Skip navigation and move to Contents...
Bible 2.0 Scripture explains itself Bible 2.0

The Bible in European Dialects and Minority Languages

(this page available in English only)

France

Alsatian Dialect (gsw-Els)

Dialect Info:

Alsatian: D'Biwel uf Elsässisch

Info Description
Dialect Alsatian of Strasbourg
Translator Daniel Steiner (daniel.steiner0971 at orange.fr), Raymond Matzen (1922–2014)
Status Printed Bible published 2016
Publisher Éditions du Signe, Strasbourg 2016
Based on "Lutherbibel"
ISBN 9782746834422
Example Am Anfàng het Gott Himmel un Erd erschàffe. D’Erd isch noch formlos un läär g’sinn. D’Finschternis isch iwwer de Diefe geläje un de Geischt Gottes het iwwerem Wàsser g’schwebt.
Bible 2.0 denied

Further Info:

Germany

Alemannic Dialect (gsw-Ale)

Dialect Info:

Alemannic: Alemannische Bibel

Info Description
Dialect Upper-Rhine Alemannic, "Markgräflerland Eschbach"
Website Die Alemannische Bibel
Translator Dietmar Wiesler
Status Bible on website finished 2023-12-06
Copyright Not freeware, available on request at Dietmar Wiesler ("i will gfrogt si")
Based on "nach der Luther Übersetzung"
Example Am Afang het Gott Himmel un Erde gschafe. Un d Erde war wescht un leer, un s war finschta uf d Defi; un dr Geischt Gottes het gschwebt uf fem Wassa.
Bible 2.0 candidate

Further Info:

East Franconian (Ostfränkisch) (vmf)

Dialect Info:

East Franconian Bible (Fränkische Bibel)

Info Description
Dialect East Franconian; "Im Alltag... schlicht Fränkisch... genannt." (Wikipedia)
Translator Pfarrer Claus Ebeling, ca. 150 ehrenamtliche Helfer
Status printed New Testament (Verlag Friedrich Pustet)
Example Wenn i di schönsdn Schbrich machn und wäi ä Engäla singä kännäd, obbä es kummd ned vo Herzn, su dädi bloß schebbern wäi Blech.

Further Info:

East Frisian Dialect (Ostfriesisch) (frs)

Dialect Info:

East Frisian: Herrlyn Bible

Info Description
Dialect Low German dialect, last remaining living remnant is Sater Frisian (Saterlandic) (see below)
Copyright Herrlyn family; text not freely available
Status digitization ongoing (by Dieter Zimmer, as of 2023-09)

Further Info:

Electoral Palatine Dialect (Kurpfälzisch)

Dialect Info:

Electoral Palatine: Die Pälzer Biwel

Info Description
Dialect Palatinate dialect in the region Mannheim/Heidelberg
Translator Walter Sauer, info(at)verlag-tintenfass.de
Status printed book: "die bekanntesten Erzählungen des Alten und Neuen Testaments" (ca. 140 pages)
Philippians, Titus, Philemon as PDF
Publisher Edition Tintenfaß
Copyright (C) Walter Sauer
ISBN 978-3-943052-21-3
Example Des schreibt de Paulus un de Timotheus, die wo Jesus Chrischdus diene. Mir wende uns an all die Mensche, wo in Philibbi wohne un heilisch sin, weil se Chrischdus Jesus ghehre.

Further Info:

Electoral Palatine: Bibel uf Pälzisch (Biblische Geschichten)

Info Description
Dialect "Mundartvariante des Vorderpfälzischen, weil die Autoren hier sprachlich zu Hause sind"
Translator Michael Landgraf, Erich Hollerith
Status "Biblische Geschichten werden kurz und prägnant in Pfälzer Mundart nacherzählt und auf den Punkt gebracht"
Publisher Verlag Regionalkultur
ISBN 978-3-89735-283-4 (no more available)

Further Info:

Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch Dialect (nds)

Dialect Info:

Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch: Amtsberg OT

Info Description
Dialect Low German dialect in the German state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Translator Mr. Amtsberg (passed), surgeon by profession
Status OT translation by Mr. Amtsberg not accepted by theologians

Further Info:

Western Palatinate Dialect (pfl-x-suedsaar)

Dialect Info:

Western Palatinate: Es lewenniche Wort: Rheinfränggisch – sidsaarlännisch – weschtpälzisch

Info Description
Dialect Western Palatinate (Westpfälzisch)
Website Bibel westpfälzisch-saarländisch (last retrieved 2023-12-19)
Translator Dieter Zimmer, Andreas Schorr
Status large parts of the Bible are available (.docx format)
Copyright For copyright, please contact Dieter Zimmer, Friedhofstraße 6, 57234 Wilnsdorf, GERMANY
Example Am Anfang hat Gott de Himmel un die Erd gemacht.
Bible 2.0 The Word: https://bible2.net/pfl-x-suedsaar (since 2020)

Further Info:

Sater Frisian Dialect (Saterfriesisch) (frs)

Dialect Info:

Sater Frisian: Das Neue Testament und die Psalmen...

Info Description
Dialect Low German dialect, a couple thousand adult speakers
Translator Dr. Marron Fort
Status NT and Psalms online (link below)
Example Die Stomboom fon Jesus Christus, dän Súun fon David, dän Súun fon Abraham

Further Info:

South Hessian Dialect (Südhessisch)

Dialect Info:

South Hessian: Das Neue Testament uff Hessisch

Info Description
Dialect Dialect in the German state Hesse, around Darmstadt
Website Das Neue Testament uff Hessisch (last retrieved 2023-12-19)
Translator Klemens Mieth
Status Printed NT available, dated 2020-04-30 (Books on Demand)
Copyright Copyright (C) Klemens Mieth, Rödermark
Based on Einheitsübersetzung
ISBN 9783842376205
Example De Stoummboum vumm Jesus Chrisdus, dem Sohn vumm David, der wou em Abraham soin Sohn wour

Further Info:

Swabian Dialect (Schwäbisch) (swg)

Dialect Info:

Swabian: Bibel für Schwoba

Info Description
Dialect Swabian
Website Bibel für Schwoba (Download) (last retrieved 2023-12-19)
Translator Rudolf Paul (1933 – 2021)
Status Paper version out of print (as of 2023), download available (see below).
Verses missing: Gen. 4,17-6,8; 14,1-24; 25,12-18; 29,31-30,24; 36,1-43; 38,1-30.
Reason for Gen. 14: "Tatsächlich ischd dui Gschicht aber später passiert ond mr håt se am Abraham nåchträglich zuagschrieba."
Copyright Copyright (C) 2012 Rudolf Paul
ISBN 3920801598
Example Am Åfang håt Gott (Elohim) da Hemmel ond d Erde gschaffa. D Erde ischd selligsmål no a oeziga wüasta Öde gwea, ond ganz donkl ischds gwea auf am Urmeer ond dr Gaest von Gott (Elohim) ischd über de Wasser gschwebt.
Bible 2.0 The Word: https://bible2.net/swg (since 2013)

Further Info:

Upper Palatinian Dialect (Oberpfälzisch) (bar-x-northern)

Dialect Info:

Upper Palatinian: Oberpfalz-Bibel

Info Description
Dialect Northern Bavarian, spoken in the Upper Palatinate and Upper Franconia
Website https://oberpfalz-bibel.de/
Translator Samuel Laubert, Frank Angerer
Status audio available: Gospel of John
Copyright (C) oberpfalz-bibel
Based on "klassische Bibelübersetzungen wie Luther, Schlachter und Elberfelder"
Example 1 Im Anfang woa as Wort und as Wort woa bei Gott, und Gott woa as Wort. 2 Des woa am Anfang bei Gott. 3 Durchs esselbige is alles gschaffn woan und es gibt nix, wos ohne esselbige gschaffn woan is. 4 In ihm wo as Lem, und as Lem woa as Laicht vo die Menschen. 5 Des Laicht houd in da Finsternis gleicht, owa d’ Finsternis haouds niad begriffn.

Further Info:

Further Info for Germany

Ireland

Gaelic Language (ga)

Language Info:

Gaelic: An Bíobla Naofa 1981

Info Description
Language Irish Gaelic, Gaeilge
Website https://www.bible.com/versions/554 (redirected from the no longer maintained http://www.anbioblanaofa.org/, as of 2023-12-19)
Status printed and online Bible available
Publisher An Sagart, An Díseart, An Daingean, Co. Chiarraí, Ireland
Copyright An Bíobla Naofa Copyright © 1981 An Sagart.
ISBN 1870684907
Example I dtús báire chruthaigh Dia neamh agus talamh. Fásach folamh a ba ea an talamh agus bhí dorchadas ar aghaidh an duibheagáin, agus bhí gaoth Dé ag séideadh os cionn na n‑uiscí.
Bible 2.0 The Word: https://bible2.net/ga (since 2013)

Further Info:

Italy

Cimbrian Dialect (Zimbrisch) (cim)

Dialect Info:

Cimbrian: Bible Verses

Info Description
Dialect Cimbrian
Translator Armin Cont
Status Individual verses available
Example Anéarstn, Gottarhear hatt gemàcht in hümbl un di earde. (Gn1v1)
Bible 2.0 Verses published since 2018: https://bible2.net/cim

Luxembourg

Luxembourgish Language (Lëtzebuergesch) (lb)

Language Info:

Luxembourgish: Bibel fir Lëtzebuerg

Info Description
Language Luxembourgish
Website Bibel fir Lëtzebuerg https://bfl.lu/ (cooperation with Bibles International)
Status NT available in print: "D’Neit Testament op Lëtzebuergesch"; OT in progress.
Copyright (C) 2017 by Bibles International®, USA
ISBN 978-9995903305
Bible 2.0 candidate

Further Info:

Luxembourgish: Bibel fir alleguer

Info Description
Language Luxembourgish
Translator Dieter Zimmer, Oswald Oesch
Status NT available as .docx (not published)
Copyright Dieter Zimmer, Oswald Oesch
Example An dësem Buch steet, wat de Jesus Christus opgedeckt huet. Gott huet dem Jesus et ginn, fir deene Mënschen, déi Gott déngen, ze weisen, wat sech geschwënn zoudroe muss.

Further Info:

Luxembourgish: DÉI KOMPLET BIBEL op Lëtzebuergesch

Info Description
Language Luxembourgish
Website Download: http://matew24.blogspot.com/2020/09/biblia-completa-en-luxemburguesdei.html
Translator Sefnar Palmer Morales
Status Bible available as .pdf (2020-09)
Copyright (C) Sefnar Palmer Morales
Example Am Ufank huet Gott den Himmel an d' Äerd erschaf. An d'Äerd war ouni Form an ongëlteg, an Däischtert war op der Gesiicht vum Déif, an de Geescht vu Gott huet sech op d'Gesiicht vum Waasser beweeg.

Further Info:

Sweden

Scanian Dialect (Swedish: skånska, Danish: skånsk, German: schonisch)

Language Info:

Switzerland

See https://www.bibelshop.ch/dialekt%C3%BCbersetzungen-ch (last retrieved 2024-01-24):

Bärndütsch, Rumantsch (Romance), Wallisertitsch, Züritüütsch and more.

Further Info about Bibles in Dialects and Minority Languages

Semi-automatic Word by Word Translation for Southern German Dialects

Dieter Zimmer (Wilnsdorf/North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany) has prepared the text of the New Testament in the Western Palatinate dialect (Westpfälzisch).

Assuming Southern German dialects have a similar grammatical structure, he offers data for the following steps:

These are the steps in detail:

Basis: The New Testament in Western Palatinate

New Testament Western Palatinate

Word List

Dieter Zimmer provides a list of words you can fill in:

List of words

The screenshot shows the German column (B) which you can use to fill in your dialect.

The search/replace function on the Western Palatinate Bible text uses the Western Palatinate column which is not shown in the screenshot.

Search/Replace

With the original Western Palatinate words and the words of your dialect filled in, you can translate the text using the search/replace function of your text processor:

Search/Replace in your Text Processor

(this will work, as Dieter reports, but may be time consuming - we hope for special software to speedup this process)

Finishing

The result of the semi-automatic translation needs manual rework.

Dieter estimates 90% of the work can be done by the word by word substitution, the result must be reviewed and adapted manually.

Publishing

Publishing the final text on a website would be a good idea, as well as producing an audio version (.mp3).

For daily reading, we from project Bible 2.0 will be glad to provide The Word in your dialect.

We recommend giving away the Word of God without restriction. You can put the text under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License to this purpose.

The Christian Commons motivates giving away biblical resources without restriction. The alternative, "all rights reserved", may hinder distribution of the Word of God.

Contact

For information about the semi-automatic dialect translation, please contact (dated 2024-01):

Dieter Zimmer
Friedhofstraße 6
D-57234 Wilnsdorf
Tel.: +49-2739-4665
E-Mail: d_zimmer at gmx.de

Last modified: 2024-12-21 11:00