Issime is a village of
Walser language and culture. What distinguishes the community of Issime from other areas of the Alpine arc, as highlighted by many studies, are its multilingualism and the coexistence of two ethnic groups (the German-speaking and the Franco-Provençal ones). Regarding multilingualism, which is historically attested, the linguistic repertoire of its inhabitants includes up to five varieties: Töitschu, the patois of Gaby, Piedmontese, French, and, more recently, Italian. This uniqueness is evident in the dialect, place names, architecture, and traditional costume.
Languages and dialects Together with Gressoney-La-Trinité and Gressoney-Saint-Jean, Issime forms a German-speaking linguistic island belonging to the Walser community. The population speaks an Alemannic dialect,
Éischemtöitschu. 65.25% of the population understands the Walser dialect, but only 23.88% report it as their mother tongue. Additionally, about 5% of the population speaks
Franco-Provençal. In addition to being trilingual in Italian-French-German (the official languages of instruction in the German-speaking municipalities of the upper Lys Valley), the people of Issime also know the
Valdôtain Franco-Provençal patois, due to proximity to the neighboring municipalities of
Gaby and
Fontainemore. Moreover, thanks to geographical closeness and historical ties with the nearby
Valsesia and
Canavese regions, many also know
Piedmontese.
The Töitschu and the Augusta Association Töitschu is the variety of the Walser language spoken by the group of merchants from Valais who migrated southward in the 1300s, primarily due to demographic reasons. Compared to the dialect of Gressoney, called
Greschòneytitsch, the dialect of Issime has undergone fewer changes over the centuries. Nevertheless, the influence of the Valdôtain patois, Piedmontese, French, and Italian is evident. The community of Issime is multilingual. Currently,
Töitschu is still fluently spoken by a good portion of the town's inhabitants, and there are numerous school-based efforts underway to teach it. An Italian–Töitschu and Töitschu–Italian dictionary is published by the Augusta Association, along with a journal of the same name that has been in publication since 1969. The association has also published numerous books and essays. Founded in 1967, the Augusta Association is active in preserving and promoting the town’s cultural aspects, with particular attention to language and the natural and cultural landscape. The association is based in the old parish house in the town center (
Duarf). Examples of
Töitschu: •
Vergelzgott = thank you (cf. German
Vergelt’s Gott, short for
Gott vergelte es – “may God reward it”) •
Chrigschman = soldier (cf. German
Kriegsmann – “man of war”) •
Heersij (cf. German
Herzchen or
Herzlein – “little heart”), diminutive of
Heers = sweetheart or fiancé(e) •
D’lljibigotschaugjini: literally “the little eyes of the good God” =
myosotis (forget-me-nots) A comparative example using the
Lord’s Prayer: Some proverbs: • '''''Goan tringhien in d'Lljéisu un arwinnen mit dam dust.''''' To go drink from the Lys and return still thirsty (to be insatiable). • '''''Varchaufen d'sunnu um chaufen dar moanu.''''' To sell the sun to buy the moon (to sleep during the day in order to party at night). • '''''Is het sövvil gschnout, das d'hénji hen muan bikhjen d'steerni.''''' It snowed so much that the hens have to peck at the stars.
Töitschu also contains loanwords from neighboring languages, particularly French and Valdôtain patois: •
mutschur (from French
mouchoir) = handkerchief •
tretwar (from French
trottoir) = sidewalk •
rido (from French
rideau) = curtain •
verdscháts (= squirrel), from the Franco-Provençal
verdjáts Sample text ==References==