Lyla Lindsey
Austria is a German-speaking country, with nearly all Austrians able to speak the language. However, the German spoken in Austria is not identical to the German spoken in Germany. The official language of Austria is Austrian German, which is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect and differs in vocabulary and grammar from German as spoken and written in Germany and Switzerland. In addition to Austrian German, several other languages are spoken in Austria, including minority languages such as Hungarian, Croatian, and Turkish.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Official Language | German, also called Austrian German |
| Dialects | Austro-Bavarian, Central Austro-Bavarian, Southern Austro-Bavarian, Alemannic, Swiss German, High Alemannic, Viennese |
| Minority Languages | Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Romany, Sign Language, Serbo-Croatian, Turkish, Aramaic |
| Language Influence | Austrian German is influenced by Austro-Bavarian, Bavarian, Upper Saxonian, Swiss German, Yiddish, South Slavic |
| Language Usage | German is the first language of 93-98% of Austrians |
| Language in Media | German is used in the media, schools, and formal announcements |
| English Speakers | 40% of people in Austria speak English |
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What You'll Learn
German is the official language of Austria
Austria has a rich history that has influenced its language. For about 1,000 years, territories in what is now Austria were part of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nations. When the Austrian Empire was founded, it was a multi-ethnic state with speakers of several languages, including German. Austria became a part of the German Confederation and later argued for remaining outside the new German Empire. This led to the establishment of Austrian German as the official language.
Austrian German has a unique vocabulary and grammar influenced by its history and culture. It includes words and idioms borrowed from various languages, including Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Yiddish, and South Slavic languages. The language has evolved over time, with a spelling reform in 1996 that coordinated German, Austrian High German, and Swiss High German.
In addition to Austrian German, several other languages are spoken in Austria. These include minority languages such as Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Romany, and sign language. In the mixed-language districts of Carinthia, Slovene is also considered an official language, and in some districts of Burgenland, Hungarian and Croatian have equal status to German.
Austria is a highly urbanized country, with more than half of its population living in cities and towns. The capital, Vienna, is home to about one-fourth of the total population. The diverse history and culture of Austria have influenced its language, making Austrian German unique and distinct from other German dialects.
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Alemannic is the dialect spoken in Vorarlberg
Austria's official language is German, which is also the lingua franca and de facto first language. However, there are several minority languages spoken in the country, some of which have official status. These include Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Romany, and sign language. Alemannic, a dialect of Swiss German, is spoken by about 300,000 people, primarily in the western state of Vorarlberg.
Alemannic is a group of Upper German dialects spoken in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Vorarlberg in Austria, and parts of Baden-Württemberg in Germany and Alsace in France. The dialects are named after the Alemanni, a tribal alliance that clashed with the Romans and first appeared in historical records around 213 AD. The oldest known texts in Alemannic are brief Elder Futhark inscriptions from the sixth century, and the first coherent texts are from the 8th century, recorded in the St. Gall Abbey.
Alemannic comprises a dialect continuum from the Highest Alemannic spoken in the mountainous south to Swabian in the relatively flat north. Vorarlberg uses a High Alemannic dialect, which is also spoken in northern Switzerland (outside Basel) and parts of southern Alsace, France. High Alemannic is characterised by the fricativisation of initial /k/ to [x], as in the word "light" in English. This dialect group is very difficult for most German speakers to understand.
Alemannic dialects differ from Standard German and vary among themselves. For example, in most Alemannic dialects, the past participle of the verb "to be" (sein in standard German, with past participle gewesen) derives from a form akin to gesein (gsi, gsìnn, gsei, etc.). The broadest categories of Alemannic dialects are Swabian, Low Alemannic, and High Alemannic. Low Alemannic retains German initial /k/ as [kʰ] or [kx], rather than the fricative [x] of High Alemannic.
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Austria has several minority languages
Alemannic, or Swiss German, is spoken by about 300,000 people in Vorarlberg and parts of western Tirol. It is a High Alemannic dialect, which is the same dialect group spoken in Northern Switzerland and parts of southern Alsace, France. The Alemannic dialect is also spoken by more than 7 million people in Switzerland, Swabia, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, and Austria.
Austro-Bavarian is the main dialect outside Vorarlberg and is the native language of Austria. About 8.3 million people in Austria speak Austro-Bavarian. The northeastern parts of Austria, including Vienna, speak Central Austro-Bavarian dialects, while the southern parts speak Southern Austro-Bavarian dialects. 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.
In addition to German and its dialects, several other languages are recognised as minority languages in Austria, including Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Romany, and sign language. In Carinthia, Slovene is considered an official language, while in some districts of Burgenland, Hungarian and Croatian have equal status to German as an official language. 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. Immigration has further diversified the languages spoken in Austria, with guest workers from Turkey and Yugoslavia bringing their languages and cultures.
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Austrian German is distinct from German
German is the official language of Austria and is spoken by approximately 97% of the population. However, Austrian German is distinct from German as it is spoken in Germany. Austrian German is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect and has several unique features in terms of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
Austrian German, or Österreichisches Deutsch, has a rich history dating back to the mid-18th century. It gained prominence during the reign of Empress Maria Theresa and her son Joseph II, who introduced compulsory schooling and administrative reforms in their multilingual empire. Over time, Austrian German has evolved and established itself as a distinct variant of German.
One of the most notable differences between Austrian German and German is the use of different auxiliary verbs in the past perfect tense. In Austrian German, some verbs use "sein" (to be) instead of "haben" (to have), which is more common in Standard German. Additionally, Austrian German exhibits a unique vocabulary with numerous words and idioms borrowed from various languages, including Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Yiddish, and South Slavic languages.
The pronunciation and accent of Austrian German also set it apart from German. Austrian German is known for its melodic and gentle tone, often described as "sing-songy." This differs from the more direct and pragmatic way that German is typically spoken. The regional dialects within Austria further contribute to the distinctiveness of Austrian German, with the Viennese dialect being particularly influential and widely recognized as quintessentially Austrian.
While Austrian German and German share a significant amount of vocabulary and mutual intelligibility, the differences in accent, jargon, colloquial expressions, and special terms make Austrian German a unique variant of the German language. These differences can be likened to those between American English and British English, where certain words or phrases may be unfamiliar, but communication remains largely understandable.
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Austro-Bavarian is the main dialect outside Vorarlberg
German is the national official language of Austria and acts as a lingua franca and de facto first language. Most Austrians can speak German, and it is the language used in the media, in schools, and for formal announcements. The German spoken in Austria, known as Austrian German, is influenced by Austro-Bavarian and differs from German as spoken in Germany in both vocabulary and grammar. Austro-Bavarian is the main dialect outside Vorarlberg, with approximately 8.3 million speakers in Austria.
Austro-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 South Tyrol in Italy. It is considered a dialect by experts and most of its speakers, although some claim that it is a separate language. The Austro-Bavarian 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 in the early Middle Ages.
Bavarian is commonly considered to be a dialect of German, but some sources classify it as a separate language. The International Organization for Standardization has assigned a unique ISO 639-3 language code (bar), and UNESCO lists Bavarian in the Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger. The difference between Bavarian and Standard German is larger than the difference between Danish and some varieties of Norwegian or between Czech and Slovak.
In Austria, there are Central and Southern Bavarian dialects, with the capital Vienna speaking Central Austro-Bavarian dialects and the southern parts speaking Southern Austro-Bavarian dialects. The Viennese dialect has some characteristics that distinguish it from all other dialects. In addition to local dialects, the individual federal states have regional dialects, which are influenced by how the people in the state capital speak.
Besides German and Austro-Bavarian, 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.
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Frequently asked questions
German is the official language of Austria and is spoken by nearly all Austrians. The variety of German spoken in Austria is Austrian German, which is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect.
In addition to German, several other languages are spoken in Austria, including minority languages such as Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Romany, and sign language. 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.
Yes, there are several regional dialects in Austria. In Western Austria, an Alemannic (Swiss) dialect is prevalent, while in the rest of the country, the Bavarian dialect or its variants are widely spoken. The Viennese dialect is also influential and mixes Central and Southern Bavarian with high language features.
The history of Austria is closely tied to Germany, and both countries were part of the Frankish Empire and the Kingdom of Bavaria. Austria later became a leading state when the German Confederation was created in the 19th century, further solidifying the influence of German in the region.
