Bernese
/bɜːrˈniːz/noun
Of or relating to Bern, the capital city of Switzerland, or its people, language, or culture.
Did you know?Bernese comes from Bern, whose name is traditionally linked to the legend of a bear (“Bär”) being the city’s founding sign, so the word sits right beside one of Europe’s most famous animal-symbol city myths.
Etymological Timeline
Middle Ages
German
Bern
“The name of the Swiss city of Bern.”
Late Medieval Latin
Latin
Berna
“The city of Bern, used in learned and administrative contexts.”
Old High German
OHG
bern
“Bear (popularly associated with the city’s founding legend, though the exact city-name origin is debated).”
17th–18th Century
English
Bernese
“Pertaining to Bern or its inhabitants.”
Modern English
English
Bernese
“Relating to Bern, Switzerland, or the Bernese people, dialect, or culture.”