Lyla Lindsey
Austria's primary language is Austrian German, which is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect. While German is the official language of Austria, it is not considered the country's own language due to its history with Germany. Austro-Bavarian is the unofficial native language of Austria, with approximately 8.3 million speakers in the country. The country also has several minority languages, including Turkish, Croatian, Hungarian, and Slovenian, which are recognised as official languages in specific regions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Official language | Austrian German |
| Lingua franca | German |
| De facto first language | German |
| Language used in media, schools, and formal announcements | German |
| Main dialect outside Vorarlberg | Austro-Bavarian |
| Main dialect in Vorarlberg | Alemannic |
| Number of Alemannic speakers in Vorarlberg | 300,000 |
| Number of Austro-Bavarian speakers in Austria | 8.3 million |
| Second-largest minority language | Turkish |
| Percentage of population that speaks English | 40% |
| Third most spoken language | French |
| Official language in Austrian Burgenland | Burgenland Croatian |
| Number of Burgenland Croatian speakers | 2.5% of Austrians |
| Number of Croatian speakers in Austria | 139,000 |
| Number of Hungarian speakers in Austria | 40,600 |
| Number of Slovenian speakers in Austria | 24,900 |
| Number of Czech speakers in Austria | 17,700 |
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Austrian German
In Austrian German, the past tense is formed in the same way as in Standard German. However, in the past perfect (Perfekt), some verbs use a different auxiliary verb. While certain verbs are always used with "sein" (to be) and others with "haben" (to have) in Standard German, in Austrian German, this may differ. For example, in Standard German, the most common diminutive suffix is "-chen", whereas in Austrian German, it is "-erl", as in "Mäderl" (little girl) or "Häuserl" (little house). In some parts of Austria, the suffix "-li" can also be found, reflecting an influence from Swiss German.
While Austrian German is easily understood by those who have learned Standard German, there may be some differences in vocabulary and regional dialects when translating technical documents. It is recommended to hire a professional with an Austrian-German linguistic education for high-quality translations.
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Austro-Bavarian
The language has its origins in the Germanic tribe known as the Bavarii, who established a tribal duchy, which covered much of what is today Bavaria and some of Austria. The dialectal separation of Upper German into East Upper German (Bavarian) and West Upper German (Alemannic) became more tangible in the Middle High German period, from about the 12th century.
There are three subgroups of Austro-Bavarian: Northern Bavarian, Central Bavarian, and Southern Bavarian. Northern Bavarian is mainly spoken in Upper Palatinate, but also in adjacent areas, including parts of Upper Franconia and Saxony. Central Bavarian, which is spoken along the main rivers Isar and Danube, is spoken in Upper Bavaria (including Munich), Lower Bavaria, southern Upper Palatinate, and the northern parts of the State of Salzburg. Southern Bavarian is spoken in Samnaun, Tyrol, South Tyrol, Carinthia, Styria, and the southern parts of Salzburg and Burgenland.
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Minority languages
German is the national official language of Austria and acts as a lingua franca and de facto first language. Austrian German is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect and differs from German as it is spoken in Germany. While almost all Austrians speak German, the country also has many other spoken languages and dialects.
Austria's "recognized minority languages" include Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Romany, and sign language. The Austrian Federal Constitution calls for the respect and promotion of ethnic groups resident in Austria, and a special set of rights for Austrian Croats, Czechs, Hungarians, Romani, Slovaks, and Slovenes was established under the terms of the Ethnic Group Act (German: Volksgruppengesetz) in 1976. The rights of Croats and Slovenes are also set forth in the Austrian State Treaty.
Serbo-Croatian is the largest minority language in Austria, spoken by more than 4% of the population. Turkish is the second-largest minority language, spoken by 2.3% of the population. In 2021, there were an estimated 18,800 Romanian speakers in Austria. Burgenland Croatian, an official language in Austrian Burgenland, is spoken by 2.5% of Austrians. Slovene is an official language in Austrian Carinthia and is used by 12,686 Austrians as vernacular. Carinthian Slovenes are recognized as a minority and have enjoyed special rights and affirmative action following the Austrian State Treaty (Staatsvertrag) of 1955.
In addition to the above, other minority languages spoken in Austria include Aramaic, French (spoken by roughly 7% of Austrians), and English (spoken by just above 40% of Austrians).
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Dialects
Austria's primary language is German, which is the country's official language and the language of education, media, and formal announcements. However, Austrian German differs from German as spoken in Germany and Switzerland, with distinct vocabulary and grammar. This is due to the influence of the Austro-Bavarian dialect, which is the main dialect outside Vorarlberg and the primary native language of Austria outside that region.
Alemannic, a group of dialects belonging to the Upper German branch of the Germanic family of languages, is the main dialect in Vorarlberg, where about 300,000 people speak a High Alemannic dialect also spoken in Northern Switzerland and parts of southern Alsace, France. To most German speakers, Alemannic is very difficult to understand.
Austro-Bavarian has no official orthography, but it has influenced literary efforts, especially in poetry, to depict the pronunciation in the spelling. Some words and phrases are only used in Austro-Bavarian and are rarely used in Standard German. These include "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".
In addition to these main dialects, several minority languages are spoken in Austria, some of which have official status. According to the European Commission, Austria's recognized minority languages include Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Romany, and sign language. Turkish is the second-largest minority language, with 2.3% of the population speaking it, followed by Serbian, spoken by 2.2%.
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Language history
The primary language of Austria is German, which is the official language and the lingua franca. Austrian German is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect and differs from German as it is spoken in Germany. Austro-Bavarian is the unofficial native language of Austria and is spoken by approximately 8.3 million people in Austria. It is also spoken in Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, and Germany, with an estimated 13 million speakers throughout Europe.
The history of the German language in Austria is closely tied to its history with Germany. Austria became the leading state when the German Confederation was created in the 19th century. Later, during the Second World War, Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany. Austrian German has numerous words and idioms borrowed from Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Yiddish, and South Slavic languages.
Alemannic, or Swiss German, is spoken by about 300,000 people in Vorarlberg and parts of Alsace, France. It is very difficult to understand for most German speakers. The dialects spoken in Austria share characteristics with dialects in the German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, as well as Eastern Switzerland.
In addition to German and its dialects, there are several minority languages spoken in Austria, some of which have official status. These include Burgenland Croatian, which is spoken by 2.5% of Austrians and is an official language in Austrian Burgenland. Hungarian is spoken by a small group of people in Burgenland and has historically held an important position in Austria due to historical ties between the two countries. Slovene is an official language in Austrian Carinthia and is spoken by 0.3% of Austrians. Other minority languages include Turkish, Romanian, Czech, Slovak, and various Slavic languages.
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Frequently asked questions
Austrian German is the lingua franca and official language of Austria. It is used in education, media and administrative communications.
Austrian German is a version of German that is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect. It has some differences in terms of accent, vocabulary and grammar.
Approximately 97% to 98% of people in Austria speak German while a little over 93% call it their mother tongue.
There are several minority languages spoken in Austria, some of which have official status. These include Croatian, Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Romany, Italian, Yiddish, French, Spanish, South Slavic, Turkish and English.
Some common phrases in Austrian German include "Griaß God" (greetings), "Servus/Servas" ('at your service') and "Pfiat di / Pfiat eich (euch)" (goodbye).
