Ick vs. Ich: Unpacking Berlin’s Linguistic Identity
Exploring the origins and cultural significance of Berliner Schnauze
3 min readMay 22, 2023
In the heart of Berlin, you’ll hear a distinct dialectal word that sets it apart from the rest of Germany. “Ick,” a term that replaces the more common “Ich” in high German, is a staple of Berliner Schnauze — the city’s rough-and-tumble dialect. But where did this word come from, and what does it mean today in Berlinerisch culture?
