story trail station 7

Language in the mountains

The remoteness of the valleys has encouraged the development of countless dialects throughout the Alpine region. Proprietary words and names can be traced back to the migration of peoples, the mixing of languages and the development of the language over the centuries.
Numerous place names on the Loser and in the Totes Gebirge contain the word "Augst". In early New High German, it is associated with the month but also with the grain harvest. If you go further back in history, a derivation from the Old High German "auuista" for sheepfold or "auwist" for sheep in the Slavic language is more conclusive, as the cultivation of high plateaus by sheep is widespread in the Salzkammergut.
The "Loser", which means "ear" in the Aussee dialect, allows for several interpretations. On the one hand, the shape of the mountain, which may be reminiscent of an ear. On the other hand, the story that people used to climb up to hear the approaching sounds of war from the Loser. An explanation based on necessity would also be the appropriate place to look for grazing sheep - this thesis would also underpin the connection between "Augst" and "sheep".

Naming on the Loser
Augstalm = Alm at the foot of the Loser
Augstsee = Karsee at the end of the toll road
Augsttret = Pasture area near the Augstalm
Augsterkunntal = depression east of the Augstsee lake
Augsteck = ridge east of the Loser
Augstwieslacke = Water body in the Totes Gebirge
Augstwiese = Alpine pasture east of the Loser
Schafkirche = small cave above the Augstsee lake
Schafzähler = square above the Schafkirche church
Loserthörl = Rocky gully west of the Loser summit
Loserboden = pasture between Hochanger and Loser

left: The Loser allows the shape of an ear to be interpreted