Damon Mcknight
There is no language called Austrian, but the official language of Austria is German, which is spoken by 98% of the population. The German spoken in Austria is Austrian German, which is influenced by Austro-Bavarian, the unofficial native language of Austria. There are several other languages spoken in Austria, including minority languages such as Turkish, Croatian, Slovenian, Hungarian, and Czech. English is also widely spoken, with around 40% of the population speaking it.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Official language | Austrian German |
| Lingua franca | Austrian German |
| De facto first language | Austrian German |
| Language used in media, schools, and formal announcements | Austrian German |
| Number of native speakers of Austrian German | 9 million |
| Number of native speakers of standard German | 80 million |
| Percentage of people in Austria who speak English | Just above 40% |
| Second most spoken language in Austria | French |
| Minority languages | Turkish, Croatian, Hungarian, Romanian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Romany, Sign language, "Jenisch", "Windisch", Aramaic |
| Dialects | Austro-Bavarian, Alemannic, Bavarian, Central Austro-Bavarian, Southern Austro-Bavarian, Viennese, High Alemannic, Swiss German, Central Bavarian, Southern Bavarian |
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What You'll Learn
Austrian German is the official language
Austrian German, also known as Österreichisches Deutsch, Austrian Standard German, Standard Austrian German, Austrian High German, or simply Austrian, is the official language of Austria. It is a variety of Standard German that is written and spoken in Austria and South Tyrol. While it is mutually intelligible with Standard German, there are some differences in accent, vocabulary, and grammar. Austrian German is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect, which is the unofficial native language of Austria.
Austrian German has its roots in the mid-18th century when compulsory schooling was introduced in 1774 by Empress Maria Theresa and her son Joseph II. The written standard at the time was Oberdeutsche Schreibsprache (Upper German written language). Since 1951, the standardised form of Austrian German for official governmental use and in schools has been defined by the Österreichisches Wörterbuch ("Austrian Dictionary"). The Austrian Dictionary prescribes spelling rules that define the official language.
Austrian German differs from Standard German in certain respects. For example, in Austrian German, the common diminutive suffix is "-erl", as in "Mäderl" (little girl) or "Häuserl" (little house). In contrast, in Standard German, the most common diminutive suffix is "-chen", as in "Hund" (dog) becoming "Hündchen" (little dog). Another example is the use of different auxiliary verbs in the past perfect tense in Austrian German compared to Standard German.
Austrian German also has unique sayings and words, and Austrians tend to be quite polite and roundabout in their speech compared to the more direct and pragmatic style of most Germans. Additionally, Austrian German includes numerous words and idioms borrowed from languages such as Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Yiddish, and South Slavic.
In addition to Austrian German, there are several minority languages spoken in Austria, including Croatian, Hungarian, Slovenian, Turkish, and others. These languages are spoken by various minority groups, and some have official status in certain regions of Austria.
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Austro-Bavarian is the unofficial native language
The official language of Austria is German, which is used in the media, schools, and formal announcements. However, Austro-Bavarian is the unofficial native language of Austria and the main dialect outside of Vorarlberg. It has approximately 8.3 million speakers in Austria and does not have an official orthography.
Austro-Bavarian is a dialect influenced by the standard German language, which is mutually intelligible with Austrian German. German is the main "second language" of Austria, with approximately 97-98% of people in the country speaking it, and just over 93% calling it their mother tongue. However, Austro-Bavarian has influenced the variety of German used in Austria, known as Austrian German, which differs from standard German in accent and
Austrian German has its roots in the mid-18th century, when compulsory schooling was introduced in 1774, and several reforms of administration were implemented in the multilingual Habsburg Empire. It was further standardised in 1951 with the publishing of the Österreichisches Wörterbuch ("Austrian Dictionary"), which prescribes spelling rules that define the official language. Austrian German is also influenced by numerous words and idioms borrowed from other languages, including Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Yiddish, and South Slavic languages.
The dialects of German spoken in Austria vary across the country. In the western state of Vorarlberg and parts of western Tyrol, an Alemannic (Swiss) dialect is spoken, while in the rest of the country, the Bavarian dialect or a variant of it is prevalent. The Viennese dialect is particularly influential, blending central and southern Bavarian with high language features.
Austro-Bavarian has distinct literary traditions, especially in poetry, where the spelling is used to depict the sound of the pronunciation. Some phrases and words in Austro-Bavarian are rarely used in standard German, such as "Griaß God" ("greet God" or "may God greet you"), "Servus/Servas" ("at your service"), and "Pfiat di / Pfiat eich (euch)" ("watch over you [God]" or "may God watch over you"), which means "goodbye".
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Alemannic is the dialect in Vorarlberg
The official language of Austria is German, which is also the lingua franca and de facto first language. However, the German spoken in Austria is distinct from the German spoken in Germany and Switzerland. It is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect and is known as Austrian German.
Austrian German is the standard variety of German written and spoken in Austria and South Tyrol. It is used in the media, schools, and formal announcements. In less formal situations, Austrians use Bavarian and Alemannic dialects, which are traditionally spoken but rarely written in Austria.
Alemannic, or Swiss German, is the dialect spoken in Vorarlberg, a western state of Austria. It is also spoken in parts of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, and Alsace in France. Vorarlberg uses a High Alemannic dialect, which is very difficult for most German speakers to understand.
Alemannic is a group of High German dialects that evolved from the speech of the Alemanni, a tribal alliance that dates back to at least 213 AD. Alemannic comprises a dialect continuum, with variations such as Swabian, Low Alemannic, and High Alemannic. While ISO 639-2 does not distinguish between dialects, ISO 639-3 recognizes four Alemannic dialects, including Alsatian, spoken in the eastern France region.
In summary, Alemannic is indeed the dialect spoken in Vorarlberg, Austria, and it is an important part of the linguistic landscape of the country.
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Minority languages include Croatian, Hungarian, Turkish, and Slovenian
German is the official language of Austria and is the nation's lingua franca and de facto first language. However, Austria is home to several minority languages, including Croatian, Hungarian, Turkish, and Slovenian.
Croatian is a minority language spoken in Austria, specifically in the state of Burgenland, where it is known as Burgenland Croatian. It is an official language in this region and is spoken by 2.5% of Austrians. Burgenland Croatian includes phrases that are no longer used in standard Croatian, as well as influences from German and Hungarian. The origin of Burgenland Croatian lies in the aftermath of the Ottoman occupation of several regions during the Turkish wars from 1533 to 1584, which caused several waves of refugees to arrive in southeastern Austria. The Austrian King Ferdinand I granted them land and independent ecclesiastical rights. The language has official recognition in Burgenland, and the use of Croatian in education, judiciary, and public administration is permitted.
Hungarian is another minority language in Austria, with around 1,000 speakers in Burgenland. Historically, Hungarian held a more important position in Austria due to the historical ties between the two countries. While it is not widely spoken today, it continues to be an official language in some districts of Burgenland, where it holds equal status with German and Croatian.
Turkish is the second-largest minority language in Austria, with 2.3% of the population speaking it. It is one of around 20 languages in the country with more than 10,000 speakers. The presence of Turkish in Austria can be attributed to immigration, particularly from guest workers who arrived in the 1960s and 1970s from Turkey and Yugoslavia.
Slovenian, or Slovene, is also a recognised minority language in Austria, with official status in the mixed-language districts of Carinthia. The Slovene-speaking community in Austria has traditionally inhabited a strip of territory in the Austrian states of Carinthia and Styria, with a larger share of the community living in Carinthia. The Carinthian Slovene dialect extends beyond the borders of Carinthia and can be found in parts of Slovenia and along the upper Drava Valley. The Slovenian Gymnasium in Klagenfurt serves as the central educational institution for the Slovene-speaking community in Austria.
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English is the second most spoken language
There is no language called Austrian. The official language of Austria is German, which is also the lingua franca and de facto first language of the country. Austrian German, also known as Austrian Standard German, Standard Austrian German, Austrian High German, or simply Austrian, is a variety of Standard German written and spoken in Austria and South Tyrol. It is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect, which is the unofficial native language of Austria.
Austrian German is mutually intelligible with Standard German, with some differences in terms of accent, vocabulary, and grammar. For example, in Austrian German, the common diminutive suffix is "-erl", while in Standard German, it is "-chen". Additionally, Austrian German includes numerous words and idioms borrowed from languages such as Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Yiddish, and South Slavic.
While German is the official language and the most widely spoken language in Austria, there are several other languages spoken in the country as well. Approximately 40% of people in Austria speak English, making it the second most spoken language in the country. This percentage is similar to the average in other European countries. French is the third most spoken language in Austria, with around 7% of the population speaking it.
In addition to English and French, there are several minority languages spoken in Austria, some of which have official status. These include Croatian, Hungarian, Slovenian, Turkish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian, Romani, Austrian Sign Language, and Burgenland-Croatian, which is an official language in Austrian Burgenland. The Austrian regions of Carinthia and Styria use "Windisch" to describe local Slovenian dialects interspersed with German words.
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Frequently asked questions
The official language of Austria is Austrian German, which is a variation of Standard German. It is the country's lingua franca and de facto first language.
Apart from Austrian German, several other languages are spoken in Austria, including minority languages like Croatian, Hungarian, Slovenian, Turkish, Czech, Slovak, and Romanian.
The main dialects of German spoken in Austria are Austro-Bavarian, which is the most common, and Alemannic, which is spoken in Vorarlberg and parts of western Tyrol.
Austrian German and Standard German are very similar, but there are some differences in vocabulary, accent, and grammar. Austrian German is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect and has unique sayings and expressions. It also has distinct past perfect verb conjugations and different common diminutive suffixes.
