The big mystery about a Swiss German word
What exactly does “omegäng” mean? A Swiss documentary explores this and other secrets of our accents.
Does Hans Rohner from the movie know what “omegäng” means? Perhaps with difficulty, but he knew many rare words from the Rhine Valley dialect.
Photo: Susan Scholl
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One of the strangest moments in “Omegäng” is Uri’s German immigrant cycle. “I wish I had a little Ürnertiitsch empty, I know it's really black,” the teacher says to her class. When student Awad Aman from Eritrea is asked to repeat words such as “Spitzbuebe”, “Pfaffehüetli” and “Fliegholtere”, when the teacher’s native Swiss sounds reach the foreign students’ ears, the learners make a face as if they have an unfamiliar voice. One animal in front of you – great, but maybe also an animal that suddenly jumps out at you.
Shortly afterward, the film's audience looks into the abyss for a few seconds: In order to bring his family of four back from Eritrea, Awad Aman, who has been living in Switzerland for five years and works at an Altdorf bakery, must earn at least 5,200 francs net per month. According to official requirements. Maybe this is utopia. As he says that, his eyes go blank.
How are you supposed to earn 5200 francs a month? Awad Aman from Eritrea, baker in Altdorf.
Photo: Susan Scholl
Aside from this socially awkward moment, “Omegäng” sticks to its theme: Swiss dialects, their phonetic characteristics, and their countless lexical curiosities. Directed by Lucerne director Aldo Gogols, the film is a journey through the landscape and the real dialect of Switzerland, a linguistic foray in which little-known and notable protagonists talk about the language in general and their own dialect in particular. And make assumptions about what the Bernese word “omegäng” means. (more: Our accent test knows where you come from)
Farmer from the Rhine Valley – great!
The appearance of farmer Hans Rohner from the Rhine Valley of St. Gallen is magnificent. He was astonished to notice that the interviewer thought he knew the meaning of the word “Wärchtighääs” – only to rebuke him indignantly: “No, 'Hääs' is the whole suit, not just 'Hemmli'!” What is a “Huotüener,” Rohner asks, pointing around a shed filled with old farm equipment? Someone who, just to be on the safe side, accompanies you home from the pub late in the evening, i.e. “takes you home”.
“Omegäng” means “it doesn’t matter,” complains a farmer from Appenzell of Outer Rhodes, while his colleague in Inner Rhodes smiles and apologizes for pronouncing words and sentences intermittently as if they were pieces of rock when speaking. Bernese singer Alwa Alibi recites verses from the lyrics of her song, but when asked about the meaning of the word “omegäng”, despite its origins, she answers: “I don't know, I've never heard of it before.”
A stroke of genius
Whatever the wind and weather, Franz Höhler reads “Totemügerli” in his charming-looking garden: “The Schöppelimunggi and the Houderebäseler are behind the Abbe, as the Schibützu can already pass through the Gochlimoos…” – somewhat expected, but of course not unmissable A film about Switzerland and its dialects. A touch of dialect genius consists of made-up words. Hohler says that some fictional words from “Totemügerli” are now part of real use of Bernese German. What could be more beautiful for the author?
Although she is from Bern, rapper Alwa Alibi says: “Omegäng? “No idea.”
Photo: Susan Scholl
Linguists at the German-Swiss dictionary 'Idiotikon' at work, an SRF radio show about dialects, Zurich rappers Cachita and Big Zis, a Nidwalden choir in rehearsal, and dialect writer Pedro Lenz: 'Omegäng' highlights many people in the world. Amidst the wide-ranging linguistic realities of our country.
The fact that the rural episodes appear to be linguistically more concise than those in Bern or Zurich is perhaps the nature of the matter. In any case, Gogolz has created an original, accurate and informative documentary. By honoring the beauty of Swiss dialects and tracing the personality of their speakers, “Omegäng” also paints an accurate picture of German-speaking Switzerland.
Does it have to be this way?
Is there anything worth criticizing? First, perhaps one of the most linguistically interesting phenomena of recent years has not been mentioned: the social dialect formed by seminaries with Albanian and former Yugoslav roots, which has gained a large and rough status in comfort zones across the country.
Second, “Omegäng” cultivates a peculiar quality to which local documentary and narrative filmmakers seem to have succumbed en masse: attitudes that aim to counter the clichéd image of Switzerland as an idyllic postcard by evoking Tristesse suisse. Highway byways in the rain, traffic roundabouts at dusk, bundles of newspapers tied together with military force in Onsingen, deserted neighborhood streets leading to groomed front gardens. Everything is accompanied by mercilessly decadent music. Does this have to happen over and over again? In a film like “Omegäng” it feels particularly forced, but understandably there is nothing more to the problem than these two things.
Franz Höhler, creator of the legendary “Totemügerli”, in his study.
Photo: Susan Scholl
What does “omegäng” mean? “The word omegäng does not exist,” Christoph Landolt, editor-in-chief of “Idiotikon” and the protagonist of the film, wrote at his request. In Bernese German there is “Umi” and in Lucerne there is “Umi” which means “just”. “gäng” as a Bernese word meaning “always” is known throughout the country.
But the “omegäng” formula was clearly invented. This is also evidence of the film's subtle sense of humor: Gogols delves into the reality of Swiss dialects, but leaves all his heroes philosophizing about the meaning of a word that doesn't even exist.
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