Peter Constable <petercon at microsoft dot com> wrote:
On the one hand, we see Ethnologue use “Alemannic” in reference to the genetic subnode. On the other, we see Ethnologue indicate that “Alemannisch” is a name used to refer to the specific language also known as “Schwyzerdütsch” or “Swiss German”.
I don't know if this sheds light on anything, but there is a similar ambiguity in the English term "classical music." It can be used to mean either (a) the entire genre of so-called "serious" music, as contrasted with "popular" styles such as folk or rock, or (b) such music from the "classical era," spanning roughly from the mid-18th to the early 19th centuries. In one sense, Bach and Tchaikovsky were "classical" composers; in another sense they were not.
Usually context makes it clear which of these senses is intended. It seems this would not be sufficient to disambiguate the name "Alemanic" in the Registry, however. Perhaps this is one of those cases where a brief and judicious Comment could be added, to the effect (assuming Peter's interpretation is correct) that "gsw" refers to only one language and other "Alemannic" language could be tagged using such-and-so subtag.
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