The Austrian Language: A Unique Dialect Or Language?

Austria is a country with a rich linguistic history. German is the official language of Austria and is used in education, media, and administrative communications. Almost all of Austria's population (98%) speaks German, making it the lingua franca. However, German is not the only language spoken in Austria. The country is home to several other dialects and minority languages. Austro-Bavarian, a collection of dialects native to the region, is the main dialect outside Vorarlberg and is considered the de facto main language of Austria, with approximately 8.3 million speakers. In Vorarlberg, Alemannic, or Swiss German, is the main dialect, spoken by about 300,000 people. Austria also recognizes several minority languages, including Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, and Romani. With its diverse mix of languages and dialects, Austria's linguistic landscape is a fascinating aspect of the country's culture and history.

Austrian German is the official language of Austria

Austrian German is influenced by Austro-Bavarian, which is the unofficial native language of Austria. Austro-Bavarian is a group of Upper German languages spoken across the country, except in the federal state of Vorarlberg and parts of Tyrol's Reutte District. In these places, an Alemannic dialect is used instead. Alemannic and Austro-Bavarian are the two other major unofficial languages of Austria.

Alemannic is a group of Upper German dialects with German-Swiss influences. It is spoken by about 300,000 people in Austria, mostly in Vorarlberg. To most German speakers, it is very difficult to understand.

Austro-Bavarian has approximately 8.3 million speakers in Austria. The northeastern parts of the country, including the capital Vienna, speak Central Austro-Bavarian dialects, while the southern parts speak Southern Austro-Bavarian dialects. Austro-Bavarian differs greatly from Standard German, and German speakers often struggle to understand it.

In addition to German, several minority languages are recognised in Austria, including Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Romani, and sign language.

Austro-Bavarian is the main dialect outside Vorarlberg

Austro-Bavarian is a group of Upper German dialects spoken in most of Austria, with the exception of the federal state of Vorarlberg and parts of the Reutte District of Tyrol. Vorarlberg is the only Austrian province that doesn't speak Austro-Bavarian.

Austro-Bavarian is also spoken in the German state of Bavaria, in Switzerland, in Italy, and in Hungary. In total, there are approximately 12 million speakers of Austro-Bavarian, with over seven million of those in Austria.

Austro-Bavarian is considered a dialect of German, but some sources classify it as a separate language. It differs greatly from Standard German, making it difficult for German speakers from other regions to understand. However, the two languages are mutually intelligible. Most Austrians speak both German and Austro-Bavarian.

Austro-Bavarian has no official orthography or written form, although there have been literary efforts, especially in poems, to capture the dialect's pronunciation in spelling. Some examples of phrases that are unique to Austro-Bavarian include "Griaß God" ("greet God" or "may God greet you"), "Servus/Servas" ("at your service"), and "Pfiat di / Pfiat eich" ("may God watch over you").

Within Austro-Bavarian, there are several dialects, including Central Bavarian, Southern Bavarian, and Northern Bavarian. The differences between these dialects are noticeable, particularly when travelling from the north of Austria to the south or between different states. For example, the accents of Carinthia, Styria, and Tyrol are easily distinguishable.

Austro-Bavarian has influenced Austrian German, which is the official language of Austria and is used in government, media, schools, and formal announcements. Austrian German differs from Standard German in vocabulary and pronunciation, particularly in Vienna, where the German spoken can be puzzling to those who speak Standard German.

Austria has several minority languages

Austria's linguistic history is tied to its political history. For a long time, Austria was part of the Holy Roman Empire, and later the German Confederation. It was also part of the multi-ethnic Austro-Hungarian Empire, and its many languages, including Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, Croatian and Slovenian, are still spoken in the country today.

Austria's official language is Austrian German, which is influenced by Austro-Bavarian. However, German is considered the main "second language" of Austria, with almost all Austrians speaking it. German is used in education, media and administrative communications.

In addition to German, Austria is home to around seven million speakers of Austro-Bavarian, a group of Upper German languages spoken across the country, except in Vorarlberg and some areas of Tyrol's Reutte District. In these locations, residents use an Alemannic dialect instead. Alemannic is spoken by around 300,000 people in Austria.

Other minority languages in Austria include Turkish, Romani, Serbian, Bosnian, Italian, Yiddish, French and English.

Alemannic is the dialect used in Vorarlberg

Alemannic, or Alemannish, is a group of High German dialects, deriving its name from the ancient Germanic tribal confederation, the Alemanni, meaning "all men". It is spoken by approximately 10 million people across several countries, including Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, the US, and Venezuela.

In Austria, Alemannic is the dialect used in the westernmost federal state of Vorarlberg, which borders Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Germany—all of which are also Alemannic-speaking regions. Additionally, the dialect is spoken in the Reutte District of Tyrol, an historic region in the Alps stretching from northern Italy to western Austria.

Alemannic comprises a dialect continuum, with the Highest Alemannic spoken in mountainous regions, and the more flatland-oriented Swabian in the north, which bears more similarities to Standard German. The Alemannic dialects can be further divided into Low Alemannic, Upper-Rhine Alemannic, Alemán Coloniero, Basel German, Lake Constance Alemannic, and High Alemannic.

The oldest known texts in Alemannic are brief Elder Futhark inscriptions dating back to the sixth century. In the Old High German period, the first coherent texts in Alemannic were recorded in the St. Gall Abbey, including the eighth-century Paternoster. Alemannic Middle High German is less prominent, but Huldrych Zwingli's Bible translation in the 1520s was in an Alemannic variant of Early Modern High German.

While Standard German is used for writing in Alemannic-speaking regions, Alemannic is primarily a spoken dialect. It is considered a significant unofficial language in Austria, with around 300,000 speakers.

English is widely spoken in Austria

Austria is a beautiful country that is very popular with European and English-speaking tourists. English is very widely taught and spoken in Austria, with around 73% of the population able to converse in English to some level. This makes Austria one of the most proficient non-native English-speaking countries in the world.

English has been widely taught in Austrian schools since the end of World War II, with children receiving regular English lessons from the age of seven upwards. Therefore, anyone under the age of 70 in Austria will likely be able to speak English to some degree.

English is even more prevalent in larger cities like Vienna and other tourist destinations. In these holiday resort regions, you will also often find road signs in English. Recent statistics indicate that Austria receives well over 1.5 million tourists annually from the UK and US combined, so English will be widely spoken in these places.

While Austrians are happy to help out tourists, they do not like loud, boisterous, or arrogant people who expect or feel entitled to have someone converse with them in English. However, as long as you are polite and respectful, and perhaps attempt a few German phrases, Austrians will be happy to help you out and will often switch to English.

Official Written Languages

While English is widely spoken in Austria, it has no official status there. Instead, official communications, signage, etc., use German, as that is the primary language of Austria.

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