Editing Cimbrian language (section)

== Grammar and orthography ==
''The following description of Cimbrian grammar refers predominantly to the dialect of Lusern.''

'''Notes on orthography'''<ref name=":1" />''':'''
* All dialects of Cimbrian use different orthographies though all are mainly based upon Italian and German orthographies with some additions from other languages and do not drastically differ.
* Diacritics and graphemes common in German and other languages are mostly utilized for sounds that do not exist in Italian.
* Diphthongs are written as in Italian whereby, for example, {{lang|cim|drai}} 'three' is written in contrast to the German {{lang|de|Drei}} but is pronounced the same.
* [[Voiceless velar stop|[k]]] is rendered as in standard German as ''k'' while the grapheme ''ch'' is reserved for the sound [[Voiceless uvular fricative|[χ]]].
* [[Voiced velar stop|[g]]] is rendered differently according to dialect:
** In the Thirteen and Seven communities, [g] is rendered as in Italian - ''g'' (which is pronounced {{IPAlink|dʒ}} before {{angbr|e}} and {{angbr|i}}). If [g] is to be kept before an (orthographic) [[front vowel]], the writing must change to ''gh.''
** In Lusern, [g] is rendered mostly as ''g,'' perhaps due to more familiarity with German in Lusern. Though, seeing {{lang|cim|ghe}} and {{lang|cim|ghi}} is not uncommon.
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" | Spelling<ref>{{Cite web|title=Normalizzazione ortografica|url=https://www.cimbri7comuni.it/lingua/la-normalizzazione-ortografica-del-cimbro|access-date=2021-11-09|website=www.cimbri7comuni.it}}</ref> || Major value<br />(IPA) || Examples of major value || Minor values<br />(IPA) || Examples of minor value || Exceptions
|-
| rowspan="2" | b || usually || {{IPAslink|b}} || rowspan="2" | {{lang|cim|'''b'''intar}}, {{lang|cim|'''b'''azzar}}, {{lang|cim|s'''b'''éstar}}, {{lang|cim|z'''b'''een}}, {{lang|cim|plaa'''b'''e}}, {{lang|cim|vèr'''b'''an}}, {{lang|cim|gè'''b'''an}}, {{lang|cim|hal'''b'''a}}, {{lang|cim|èr'''b'''ot}}, {{lang|cim|'''b'''olaiban}}, {{lang|cim|'''b'''rief}}, {{lang|cim|'''b'''rìttala}} || || ||
|-
| sometimes || {{IPAslink|β}}, {{IPAslink|w}} || || ||
|-
| c || || || || || ||
|-
| rowspan="2" |ch
| usually || {{IPAslink|x}} ||{{lang|cim|i'''ch'''}}, {{lang|cim|hòa'''ch'''}}, {{lang|cim|süu'''ch'''an}}  || || ||
|-
|after a short vowel|| {{IPAslink|xː}} ||{{lang|cim|ma'''ch'''an}}, {{lang|cim|pri'''ch'''et}} || || ||
|-
| d || elsewhere || {{IPAslink|d}} || || || ||
|-
| colspan="2" | f || {{IPAslink|f}}  ||{{lang|cim|'''f'''anna}}, {{lang|cim|'''f'''èffar}}, {{lang|cim|'''f'''òat}}, {{lang|cim|slaa'''f'''an}}, {{lang|cim|tie'''f'''}}, {{lang|cim|hu'''ff'''}}, {{lang|cim|bol'''f'''}}, {{lang|cim|ho'''ff'''}}, {{lang|cim|trop'''f'''a}}, {{lang|cim|schöp'''f'''}} || || ||
|-
| colspan="2" |ff
|{{IPAslink|fː}}
|{{lang|cim|fè'''ff'''ar}}, {{lang|cim|trè'''ff'''an}}
|
|
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | g || before e, i, y || || || || ||
|-
| initially/medially elsewhere || || || || ||
|-
| finally || || || {{IPAslink|ɡ}} || ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | gg || before e, i, y || || || || ||
|-
| elsewhere || || || || ||
|-
| colspan="2" | gn || {{IPAslink|ɲ}} || || || ||
|-
| colspan="2" | h || Ø || || || ||
|-
| colspan="2" | j || || ||{{IPAslink|dʒ}}|| ||
|-
| colspan="2" | k || {{IPAslink|k}} || || || ||
|-
| colspan="2" | kh || {{IPAslink|kx}} || {{lang|cim|'''kh'''èmman}}, {{lang|cim|'''kh'''es}}, {{lang|cim|'''kh'''lea}} || || ||
|-
| colspan="2" | l, ll || {{IPAslink|l}} || || || ||
|-
| colspan="2" | m, mm || {{IPAslink|m}} || || || ||
|-
| colspan="2" | n, nn || {{IPAslink|n}} || || || ||
|-
| colspan="2" | ng (in loanwords) || {{IPAslink|ŋ}} || || || ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | p, pp || elsewhere || {{IPAslink|p}} || || || ||
|-
| finally || Ø || || {{IPAslink|p}} || ||
|-
| colspan="2" | ph || {{IPAslink|f}} || || || ||
|-
| colspan="2" | q (see [[#anchorqu|qu]]) || {{IPAslink|k}} || || || ||
|-
| colspan="2" | r, rr || {{IPAslink|ʁ}} || || || ||
|-
| rowspan="3" | s || initially<br />medially next to a consonant<br />or after a nasal vowel || {{IPAslink|s}} || || {{IPAslink|z}} || ||
|-
| elsewhere between two vowels || {{IPAslink|z}} || || {{IPAslink|s}} || ||
|-
| finally || || || {{IPAslink|s}} || ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | sc || before e, i, y || || || || ||
|-
| elsewhere || || || || ||
|-
| colspan="2" | sch || {{IPAslink|ʃ}} || || /{{IPA link|s}}{{IPA link|k}}/ || ||
|-
| colspan="2" | ss || {{IPAslink|s}} || || || ||
|-
| colspan="2" | -st || /{{IPA link|s}}{{IPA link|t}}/ || || Ø || ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | t, tt || elsewhere || {{IPAslink|t}} || || {{IPAslink|s}} || ||
|-
| finally || || || {{IPAslink|t}} || ||
|-
| colspan="2" | tch || {{IPAslink|t͡ʃ}} || || || ||
|-
| colspan="2" | v || {{IPAslink|v}} || || || ||
|-
| colspan="2" | w || {{IPAslink|w}} || || {{IPAslink|v}} || ||
|-
| rowspan="3" | x || initially<br>next to a voiceless consonant<br>phonologically finally||  /{{IPA link|k}}{{IPA link|s}}/ || ||  /{{IPA link|ɡ}}{{IPA link|z}}/ || ||
|-
| medially elsewhere || /{{IPA link|ɡ}}{{IPA link|z}}/ || || {{IPAslink|s}}<br />{{IPAslink|z}}<br />/{{IPA link|k}}{{IPA link|s}}/|| ||
|-
| finally || || || /{{IPA link|k}}{{IPA link|s}}/ || ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | z || elsewhere || {{IPAslink|z}} || || || ||
|-
| finally || Ø || || || ||
|-
|}

=== Morphology, syntax, other ===
Nouns in Cimbrian, as in German and other German dialects, have three [[Grammatical gender|genders]] - masculine, feminine and neuter. Cimbrian makes use of the nominative, dative, and accusative [[Cases (grammar)|cases]]. The genitive case was formerly used but has now been replaced by the dative +  ''vo'' ('of'), a similar case which can also be seen in modern German.<ref name=":2" /> Cimbrian nouns inflect for gender, case, and number, usually keeping the same patterns for even Italian loanwords ending in -a, - o, and -e. Nouns also have forms for diminutives. Cimbrian articles (both definite and indefinite) have long and short forms depending on stress. Examples of Cimbrian noun inflection (with long articles and German counterparts) can be seen below. The letter å denotes [[open back unrounded vowel]].<ref name=":2" />
{| class="wikitable"
|+'''Cimbrian and German Noun Inflection (Genitive not Included)'''<ref name=":2" />
!Case
!'''Masculine'''
'''(Sing./Pl.)'''
!'''Feminine'''
'''(Sing./Pl.)'''
!'''Neuter'''
'''(Sing./Pl.)'''
|-
|Nominative
(Cimbrian)
|{{lang|cim|dar månn/di månnen}}
|{{lang|cim|di vedar/die vedarn}}
|{{lang|cim|das khin/di khindar}}
|-
|'''Nominative'''
'''(German)'''
|{{lang|de|'''der Mann/die Männer'''}}
|{{lang|de|'''die Feder/die Federn'''}}
|{{lang|de|'''das Kind/die Kinder'''}}
|-
|Accusative
(Cimbrian)
|{{lang|cim|in månn/di månnen}}
|{{lang|cim|di vedar/di vedarn}}
|{{lang|cim|das khin/di khindar}}
|-
|'''Accusative'''
'''(German)'''
|{{lang|de|'''den Mann/die Männer'''}}
|{{lang|de|'''die Feder/die Federn'''}}
|{{lang|de|'''das Kind/die Kinder'''}}
|-
|Dative
(Cimbrian)
|{{lang|cim|in månn/in månnen}}
|{{lang|cim|dar vedar/in vedarn}}
|{{lang|cim|in khin/in khindarn}}
|-
|'''Dative'''
'''(German)'''
|{{lang|de|'''dem Mann[e]/den Männern'''}}
|{{lang|de|'''der Feder/den Federn'''}}
|{{lang|de|'''dem Kind[e]/den Kindern'''}}
|}
Cimbrian verbs are inflected for person, number, tense (present, past, future), mood (indicative, subjunctive, conditional, imperative, infinitive, gerund, and participial), and voice (active, passive). In regards to conjugation, Cimbrian shares many aspects with many other upper-German dialects.  As in these other dialects, the use of the preterite has been replaced by the perfect which is formed with the prefix {{lang|cim|ga-}} ({{lang|cim|vallen}} 'to fall'; {{lang|cim|gavallet}} 'fallen'). Infinitive verbs have two forms, a simple infinitive as well as a dependent infinitive which is formed with {{lang|cim|zo}}. An example of this can be seen with the verb 'to fall': {{lang|cim|vallen}} - {{lang|cim|zo valla}}. In the Cimbrian of Lusern's present indicative, first-person plural as well as third-person plural are both formed in the same manner as the simple infinitive, just as in standard German. Thus {{lang|cim|vallen}} acts as the infinitive, first-person plural, and third-person plural. The first- and third-person plural also match each other in other tenses and moods.

The syntax of Cimbrian shows measurable influence from Italian; however, it still shows German traits which would be completely foreign to Italian speakers. An example of Italian influence is seen in the fact that Cimbrian does not move its verb to the second position as in German:<ref>{{Cite book|title=Bar lirnen z'schraiba un zo redn az be biar: Grammatica del cimbro di Luserna/Grammatik der zimbrischen Sprache von Lusérn|last=Panieri, Pedrazza, Nicolussi Baiz, Hipp, Pruner|first=Luca, Monica, Adelia, Sabine, Cristina|publisher=Kulturinstitut Lusérn|year=2006|isbn=978-88-95386-00-3|location=Lusern, Italy}}</ref>
* My friend* believes that he '''can win'''. (En)
* {{lang|cim|Moi txell gloabet ke dar '''mage vinzarn'''}}. (Cimbrian)
* {{lang|it|Il mio amico crede che '''può vincere'''}}. (Italian)
* {{lang|de|Mein Freund* glaubt, dass er '''gewinnen kann'''}}. ({{lang|de|Mein Freund}} can also mean 'My boyfriend') (German)
* My brother went on vacation '''in order''' '''to relax'''. (English)
* {{lang|cim|Moi pruadar is gånt in vakånza '''zoa''' '''zo rasta'''}}. (Cimbrian)
* {{lang|it|Mio fratello è andato in vacanza '''per rilassarsi'''}}. (Italian)
* {{lang|de|Mein Bruder ist in Urlaub gefahren '''um sich zu erholen'''}}. (German)

Cimbrian, in most sentences, uses [[subject–verb–object]] (SVO) word ordering, similar to [[Romance languages]]; however, in some cases it adopts some [[German syntax]]. <ref name=":2" />