The flipped diphtongs of upper Palatinate German as recorded by Frank Xaver von Schönwerth

This study sheds light on the origin of the characteristic “falling diphthongs” of Upper Palatinate German, heretofore regarded as a subdialect, deriving from Bavarian. The occurrence of the diphthongs was determined and historically documented by the author in unpublished folk narratives in dialect, collected by 19th century folklorist Franz Xaver von Schšnwerth. These data were compared with the results of present-day interviews conducted by the author. Her reinterpretation of historical orthography in modern terms makes it possible to demonstrate the continuity of the diphthongs’ lexical and geographical distribution. The linguistic evidence, in addition to historical, geographical and socioeconomic factors, supports the autonomous development of the “falling diphtongs” and the Upper Palatinate language as a whole.