ABSTRACT
The dialect area covered by the Thüringisches Wörterbuch is not in any way a cohesive entity. It is split geographically, regionally and linguistically. In the geographical sense, the Thuringian heartland reaches north to the foothills of the Harz mountains, south to the ridge of the Thuringian Forest, west to the Werra river and east to the Saale. The Harz and the Thuringian Forest both provide natural boundaries, while drainage into the Saale provides a link uniting most rivers and streams in the area.
