Our dialect actually only knows one past tense: the perfect. The present shows that the last word has not yet been spoken. Dialect researcher Marc-Oliver Ubl on a very popular «gha», which is possibly more than just a fad.
SRF: The boss says: “I discussed the last meeting gha.” In the kitchen, the children are clamoring: “I’ve already finished, gha!” What is this “gha” doing here that seems to be about to become pandemic?
Marc-Oliver Ubl: In the course of the last few years, an increase in the frequency of this form has actually been observed. The so-called “double perfect” is found primarily in orality or in oral contexts, such as in Internet forums.
However, the shape itself is not new. The first evidence for the double perfect can be found since the late 14th century. Especially in the Upper German language area, which also includes Swiss German.
It is a characteristic of Swiss German that is often ridiculed that, unlike Standard German, it only has one past tense. I say to this day – without «gha»: «I haven’t discussed the last thing sitting down.» is it enough?
The sole use of the simple perfect has a major disadvantage: If a verbal action is further back in time or takes place in stages, we have to help with adverbs. So: “First I did this and that – and later I did this and that.”
This is where the double perfect becomes interesting. Because it also marks the pre-past.
The expansive English or the pressure of “German-German” are seen as scapegoats for such changes. Who is to blame for this move towards double perfect?
Here it seems the other way around: Upper German influences other regions. It would be interesting to investigate why forms such as the double perfect also gain a foothold in the northern German language area, although the past tense and pluperfect have been preserved.
In the history of language, there has always been an increase in complexity.
It is remarkable that social factors do not seem to be relevant for the double perfect. English has nothing to do with it either.
Spoken language in particular obeys the law of economy. True to the motto: “Away with everything that is not needed so that we can understand each other.” With the double perfect, a kind of new differentiation seems to be ripe for pronouncement. Sounds out of time.
The practical thing about the double perfect, however, is that I can always add the participle «gha» at the end to signal once again: This is a past tense or closure: «I hand das nöd discussed gha» – but let’s discuss it now.
Apparently we tend to want to make “language things” too clear. You can also see it in the strange plural forms of the brand «Themene» or «Chätzlis». How do you explain that?
One can only speculate about that. As a linguist, one can say that in the history of language there has always been an increase in complexity, which then disappears again, but can come back later.
The cultural pessimist could “slam” that more clarity is needed because we no longer listen to each other properly?
That’s nonsense. This thesis could be reformulated in a positive way: “It’s nice that the speakers are interested in expressing themselves in such a way that the other person doesn’t need so much active capacity to understand me.”
What else is in store for us?
The influence of the non-standard on the standard language will continue to exist. This language change “from below” is also taking place in German.
Stefan Gubser conducted the interview.