German language

Classification and related languages

German is a member of the western branch of the Germanic family of languages, which in turn is part of the Indo-European language family.

Related Topics:
Western branch - Germanic - Indo-European language family

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Neighboring languages

German forms together with Dutch, its closest relative, a coherent and well-defined language area that is separated from its neighbors by language borders. These neighbors are: in the north Frisian and Danish; in the east Polish, Sorbian, Czech, Slovak, and Hungarian; in the south Slovenian, Italian, Friulian, Ladin, and Romansh; in the west French. Except for Frisian, none of these languages are West Germanic, and so they are clearly distinct from German and Dutch. While Frisian is closely related to German and Dutch, it is generally considered not to be mutually intelligible with them.

Related Topics:
Dutch - Language border - Frisian - Danish - Polish - Sorbian - Czech - Slovak - Hungarian - Slovenian - Italian - Friulian - Ladin - Romansh - French - Mutually intelligible

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The situation is more complex with respect to the distinction between German and Dutch. Until recently, there has been a dialect continuum throughout the whole German-Dutch language area, with no language borders. In such a dialect continuum, dialects are always mutually intelligible with their neighbors, but dialects that are further apart from each other are often not. The German-Dutch continuum lent itself to a classification of dialects into Low German and High German based on their participation in the High German consonant shift; Dutch is part of the Low German group.

Related Topics:
Dialect continuum - Low German - High German - High German consonant shift

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

However, because of the political separation between Germany and the Netherlands, Low German dialects in the Netherlands and Low German dialects in Germany have started to diverge during the 20th century. Additionally, both in northern Germany and in the Netherlands, many dialects are close to extinction and are being replaced by the German and Dutch standard languages. In this way, a language border between Dutch and German is currently forming.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

While German is grammatically similar in many ways to Dutch, it is very different in speech. A speaker of one may require some practice to effectively understand a speaker of the other. Compare, for example:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:De kleinste kameleon is volwassen 2 cm groot, de grootste kan wel 80 cm worden. (Dutch)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:Das kleinste Chamäleon ist ausgewachsen 2 cm groß, das größte kann gut 80 cm werden. (Standard German)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:S chliinschti Chamäleon isch uusgwachse 2 cm groß, s grööschti chan guet 80 cm werde. (Alemannic)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

: (English: "The smallest chameleon is fully grown 2 cm long, the longest can easily attain 80 cm.")

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dutch speakers are generally able to read German, and German speakers who can speak Low German or English are generally able to read Dutch, but have problems understanding the spoken language, although Germans who speak High German, or, even better, Low German, can cope with Dutch much better than people from Southern Germany, Swiss and Austria who have grown up with the Alemannic dialects.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Official status

Standard German is the only official language in Germany, Liechtenstein, and Austria; it shares official status in Switzerland (with French, Italian and Romansh), and Luxembourg (with French and Luxembourgish). It is used as a local official language in German-speaking regions of Belgium, Italy, Denmark, and Poland. It is one of the 20 official languages of the European Union.

Related Topics:
Germany - Liechtenstein - Austria - Switzerland - French - Italian - Romansh - Luxembourg - Luxembourgish - Belgium - Italy - Denmark - Poland - Languages of the European Union

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It is also a minority language in Canada, France, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Poland, Romania, Togo, Cameroon, the USA, Namibia, Brazil, Paraguay, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Ukraine, Croatia, Moldavia, Australia, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania.

Related Topics:
Canada - France - Russia - Kazakhstan - Tajikistan - Poland - Romania - Togo - Cameroon - USA - Namibia - Brazil - Paraguay - Hungary - Czech Republic - Slovakia - The Netherlands - Slovenia - Ukraine - Croatia - Moldavia - Australia - Latvia - Estonia - Lithuania

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

German was once the lingua franca of central, eastern and northern Europe. Increasing influence from the English language has affected German recently. However, German remains one of the most popular foreign languages taught world-wide, and is more popular than French as a foreign language in Europe. 38% of all European citizens say they can converse in German (native speakers not counted). In Poland, or Hungary for example, one is more likely to find someone who speaks decent German than English. This is because one can easily receive German TV by cable or satellite. Many people learn German by watching series like Star Trek dubbed to German.

Related Topics:
Lingua franca - English language - Star Trek - Dubbed

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

German is also the second language of the internet, more than 8% of the websites are in German (English 50%, French 6%, Japanese 5%, Spanish 3% and Portuguese 2%).

Related Topics:
Internet - English - French - Japanese - Spanish - Portuguese

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dialects

The term "German" is used for the dialects of Germany, Austria, German-speaking Switzerland (that is, outside the French-, Italian-, and Romansch-speaking areas) and some areas in the surrounding countries, as well as for several colonies and other ethnic concentrations founded by German-speaking people (for example in North America).

Related Topics:
French - Italian - Romansch - Colonies - In North America

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The variation among the German dialects is considerable. Only the neighbouring dialects are mutually understandable. Most dialects are not understandable for someone who knows standard German.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

German and Dutch dialects are typically divided into Low German and High German. Whether Low German and High German are separate languages or not, is a matter of opinion; they do form, however, a dialect continuum where each dialect is closely related to its neighbor dialects, no matter whether they are Low or High German.

Related Topics:
Low German - High German - Dialect continuum

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Low German dialects were not affected by the High German consonant shift. They consist of two subgroups, Low Franconian and Low Saxon. Low Franconian includes Dutch and Flemish, spoken in the Netherlands and Belgium; Low Saxon includes dialects spoken in the German Lowlands and in the eastern Netherlands. See above for a discussion of the distinction between German and Dutch.

Related Topics:
High German consonant shift - Low Franconian - Low Saxon - Dutch - Flemish - Lowlands - Above

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

High German dialects are divided into Central German and Upper German. Central German dialects include Ripuarian, Luxembourgish, Moselle Franconian, Rhine Franconian, Hessian, Thuringian, and Upper Saxon, and are spoken in the southeastern Netherlands, eastern Belgium, Luxembourg, parts of France, and in Germany approximately between the River Main and the southern edge of the Lowlands. Standard German is mostly based on Central German.

Related Topics:
Central German - Upper German - Ripuarian - Luxembourgish - Moselle Franconian - Rhine Franconian - Hessian - Thuringian - Upper Saxon - Main

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Upper German dialects include Alemannic (for instance Swiss German), Swabian, East Franconian, and Austro-Bavarian. They are spoken in parts of the Alsace, southern Germany, Liechtenstein, Austria, and in the German-speaking parts of Switzerland and Italy.

Related Topics:
Alemannic - Swiss German - Swabian - East Franconian - Austro-Bavarian - Alsace

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The High German dialects spoken by Ashkenazi Jews (mostly in the former Soviet Union) have several unique features, and are usually considered as a separate language, Yiddish.

Related Topics:
Ashkenazi Jew - Soviet Union - Yiddish

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The dialects of German which are or were primarily spoken in colonies founded by German speaking people resemble the dialects of the regions the founders came from (for example Pennsylvania German resembles dialects of the Palatinate, or Hutterite German resembles dialects of Carinthia).

Related Topics:
Pennsylvania German - Palatinate - Hutterite German - Carinthia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the United States, the teaching of the German language to latter-age students has given rise to a pidgin variant which combines the German language with the grammar and spelling rules of the English language. It is often understandable by either party. The speakers of this language often refer to it as Amerikanisch or Amerikanischdeutsch, although it is known in English as American German.

Related Topics:
United States - American German

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Standard German

In German linguistics, only the traditional regional varieties are called dialects, not the different varieties of standard German.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Standard German has originated not as a traditional dialect of a specific region, but as a written language. However, there are places where the traditional regional dialects have been replaced by standard German (especially in major cities of Germany and Austria).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Standard German differs regionally, especially between German-speaking countries, especially in vocabulary, but also in some instances of pronunciation and even grammar. This variation must not be confused with the variation of local dialects. Even though the regional varieties of standard German are to a certain degree influenced by the local dialects, they are very distinct. German is thus considered a pluricentric language.

Related Topics:
Vocabulary - Pronunciation - Grammar - Pluricentric language

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In most regions, the speakers use a continuum of mixtures from more dialectical varieties to more standard varieties according to situation.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the German-speaking parts of Switzerland, mixtures of dialect and standard are very seldom used, and the use of standard German is almost entirely restricted to the written language. Therefore, this situation has been called a medial diglossia. Standard German is rarely spoken, for instance when speaking with people who do not understand the Swiss German dialects at all, and it is expected to be used in school.

Related Topics:
Diglossia - Swiss German

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~