Languages of Germany: Extensive list of all the languages of Germany. German languages
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Federal Republic of Germany, Bundesrepublik Deutschland. 82,424,609. Population includes 5,241,801 without German citizenship (1990 official figures). National or official language: Standard German. Literacy rate: 99%. Also includes Adyghe (2,000), Algerian Spoken Arabic (26,000), Assyrian Neo-Aramaic, Catalan-Valencian-Balear, Chaldean Neo-Aramaic (3,000), Chechen, Croatian (652,000), Dimli, Dutch (101,000), English (110,000), Greek (314,000), Hausa, Hebrew, Hindi (24,500), Italian (548,000), Japanese (20,000), Jutish, Kabuverdianu (3,000), Kalmyk-Oirat, Kazakh, Kirmanjki, Korean (14,000), Latvian (8,000), Laz (1,000), Moroccan Spoken Arabic (44,200), Northern Kurdish (541,311), Osetin, Portuguese (78,000), Russian (360,000), Spanish (134,000), Tamil (35,000), Tarifit, Tigrigna (15,000), Tosk Albanian (25,000), Tunisian Spoken Arabic (26,000), Turkish (2,107,426), Turkmen, Turoyo (20,000), Urdu (23,000), Uyghur, Vietnamese (60,000), Western Farsi (90,000), Uyghur, Vietnamese 60,000, Chinese 40,000, from Afghanistan 29,000. Information mainly from M. Stephens 1976; B. Comrie 1987; S. Barbour and P. Stevenson 1990. The number of languages listed for Germany is 29. Of those, 27 are living languages and 2 are extinct.
Living languages
Alemannisch
[gsw] Southwestern, southern Baden-Wuerttemberg. Alternate names: Alemannic. Dialects: Low Alemannisch, High Alemannisch. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Upper German, Alemannic
Bavarian
[bar] 246,050 in Germany (2000 WCD). North Bavarian is north of Regensburg, to Nuremburg and Western Bohemia, Czech Republic; Central Bavarian is in the Alps and Lower Austria and Salzburg; South Bavarian is in the Bavarian Alps, Tyrol, Styria, including the Heanzian dialect of Burgenland, Carinthia, northern Italy, and part of Gottschee in Slovenia. Alternate names: Bairisch, Bayerisch, Bavarian Austrian. Dialects: Central Bavarian, North Bavarian, South Bavarian. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Upper German, Bavarian-Austrian .
Danish
[dan] 20,963 in Germany (2000). South Schleswig. Alternate names: Dänisch, Dansk. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, North, East Scandinavian, Danish-Swedish, Danish-Riksmal, Danish
Frisian, Eastern
[frs] 11,000 in Germany (1976 Stephens). Schleswig-Holstein, Ostfriesland, the area around the towns of Emden and Oldenburg in Lower Saxony, and Saterland, Jeverland, and Butjadingen in 1976. Reported to be used only in Saterland, Eastern Frisia in 1998. Also spoken in USA. Alternate names: Ostfriesisch, Saterlandic Frisian, Seeltersk Frisian. Dialects: Not intelligible with Western Frisian of the Netherlands or Northern Frisian (E. Matteson SIL 1978) or Saterfriesisch (Wolbert Smidt 2001). Lexical similarity 77% with Standard German, 74% with Western Frisian. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian
Frisian, Northern
[frr] 10,000 (1976 Stephens). Ethnic population: 60,000 (1976 Stephens). Schleswig-Holstein, on the coastal strip between the rivers Eider in the south and Wiedau in the north, and adjacent islands of Föhr, Amrum, Sylt, Norstrand, Pellworm, the ten islands of the Halligen group, and Helgoland. Alternate names: Nordfriesisch. Dialects: Mooringer (Mooringa, Mainland Frisian), Ferring (Fohr-Amrum), Sölreng (Sylt), Helgoland. The first 3 dialects listed are different enough that more than one set of literature would be needed. Ferring dialect is actively used. Not intelligible to Eastern Frisian of Germany or Western Frisian of the Netherlands except to a few educated bilingual speakers of West Frisian. Mooringer has 70% lexical similarity with Standard German, 55% with English, 66% with Eastern Frisian; Föhr has 69% with Standard German, 62% with English, 68% with Western Frisian, 73% with Eastern Frisian, 86% with Mooringer, 91% with Amrum; Sylt has 64% with Standard German, 61% with English, 79% with Mooringer, 85% with Föhr. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Frisian
German Sign Language
[gsg] 50,000 (1986 Gallaudet Univ.). Population includes 22,000 members of German Deaf Association. Western Germany. Alternate names: Deutsche Gebärdensprache, Dgs. Dialects: Many regional lexical variations. Some similarity to French and other European sign languages. Relation to sign languages of eastern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland is not known. More than one sign language used in eastern Germany. Classification: Deaf sign language
German, Standard
[deu] 75,300,000 in Germany (1990). Population total all countries: 95,392,978. Also spoken in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Moldova, Namibia, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia (Europe), Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan. Alternate names: Deutsch, Tedesco. Dialects: Major related language areas are Bavarian, Schwäbisch, Allemannisch, Mainfränkisch, Hessisch, Palatinian, Rheinfränkisch, Westfälisch, Saxonian, Thuringian, Brandenburgisch, and Low Saxon. Many varieties are not inherently intelligible with each other. Our present treatment in this edition is incomplete. Standard German is one High German variety, which developed from the chancery of Saxony, gaining acceptance as the written standard in the 16th and 17th centuries. High German refers to dialects and languages in the upper Rhine region. Lexical similarity 60% with English, 29% with French. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, East Middle German
Kölsch
[ksh] 250,000 (1997 Holger Jakobs). Cologne (Köln) and surrounding areas. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, West Middle German, Ripuarian Franconian
Limburgisch
[lim] Depending on the city in Germany, 50% to 90% of the population speak it (2001 A. Schunck). German-administered Limburg: Cleves, Aachen, Viersen, Heinsberg. Alternate names: Limburgs Plat. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, West Middle German, Rhenisch Franconian
Luxembourgeois
[ltz] Few speakers in Germany. Bitburg area in western Germany. Alternate names: Luxemburgian, Letzburgisch, Lëtzebuergesch, Moselle Franconian. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, West Middle German, Moselle Franconian
Mainfränkisch
[vmf] Spoken mostly along the River Main, including the city of Mainz, thus not far west of Frankfurt. Alternate names: Franconian. Dialects: Approximately 40% inherently intelligible with Standard German. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, West Middle German, Moselle Franconian
Pfaelzisch
[pfl] Southwest Palatinate, Rheinpfalz. Alternate names: Pfälzische, Pfälzisch. Dialects: Various dialects. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, West Middle German, Rhenisch Fraconian
.
Plautdietsch
[pdt] 90,000 in Germany (1996 Reuben Epp). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon
Polish [pol]
241,000 in Germany. Alternate names: Polski, Polnisch. Classification: Indo-European, Slavic, West, Lechitic
Romani, Balkan
[rmn] 3,500 in Germany. Population includes 2,000 Arlija and 1,500 Dzambazi. Dialects: Arlija (Erli), Dzambazi. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Romani, Balkan
Romani, Sinte
[rmo] 80,000 in Germany (2000). Ethnic population: 200,000. Hamburg and colonies in the south. Alternate names: Rommanes, Ziguener, Sintí, Sinte. Dialects: Gadschkene, Estracharia, Krantiki, Kranaria, Eftawagaria, Praistiki. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Romani, Northern .
Romani, Vlax
[rmy] 1,699 in Germany (2000 WCD). Population includes 2,500 Lovari, 2,500 to 4,000 Kalderash. Dialects: Lovari, Kalderash. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Central zone, Romani, Vlax
.
Saterfriesisch
[stq] 5,000 (2001 Wolbert Smidt). Saterland, East Frisia. Alternate names: Saterfriesiesch, Saterländisch, Saterlandic Frisian. Dialects: Not intelligible with Eastern Frisian. Related to Western Frisian and Northern Frisian. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Frisian .
Saxon, Low
[nds] 1,000. 10,000,000 understand it in Germany, but few are native speakers (1996 Reinhard F. Hahn). Northern Germany. Lower Rhine Region below a line from Aachen to Witenberg. Alternate names: Neddersassisch, Niedersaechsisch, Nedersaksisch, Low German, Plattdütsch, Nedderdütsch. Dialects: Northern Low Saxon, Eastphalian (Ostfaelisch, Ostfälisch), Mecklenburg-Anterior Pomerania (Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch), Mark-Brandenburg (Maerkisch-Brandenburgisch, Märkisch-Brandenburgisch, East Prussian). The dialects listed are in Germany. The first three dialects listed are Western Low Saxon, the other two are Eastern Low Saxon. Not intelligible to speakers of Standard German. A direct descendant of Old Saxon, related to English. 20 to 30 dialects with differing inherent intelligibility, depending on geographic distance. They did not experience the second consonantal shift of the 8th and 9th centuries (J. Thiessen, U. of Winnipeg 1976). Its modern forms have been largely suppressed until recently and have received much German, Dutch, or Frisian influence, depending on the area. Low Saxon varieties listed as separate entries in the Netherlands, where they have official status. Pomerano is used in Latin America. Westphaelian and Plautdietsch also have separate entries. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon
Saxon, Upper
[sxu] 2,000,000 (1998 Andreas Thomsen). Eastern Germany, southeast, Sachsen with Dresden, Leipzig, Chemnitz, Halle in Sachsen-Anhalt. Dialects: Erzgebirgisch. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, East Middle German
Silesian, Lower
[sli] Gorlitz, eastern Germany. Alternate names: Lower Schlesisch. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, East Middle German Nearly extinct. .
Sorbian, Lower
[dsb] 14,000 (1991 Elle). Ethnic population: 60,000. Niederlausitz (Dolna Luzica) in eastern Germany, Cottbus (Chósebuz) the main town. The ethnic group has over 60 towns and villages. Alternate names: Niedersorbisch, Bas Sorabe, Wendish, Lusatian, Lower Lusatian, Dolnoserbski, Delnoserbski. Classification: Indo-European, Slavic, West, Sorbian
Sorbian, Upper
[hsb] 15,000 (1996). Ethnic population: 70,000 to 110,000 with Lower Sorbian (1999 Ken Sasahara). Upper Saxony, eastern Germany, principal towns Bautzen (Budysin, Catholic) and Kamenz (Protestant). Perhaps a few in Texas, USA. Alternate names: Obersorbisch, Haut Sorabe, Upper Lusatian, Wendish, Hornjoserbski, Hornoserbski. Dialects: Bautzen, Kamenz. Classification: Indo-European, Slavic, West, Sorbian
Swabian
[swg] Ethnic population: 820,168 (2000 WCD). Southwest, Wuerttemberg, the eastern part of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Schwaben, western Bavaria. Alternate names: Schwäbisch, Suabian, Schwaebisch. Dialects: A variety of Highest Alemannisch. More distinct than Bavarian from Standard German. 40% inherently intelligible with Standard German (estimate). Swabian of the Black Forest is different from Swabian in the Alb (H. Kloss 1978). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Upper German, Alemannic
Westphalien
[wep] Northwestern, Westphalia. Alternate names: Westfaelisch, Westfälisch. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon
Yeniche
[yec] Also spoken in Austria, France, Netherlands, Switzerland. Alternate names: Jenisch, Yenishe, German Travellers. Dialects: German with a heavy cryptolectal lexical influsion from Rotwelsch, Yiddish, Romani, and Hebrew. Classification: Mixed Language, German-Yiddish-Romani-Rotwelsch
Yiddish, Western
[yih] Ethnic population: 49,210 in Germany (2000 WCD). Southwestern dialect in southern Germany, Switzerland, and Alsace (France), Midwestern dialect in central Germany and parts of the former Czechoslovakia, Northwestern dialect is northern Germany and the Netherlands. Also spoken in Belgium, France, Hungary, Israel, Netherlands, Switzerland. Alternate names: Yiddish, Yidish, Judeo-German. Dialects: Southwestern Yiddish, Midwestern Yiddish, Northwestern Yiddish. Western Yiddish originated in Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Alsace (France), Czechoslovakia, western Hungary. "The variety of Western Yiddish in Hungary is probably the most readily intelligible to Yiddish speakers in Romania, the Baltic, and the Slavic countries in the East. The Western Yiddish variety in Holland less so; the Western Yiddish in Alsace (France) and Switzerland, least so" (M. Herzog 1997). Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, Yiddish
Extinct languages
Frankish
[frk] Extinct. Alternate names: Fränkisch, Old Frankish. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German
Polabian
[pox] Extinct. North of the Wend language area. Classification: Indo-European, Slavic, West, Lechitic
Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), 2005. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com