High German In Austria: What's The Deal?

Austrian German, or Österreichisches Deutsch, is the official language of Austria and is mutually intelligible with Standard German. It is a dialect of Standard German influenced by Southern German and Bavarian dialects. German is spoken by around 98% of the Austrian population. However, there are regional dialects in Austria, including the local Viennese dialect, which may be harder for German speakers to understand.

Austrian German is the official language of Austria

Austrian German, or Österreichisches Deutsch, is the official language of Austria. It is a variety of Standard German that is written and spoken in Austria and South Tyrol. Although Austrian German is mutually intelligible with Standard German, there are some differences in accent and vocabulary.

Austrian German has its roots in the mid-18th century, when Empress Maria Theresa and her son, Joseph II, introduced compulsory schooling in their multilingual Habsburg Empire in 1774. The written standard at the time was Oberdeutsche Schreibsprache (Upper German written language), which was heavily influenced by the Bavarian and Alemannic dialects of Austria. However, Austrian German was standardised in 1951 with the publishing of the Österreichisches Wörterbuch ("Austrian Dictionary").

In less formal situations, Austrians use Bavarian and Alemannic dialects, which are traditionally spoken but rarely written. While Alemannic is mostly spoken in the western state of Vorarlberg, Bavarian is a collection of dialects native to the region, with distinct branches in the northern and southern parts of the country.

Austrian German is the lingua franca of Austria, used in education, media, and administrative communications. It is spoken by around 98% of the country's population. Aside from German, other languages spoken in Austria include Croatian, Hungarian, Slovenian, and Turkish.

German is the main second language of Austria

Austrian German, or Österreichisches Deutsch, is a variety of Standard German that is written and spoken in Austria and South Tyrol. It has its roots in the mid-18th century when Empress Maria Theresa and her son Joseph II introduced compulsory schooling and several administrative reforms in their multilingual Habsburg Empire. At that time, the written standard was influenced by the Bavarian and Alemannic dialects of Austria. Today, Austrian German is almost the same as Standard German, with some differences in vocabulary, grammar, and phrases. The pronunciation also doesn't change too much, although umlauts appear more frequently, especially before the letters "r" and "l".

In less formal situations, Austrians use Bavarian and Alemannic dialects, which are traditionally spoken but rarely written. Alemannic, a group of Upper German dialects, is mostly spoken in the western state of Vorarlberg and has influences from German Swiss dialects. It is spoken by about 300,000 people. On the other hand, Austro-Bavarian is a collection of dialects native to Austria, with distinct branches spoken in the northern and southern parts of the country. More than 8 million people in Austria speak Bavarian, making it the de facto main language of Austria.

In addition to these dialects, there are also regional accents that are less intelligible. For example, the dialect of Carinthia has been influenced by Slovene, and the dialect of Vienna has been influenced by immigration from what is now the Czech Republic. The German dialects of South Tyrol have also borrowed many words from Italian and Ladin.

Overall, German is the main second language of Austria, with most people in the country speaking it as their first language. However, there are regional variations and dialects that add to the rich linguistic landscape of the country.

Alemannic and Austro-Bavarian are the two other major unofficial languages

Alemannic dialects differ considerably in sound system and grammar from standard High German. These dialects are spoken in Switzerland, western Austria, Swabia, and Liechtenstein, as well as in the Alsace region of France. In Germany, the Alemannic branch in the southwest is subdivided into Swabian, Low Alemannic, and High Alemannic. Swabian is the most widespread form and is spoken to the west and south of Stuttgart and as far east as Augsburg. Low Alemannic is spoken in Baden-Württemberg and Alsace.

Austro-Bavarian, also known as Bavarian, is a group of Upper German varieties spoken in the south-east of the German language area, including the German state of Bavaria, most of Austria, and the Italian region of South Tyrol. It is also spoken in parts of Switzerland, Italy, Hungary, Brazil, and the US. Prior to 1945, it was also prevalent in parts of southern Sudetenland and western Hungary. Austro-Bavarian is considered to be a dialect of German, but some sources classify it as a separate language. It is spoken by approximately 12 million people, making it the largest of all German dialects. Bavarian can be divided into three main dialects: Northern Bavarian, Central Bavarian, and Southern Bavarian.

In Austria, German is the official language and the mother tongue. It is spoken by around 98% of the country's population. However, there are variations in the standard German spoken across the different regions, and distinct differences between the many regional dialects within the country.

High German is subdivided into Upper German and Central or Middle German

High German is a broad term for the dialects of German spoken in the highlands of central and southern Germany, as well as in Austria, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and most of Switzerland. It is subdivided into Upper German and Central or Middle German.

The Upper German dialects are further divided into Alemannic in the west (including Swiss German and Swabian), Bavarian-Austrian in the east, and (East) Franconian in the north. Upper German is also called Oberdeutsch, which literally translates to 'Upper German'.

Central or Middle German includes Luxembourgish, which is now a standard language. It is also called Mitteldeutsch in German.

The term "High German" was first used in the 15th century to refer to the dialects spoken in Upper Saxony, Franconia, Swabia, Bavaria, and Austria. High German is marked by the High German consonant shift, which separates it from Low German (Low Saxon) and Low Franconian (including Dutch).

The "high" in High German refers to the geographical location of the dialects, which are spoken in the highlands of central and southern Germany, as well as in the Alpine areas of Austria and Switzerland. This is in contrast to Low German, which is spoken in the lowlands and along the flat sea coasts of northern Germany and the Low Countries (the Netherlands and Belgium).

Upper German dialects are common in everyday spoken language

Upper German dialects are indeed common in everyday spoken language in Austria. In fact, in addition to the standard variety, most Austrians speak one of several Upper German dialects in their daily lives.

The Upper German dialects spoken in Austria include Alemannic, which is spoken in southwestern Germany, Switzerland, and parts of Austria, and Bavarian, which is spoken in southeastern Germany and Austria. These dialects exhibit some of the most pronounced features of the High German consonant shift, a major phonological evolution that transformed numerous consonants in the southern realms of the West Germanic language continuum.

The High German consonant shift occurred between the 3rd and 5th centuries and was largely finalized before the advent of written records in Old High German during the 8th century. It involved a core group of nine consonant modifications, primarily affecting voiceless stops, which became fricatives or affricates in certain contexts, and voiced stops, which shifted to voiceless. This shift played a crucial role in shaping the various German dialects, contributing to their distinct phonological features.

While the Upper German dialects are prevalent in everyday spoken language in Austria, the variety of Standard German known as Austrian German (Österreichisches Deutsch) is used in the media and other formal situations. Austrian German is very similar to German Standard German, and written Austrian German is often indistinguishable from its German counterpart. However, the spoken language differs, with Austrian German incorporating unique vocabulary and several "false friends" for speakers of Standard German.

In less formal situations, Austrians use Bavarian and Alemannic dialects, which are traditionally spoken but rarely written. The process of standardizing Austrian German began in the mid-18th century when Empress Maria Theresa and her son Joseph II introduced compulsory schooling in their multilingual Habsburg Empire. The written standard at the time was Oberdeutsche Schreibsprache (Upper German written language), which was highly influenced by the Bavarian and Alemannic dialects of Austria.

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