Parameters

Synopsis of mean values: high mean values of a similarity distribution correspond to a relatively large average extent of all N taxatorial areas. Since one can connect the "connectivity" of a locolect with the size of these areas, the synopsis of all mean values can be used for measuring exactly this characteristic.

Synopsis of the maxima values: visualizes "dialect kernels" by the genesis of a very undulating landscape consisting of "mountain peaks" and "valleys" in between. The "mountain peaks" (here: all in red) correspond to locolects, which have very high similarity values to each other and thus produce "spatially compact kernels". However, there are also many locolects that are medium or poorly related with the neighbouring dialects and therefore produce only low similarity values. These appear on the choropleth map in cold colours. The areas marked in red usually result in coherent prominent aggregates, while the zones marked in blue on the map usually appear in linear form (like "valleys").

Synopsis of the standard deviations values: the standard deviation is used to measure the dispersion of a frequency distribution; this is the sum of the differences of all n measured values from the overall arithmetic mean. This sum is all the greater the more "variable" (in the sense of the coexistence of large and small values) the scores of a frequency distribution are structured.

Synopsis of the skewness values: the skewness values record the degree of symmetry of a frequency (or similarity) distribution. They have the score 0 if the symmetry is perfect, get negative values in the case of an extreme massing of the similarity scores above the arithmetic mean (here: polygons in blue) and positive scores (here: polygons in red) if the similarity scores are predominantly below the arithmetic mean. In the first case, a strong linguistic dynamism (in the sense of an intense irradiation and expansion of the respective local dialects) can be inferred, in the second case the opposite (conservatism, linguistic retreat, residual position).

Concerning the Swiss German dialect landscape, the following observations can be made:

• The synopsis of arithmetic means yields a clearly structured map profile, which shows the leading position of the cantons Aargau and Lucerne as well as the remote situation of the canton Valais.
• On the synopsis of standard deviations, the warm colors form three main zones with internally convergent variability: (1) the cantons Zurich and Thurgau (with annexes), (2) the canton Bern, and less prominently (3) the canton Valais. The transitions between these zones are relatively smooth.
• The synopsis of skewness values shows a circle around the canton Zurich, which may be interpreted as an earlier circular irradiation tendency. The blue threshold in the south of St. Gallen shows compensation processes over shorter distances between the bordering local dialects of the cantons St. Gallen, Schwyz, Grisons and Zurich.