Der onymische Artikel im Schweizerdeutschen in seiner Funktion als Genusmarker

In Swiss German dialects first names are commonly used with a preceding article. Historically, the function of these so-called onymic articles was to show name’s case. They arose when inflection had been omitted and case thus no longer expressed in suffixes. The data gathered 2016 an online survey for research project “Das Anna und ihr Hund” indicate that today reflecting is hardly relevant. However, it important speakers emphasize nameʼs grammatical gender. three genders (Swiss) feminine, masculine, neuter. Typically, ono­nymic articles’ gender corresponds their referents’ biological gender, i. e. feminine women’s names, masculine men’s names. But sometimes neuter female or, less often, male Therefore, same name can have different indicated article, g. d (f.) or s (n.). choice article depends on speaker, situation, referent, other factors. Based observations, argued marking article’s main secondary.