, Cluj, Romania. Zipser German is a Germanic dialect that developed in the Upper Zips region of what is now Slovakia, among settlers coming from central Germany starting in the 13th century. A small community of speakers in Hopgarten (or Chmel’nica) remains, after most were expelled during/after WWII; their dialect is referred to as “Outzäpsersch” (“Old Zipserish”). The genealogy of the language is unclear. Glottolog classifies Old Zipserish within the Lower Silesian group, along with other dialects near Poland. However, it is heavily influenced by Bavarian, and could potentially be a dialect thereof.

Discover new languages, cultures, and stories.

Sign up for our newsletter and get the latest news, stories, and ways to make an impact.