Griaßdi!

What does Bavarian sound like today?

Bavarian is one of the largest dialect groups of German and is spoken by around 12 million people in Bavaria, Austria, South Tyrol, and—with Samnaun—also in Switzerland. The linguistic situation within this region is diverse. In some rural areas of Bavaria, Bavarian remains the everyday language, while in urban centers like Munich, it often survives only in individual words or phrases. Austria also exhibits a broad spectrum of speech, ranging from dialect-like to more standard German. In South Tyrol, Bavarian, as the everyday language of many, has a particularly strong social foundation. And in Samnaun, Bavarian exists as a dialect enclave. Despite the widespread use of Bavarian, a cross-regional study of its current forms has been lacking.

The Griaßdi! Smartphone App

Griaßdi! is an innovative research project that fills this gap. Using a smartphone app, language data from across the Bavarian-speaking world is being collected to reveal which dialect features persist in the 21st century and where language changes in contact with Standard German. The goal is not merely to document traditional dialect forms, but to depict current linguistic reality – how people actually speak today. In this way, Griaßdi! makes an important contribution to modern variation linguistics.

Teaching and Research Project

The project combines research and teaching: In two university courses, students become members of the research team. In the first seminar (spring semester 2026), they develop the app's content; in the second (autumn semester 2026), they analyze the collected data and present the results to a wider audience. This process generates not only new scientific insights but also innovative forms of science communication. We document our approach on our blog.

Griaßdi! This project invites people throughout the Bavarian-speaking region to contribute their dialect and become part of this research project. Together, we will create a current, vibrant picture of Bavarian as it changes.