How many German dialects exist?
How Many Dialects are There in Germany? Some linguists say there are as many as 250 dialects of German.
Is High German still spoken?
Modern standard High German is descended from the Middle High German dialects and is spoken in the central and southern highlands of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It is used as the language of administration, higher education, literature, and the mass media in the Low German speech area as well.
Is Low German still spoken?
known as Low German, or Plattdeutsch, historically was spoken in all regions occupied by the Saxons and spread across the whole of the North German Plain. Although it has been largely displaced by standard German, it is still widely spoken, especially among elderly and rural inhabitants in the areas near…
What is the oldest German dialect?
Old High German
Old High German (OHG, German: Althochdeutsch, German abbr. Ahd.) is the earliest stage of the German language, conventionally covering the period from around 750 to 1050.
Which German dialect is closest to English?
Frisian
The closest language to English is one called Frisian, which is a Germanic language spoken by a small population of about 480,000 people. There are three separate dialects of the language, and it’s only spoken at the southern fringes of the North Sea in the Netherlands and Germany.
What is Low German vs High German?
“Low” refers to the flat plains and coastal area of the northern European lowlands, contrasted with the mountainous areas of central and southern Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, where High German (Highland German) is spoken.
Is Bavarian High German?
Bavarian language
| Bavarian | |
|---|---|
| Native speakers | 14,000,000 (2016) |
| Language family | Indo-European Germanic West Germanic Elbe Germanic High German Upper German Bavarian |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | bar |
Is Dutch a German dialect?
No, Dutch is not currently considered part of German or the German dialects – well, except for a small region whose traditional dialects are arguably linguistically Dutch but spoken in Germany.
Who spoke Old High German?
Old High German, any of the West Germanic dialects spoken in the highlands of southern Germany, Switzerland, and Austria until the end of the 11th century.
Do you speak German in your local dialect?
But there are also dialects spoken in the north of Germany . Germans communicate with other Germans from others parts of Germany in standard German. It’s your first choice in a business setting when speaking from the mind is important. But speaking from the heart means bubbling in your local dialect.
Which German dialects are unintelligible to non-Germans?
Low German, most Upper German, High Franconian dialects and even some Central German dialects when they are spoken in their purest form are unintelligible to those versed only in Standard German. However, all German dialects belong to the dialect continuum of High German and Low German.
Is there a German-speaking part of Europe that is not politically divided?
However, the German-speaking part of Europe does not always coincide with current political borders. In parts of eastern France in the region known as Elsace-Lorraine (Elsaß) a German dialect known as Alsatian (Elsässisch) is still spoken today.
What are the High German dialects of Poland?
Wymysorys, Sathmarisch and Siebenbürgisch are High German dialects of Poland and Romania . The High German varieties spoken by Ashkenazi Jews (mostly in Czarist Russia, then the former Soviet Union and Poland) have several unique features and are usually considered as a separate language.