Alemannic German

Alternative forms

• (Low Alemannic:)
  • (Upper Rhine Alemannic:)
    • (Basel German:) Wasser
    • (Alsatian:) Wasser (Wâsser, Wàsər)
      • (Dunzenheim:) Wâsər

Noun

Wasser n

1. water

References

• Wörterbuch der elsässischen Mundarten
• Rudolf Suter, Baseldeutsch-Grammatik (1976): s Wasser

Central Franconian

Alternative forms

• Waßer (native in most dialects; now archaic in many)

Etymology

From Old High German wazzar. The use of -a- instead of the expected -ā- is influenced by standard German.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʋasʌ/

Noun

Wasser n ‎(plural Wasser, diminutive Wässerche)

1. (many dialects) water

   Dat Wasser vun Kölle es jot.

   The water of Cologne is good. (Line from a Bläck Fööss song.)

German

Etymology

From Middle High German wazzer, from Old High German wazzar, from Proto-Germanic *watōr, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥. Compare Low German Water, Dutch and English water, Danish vand.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈva.sɐ/

Noun

Wasser n ‎(genitive Wassers, plural Wasser or Wässer, diminutive Wässerchen n or Wässerlein n)

1. water
2. an alcoholic beverage, similar to brandy, made from fermented fruit

Usage notes

• Both plural forms are infrequent. Unchanged Wasser is used as a purely emphatic plural: die Wasser des Rheins – "the waters of the Rhine". Wässer is used as an actual plural meaning different kinds of water (or brandy): teure und preiswerte Wässer – "expensive and inexpensive [table] waters". However, Wässer is also used emphatically in some compound words such as Abwässer ‎(“waste water”) and Schmutzwässer ‎(“dirty water”).

Declension

Plural Wasser

Plural Wässer

Derived terms

Pennsylvania German

Etymology

From Middle High German wazzer, from Old High German wazzar, from Proto-Germanic *watōr, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥.

Noun

Wasser

1. water

Rhine Franconian

Etymology

From Middle High German wazzer, from Old High German wazzar, from Proto-Germanic *watōr, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥.

Noun

Wasser ?

1. (many dialects, including Palatine) water

References

• Verse und Reime eines alten Pfälzers, in pfälzischer Mundart (1864): guts Wasser

Unserdeutsch

Etymology

From Middle High German wazzer, from Old High German wazzar, from Proto-Germanic *watōr, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥.

Noun

Wasser

1. water

References

• 1991, Language and Linguistics in Melanesia: Inclusive/exclusive 'we': (a) Uns bis neben Salz-wasser. / we IN are next to salt water / 'We're next to the ocean.'

German

Verb

wasser

1. First-person singular present of wassern.
2. Imperative singular of wassern.