A Short Dictionary of South Tyrolean Dialect Understand what the locals say

and its necessity, and have a ready answer. I, mean- while, am feeling more and more tortured the more I think about it. I can hear a clock ticking reproachfully. Is it inside my head or real? Now the guy in our entrance hall is shifting his weight back and forth, getting antsy. I want to scream: “I only speak English! I’m American! I’m trying to learn Italian, and German, and South Tyrolean dialect. Ladin, too, if you insist. But it’s not that easy!” Instead I throw my hands up, defeated, and turn towards Lorenzo, rolling my eyes. “OK, fine. You’re my husband. Of course I’ll define myself through you. Italian. I declare Italian.” FYI: Everyone who checks into a hotel within the borders of South Tyrol has to declare a linguistic group as well. German, Italian or Ladin. Just kidding, don’t worry. You don’t have to decide on one. On the contrary: my advice to first-time visitors to South Tyrol is to experience all of the groups and their peculiarities. Let yourself be swept up in Italy’s la dolce vita. Take part in local Germanic traditions. Do be sure to visit the Dolomites, where the locals still speak Ladin, the rare and ancient language derived from Colloquial Latin. Three cultures in one place: experience them all!

Cassandra Han

Born and raised in the US. In 2008, she moved to South Tyrol, where her husband Lorenzo’s mother is from. In this column, she writes about how she learned to love South Tyrol’s quirks and peculiarities… and how she herself slowly became a true South Tyrolean.

A Short Dictionary of South Tyrolean

Understand what the locals say

gluschtn

[ˈglʊʃtn ̩ ]

... is what South Tyroleans say for something truly mouth-watering that whets your appetite for some yummy food.

Sett’ a Plent!

[ˈset:ɐ ˈplɛnt]

... is what people in South Tyrol use when they get into a fret, when something doesn’t turn out quite as expected—or when they don’t agree with somebody. “Plent” is derived from the Italian word “polenta”, a thick mush made from cornmeal.

Rutschelen

[ˈʁʊt ͜ ʃɛlɛn]

Another South Tyrolean word borrowed from the Italian language: the original word is “riccioli”, which means curly or frizzy hair.