Ruqayyah Snyder
Austria's official language is German, but the German spoken in Austria differs from Standard German in terms of accent, vocabulary, and grammar. Austrian German is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect, which is the unofficial native language of Austria. In addition to Standard Austrian German, there are several dialects spoken throughout the country, including Central Austro-Bavarian, Southern Austro-Bavarian, and Alemannic. These dialects can vary significantly, and even native Austrian German speakers may struggle to understand some of the more distinct dialects.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Official language of Austria | German |
| German dialect spoken in Austria | Austro-Bavarian |
| Bavarian dialect spoken in Austria | Middle Bavarian, Southern Bavarian |
| Middle Bavarian spoken in | Ober- and Niederösterreich, Vienna |
| Southern Bavarian spoken in | Tirol, Kärnten, Steiermark |
| Alemannic dialect spoken in | Vorarlberg, western Tirol |
| Number of German dialects | 3 |
| Northern Dialects spoken in | Vienna |
| Southern Dialects spoken in | Graz, Innsbruck |
| German dialects spoken in Austria | Austrian German, Schönbrunner Deutsch, Österreichische Kanzleisprache |
| Austrian German dialects | Northern, Southern, Central Austro-Bavarian |
| Northern Austro-Bavarian spoken in | Salzburg, Upper Austria, Lower Austria, northern Burgenland |
| Southern Austro-Bavarian spoken in | Tyrol, South Tyrol, Carinthia, Styria, southern parts of Salzburg and Burgenland |
| Vorarlbergerisch spoken in | Vorarlberg |
| Number of people speaking Bavarian in Austria | 7 million |
| Number of people speaking Alemannic in Austria | 300,000 |
| Minority languages in Austria | Turkish, Slovenian, Hungarian, Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Romany, Sign language |
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What You'll Learn
Austrian German
In addition to the standard variety, in everyday life, most Austrians speak one of a number of Upper German dialects. While strong forms of the various dialects are not fully mutually intelligible to northern Germans, communication is much easier in Bavaria, especially rural areas, where the Bavarian dialect still predominates as the mother tongue. Dialects of the Austro-Bavarian group, which also comprises dialects from Bavaria, include Central Austro-Bavarian (spoken in the northern parts of the State of Salzburg, Upper Austria, Lower Austria, and northern Burgenland) and Southern Austro-Bavarian (spoken in Tyrol, South Tyrol, Carinthia, Styria, and the southern parts of Salzburg and Burgenland).
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Austro-Bavarian
The Austro-Bavarian dialect group has its origins in the Germanic tribe known as the Bavarii, who established a tribal duchy covering much of what is today Bavaria and parts of Austria in the early Middle Ages. Over time, the Bavarii gradually migrated down the Danube and into the Alps, settling in the areas where Austro-Bavarian dialects are now spoken. The word "Bavarian" is derived from the name of this tribe, with the most common theory tracing the word to "Bajowarjōz", meaning "inhabitants of Bojer land".
There are several variants of the Austro-Bavarian dialect, including Central Austro-Bavarian, Southern Austro-Bavarian, and Northern Austro-Bavarian. Central Austro-Bavarian is spoken along the main rivers Isar and Danube in the northern parts of the State of Salzburg, Upper Austria, Lower Austria, and northern Burgenland. Southern Austro-Bavarian is spoken in Tyrol, South Tyrol, Carinthia, Styria, and the southern parts of Salzburg and Burgenland.
The Austro-Bavarian dialect differs from Standard German in terms of accent, vocabulary, and grammar. While it is mutually intelligible with Standard German, the differences can be significant enough to make it difficult for native speakers of Standard German to understand. In addition, the various dialects of Austro-Bavarian can differ considerably from each other, with speakers from different provinces of Austria being easily distinguished by their particular accents.
In Austria, the written standard for Austro-Bavarian was historically Oberdeutsche Schreibsprache (Upper German written language), which was influenced by the Bavarian and Alemannic dialects of Austria. However, in the 18th century, Austrian German, or Austrian Standard German, became the standard written language. Austrian German is a variety of Standard German that is written and spoken in Austria and South Tyrol, and it is the official language of Austria. While Austro-Bavarian is not standardized, it is still widely spoken in informal situations and is considered to have high sociolinguistic prestige locally.
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Alemannic
The Alemannic dialect of Vorarlberg is known as Vorarlbergerisch, a High Alemannic dialect. It is very difficult for German speakers to understand.
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Minority languages
Austria's official language is German, which is spoken by nearly all Austrians. However, several minority languages are also spoken in the country, some of which have official status. These include:
Slovenian
Slovenian is an official language in the Austrian state of Carinthia and is considered an official language in the mixed-language districts of the state. It is also spoken in Styria, with a significantly larger share of the community living in Carinthia. According to the 2001 census, 12,686 Austrians used Slovene as vernacular, and it is reported that 0.3% of Austrians can speak the language. Carinthian Slovenes are recognised as a minority ethnic group and have enjoyed special rights and affirmative action following the Austrian State Treaty of 1955.
Croatian
Croatian is the largest minority language in Austria, with 139,000 speakers. A specific variant known as Burgenland Croatian is spoken in the Austrian state of Burgenland and has official recognition as a minority language. It combines features from the Chakavian, Shtokavian, and Kajkavian dialects, with its basis being the less common Chakavian dialect. Burgenland Croatian includes phrases no longer used in standard Croatian, as well as some German and Hungarian loanwords. Burgenland Croatian is spoken by 2.5% of Austrians, and the Burgenland Croats are recognised as a minority group with special rights under the Austrian State Treaty of 1955.
Hungarian
Hungarian is spoken in Austria and has official status in some districts of Burgenland. It is considered a recognised minority language in Austria and is one of the languages afforded special rights for ethnic groups under the Ethnic Group Act of 1976.
Czech
Czech is spoken in Austria and is considered a recognised minority language. It is one of the languages afforded special rights for ethnic groups under the Ethnic Group Act of 1976.
Romani
Romani is spoken in Austria and is considered a recognised minority language. It is one of the languages afforded special rights for ethnic groups under the Ethnic Group Act of 1976.
Slovak
Slovak is spoken in Austria and is considered a recognised minority language. It is one of the languages afforded special rights for ethnic groups under the Ethnic Group Act of 1976.
Turkish
Turkish is the second-largest minority language in Austria, spoken by 2.3% of the population.
Austrian Sign Language
Austrian Sign Language is also spoken in Austria and is considered a recognised minority language.
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Dialects in different regions
Austria's official language is Austrian German, which is influenced by Austro-Bavarian—the unofficial native language of Austria. However, there are several dialects in different regions of the country.
In the west of Austria, an Alemannic (Swiss) dialect is spoken. The inhabitants of Vorarlberg and parts of western Tirol are Alemannic in origin and have cultural and dialectal affinities with the German Swiss to the west and the Swabians in Germany to the north.
The dialect of German spoken in the rest of Austria is Bavarian, sometimes called Austro-Bavarian. About seven million people speak Bavarian in Austria. A Middle Bavarian subdialect is spoken mainly in Ober- and Niederösterreich, as well as in Vienna. A Southern Bavarian subdialect is spoken in Tirol (including southern Tirol), in Kärnten, and in parts of Steiermark.
Central Austro-Bavarian is spoken in the northern parts of the State of Salzburg, Upper Austria, Lower Austria, and northern Burgenland. Southern Austro-Bavarian is spoken in Tyrol, South Tyrol, Carinthia, Styria, and the southern parts of Salzburg and Burgenland.
The people of Graz, the capital of Styria, speak a dialect that is not very Styrian and is more easily understood by people from other parts of Austria than other Styrian dialects. Speakers from Carinthia, Styria, Vienna, Upper Austria, and Tyrol can easily be distinguished from each other by their particular accents.
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Frequently asked questions
The dialects of German spoken in Austria are Austro-Bavarian, Bavarian, and Alemannic. Austro-Bavarian is further divided into Central Austro-Bavarian and Southern Austro-Bavarian. A Middle Bavarian subdialect is spoken in Ober- and Niederösterreich as well as in Vienna. A Southern Bavarian subdialect is spoken in Tirol, Kärnten, and parts of Steiermark.
German is the official language of Austria.
About seven to eight million people speak Bavarian in Austria.
Austrian German uses different pronunciation rules, resulting in a distinct Austrian accent. For example, the letter 'r' is trilled, similar to the sound of a rolling 'r' in Spanish. In Austrian German, the word "stimmt" (meaning "right") is pronounced as /SHTEEMT/. Additionally, there are differences in vocabulary and pronunciation between Austrian German and German.
