WALSERSPRACHE - The four main objectives of the Alpine Space ...

Ugo Busso
Issime, where the dialect had been exclusively spoken, whereas in Gressoney literary
German had been widespread since at least the end of 1800. Work got underway under
the direction of Corrado Grassi, Albert Linty, Luciana Landi and Alys Barell. All entries
were recorded and then evidence provided by informants from both Gressoney and Issime
was entered. Professors Renato Perinetto and Peter Zürrer became involved. In 1981
Renato Perinetto published the first grammar of Töitschu and Peter Zürrer two monographic
studies on Gressoney’s Titsch, which led to his recent book, Sprachinseldialekte:
Walserdeutsch in Aostatal in 1999 (“Dialects from Linguistic Islands: Walser German in
the Aosta Valley”; it is currently being translated into Italian). In 1988 the Augusta
Association and the Cultural Centre published the Italian-Titsch and Italian-Töitschu dictionaries.
In 1998 two additional volumes appeared with the languages reversed. At the
same time many poems, songs, teaching manuals and cooking books were published in
French, Italian and German. A vast collection of proverbs from our Walser communities
is also about to be published. Meantime the two vocabularies were voice recorded. Many
testimonials were and are being recorded as well. In 2004 our Association was recognised
for financial help by the Intereg IIIA Italy-Switzerland program for a project called “Walser
Alpine, Cultural and Rural Landscape”. Many rock buildings from the alpine landscapes
of Stein and Betti were thus assessed, in a pilot project labelled “Stone and Lumber Cultural
Lab”. Hand in hand with the Walser Cultural Centre we also organise cultural outings
and take part in the Walsertreffen (General Walser Convention) every three years. We also
cooperated with the Issime township in renaming in Töitschu various hamlets and boroughs
as well as in setting up a native language service wicket. We also write articles for
the Messenger Valdôtain. It is somewhat odd that two neighbouring Germanic communities
like Gressoney and Issime may have dialects so removed from each other to turn oral
communication into a problem. That is perhaps due to the fact that Gressoney’s dialect
evolved in time, while Issime remained frozen in its original form. Nowadays the use of
Walser dialects in Issime and Gressoney for everyday conversation is becoming rarer and
modern occurrences find no words in a thousand-year old language. On the other hand
both dialects have been completely codified and hardly one expression relating to rural or
mountain life has not found an entry in dictionaries or in recordings. Personally I never
dismiss the opportunity to express myself in my unforgettable Töitschu, even when delivering
my Sunday sermons.
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