Lyla Lindsey
Austria is a German-speaking country, with nearly all Austrians able to speak the language, and around 93% calling it their mother tongue. However, Austrian German differs from German as it is spoken in Germany, with the former being influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect. Aside from German, several other languages are spoken in Austria, including minority languages such as Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Romany, and sign language.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Official language | German, Austrian German, Austrian High 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 |
| Minority languages | Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Romany, Sign Language, Turkish, French, English |
| Largest minority language | Serbo-Croatian |
| Second-largest minority language | Turkish |
| Number of languages spoken | About 250 |
| Number of languages with more than 10,000 speakers | 20 |
| Percentage of people in Austria who speak English | 40% |
| Percentage of people in Austria who speak French | 7% |
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What You'll Learn
Official language
German is the official language of Austria and is used in the media, schools, and formal announcements. It is the de facto first language of the country, with 97-98% of people in Austria speaking German, and a little over 93% calling it their mother tongue. Austrian German is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect and differs from German as it is spoken in Germany and Switzerland. Austrian German is also influenced by Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Yiddish, and South Slavic languages.
Austrian German is mutually intelligible with Federal High German, the standard in Germany. However, there are differences in vocabulary and grammar between Austrian German and German as spoken and written in Germany and Switzerland. Austrian German constitutes a "roofing language" or "dachsprache" in German, which means that it can be used to communicate with speakers of other Germanic language variants spoken in Austria.
Alemannic, or Swiss German, is spoken by about 300,000 people in Austria, mostly in Vorarlberg and parts of western Tirol. Vorarlberg uses a High Alemannic dialect, which is also spoken in northern Switzerland and parts of southern Alsace, France. To most German speakers, it is very difficult to understand.
Austro-Bavarian is the main dialect outside of Vorarlberg and is the main native language of Austria. About 8.3 million people in Austria speak Austro-Bavarian, and it is partially influenced by Austrian German. The northeastern parts of Austria, including Vienna, speak Central Austro-Bavarian dialects, while the southern parts speak Southern Austro-Bavarian dialects.
In addition to German, Austria has several recognized minority languages, including Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Romany, and sign language. In the mixed-language districts of Carinthia, Slovene is considered an official language, and 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, followed by Turkish, which is spoken by 2.3%.
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German dialects
German is the official language of Austria, with nearly all Austrians able to speak it. However, the German spoken in Austria is not identical to the German spoken in Germany. The German dialect spoken in Austria is called Austrian German, Austrian Standard German, Standard Austrian German, Austrian High German, or simply Austrian. Austrian German is distinct from the German spoken in Germany and Switzerland, with differences in vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar.
Austrian German is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect, which is the main dialect spoken outside of Vorarlberg. Austro-Bavarian is the first language of approximately 8.3 million Austrians. The northeastern parts of Austria, including the capital 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 Vorarlberg and parts of western Tirol, an Alemannic (Swiss) dialect is spoken. This dialect is also known as Swiss German and is distinct from the Alemannic dialects spoken in northern Switzerland and parts of southern Alsace, France. About 300,000 people in Austria speak Alemannic, and it can be very difficult for most German speakers to understand.
In addition to these main dialects, there are numerous other German dialects spoken in Austria. The individual federal states have their own regional dialects, influenced by the way people in the state capital speak. The most prominent of these is the Viennese dialect, which influences many other dialects and mixes features of Central and Southern Bavarian with high language.
Austrian German also includes numerous words and idioms borrowed from other languages, including Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Yiddish, and South Slavic.
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Minority languages
German is the official language of Austria, and nearly all Austrians speak it. However, several minority languages are also spoken in the country, some of which have official status. According to the European Commission, Austria's recognised minority languages include Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Romany, and sign language.
In the mixed-language districts of Carinthia, Slovene is considered an official language, and 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, with 2.3% of the population speaking it.
The large number of Turkish speakers and immigrants from former Yugoslavia do not have their languages recognised as protected minority languages, so they are not taught in schools. However, immigration has diversified the languages spoken in Austria. Guest workers in the 1960s and 1970s from Turkey and Yugoslavia brought their languages and culture with them, enriching the existing mix.
Several other minority languages are spoken in Austria, including extremely rare languages like Aramaic, spoken by the Christian Assyrian diaspora community in Vienna. Other languages spoken include French (by about 7% of Austrians), and English (by about 40% of Austrians).
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Language history
The official language of Austria is German, which is used in the media, schools, and formal announcements. However, the German spoken in Austria is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect and is different from the German spoken in Germany in terms of accent, vocabulary, and grammar. Austrian German is considered the de facto first language of the country, with about 97-98% of people in Austria speaking it and over 93% calling it their mother tongue.
Historically, Austria was part of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nations for about a thousand years. When the Austrian Empire was founded, it was a multi-ethnic state with speakers of several languages, including German. Later, it became a part of the German Confederation, and there was a debate over whether it should join the new German Empire. Eventually, Austria was kept out of the empire, and as a result, the dialects spoken in Austria were not renamed.
The Austro-Bavarian dialect, which is the unofficial native language of Austria, has no official orthography. However, literary efforts have been made to depict the pronunciation in spelling, particularly in poems. Certain words and phrases associated with the Austro-Bavarian dialect 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 German and Austro-Bavarian, other languages spoken in Austria include Alemannic, or Swiss German, which is spoken by about 300,000 people in Vorarlberg, a western state in Austria. The Alemannic dialect is influenced by German Swiss dialects and is difficult for most German speakers to understand.
Austria also recognizes several minority languages, including Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Romany, and sign language. According to the European Commission, these languages have official status in specific regions of Austria. For example, in Austrian Carinthia, Slovene is recognized as an official language, while in some districts of Burgenland, Hungarian and Croatian have equal status to German as an official language.
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Language in media
German is the official language of Austria and is used in the media, schools, and formal announcements. Austrian German, the variety of German used in Austria, is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect and differs from German as it is spoken and written in Germany and Switzerland. It is also distinct from Bavarian German, which is widely spoken in Austria and Bavaria. Austro-Bavarian has no official orthography, but it is the unofficial native language of Austria.
Austrian German is the lingua franca of Austria, with approximately 97-98% of people in the country speaking it and over 93% calling it their mother tongue. It is the language used in the media, and most Austrians speak it, with the exception of some older people living in rural areas. Austrian German includes numerous words and idioms borrowed from Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Yiddish, and South Slavic languages.
Austria's dialects follow a dialect continuum, meaning that the state's borders do not represent a natural language border. The dialects spoken in Austria share characteristics with dialects occurring in the German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, as well as Eastern Switzerland. Except for Vorarlberg, all Austrian states speak the Bavarian dialect or a variant thereof. The Viennese dialect is the most prominent and influences many other dialects, mixing central and southern Bavarian with Viennese and high language features.
In addition to German and its dialects, several minority languages are spoken in Austria, some of which have official status. These include Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Romany, and sign language. In the mixed-language districts of Carinthia, Slovene is also 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.
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Frequently asked questions
The official language of Austria is Austrian German, which differs from German as it is spoken in Germany. Austrian German is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect.
Austrian German is easily understood by those who have learned Standard German. However, there are some differences in vocabulary and grammar.
Approximately 97-98% of people in Austria speak German, and a little over 93% call it their mother tongue.
There are about 250 languages spoken throughout Austria, including minority languages such as Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Romany, and sign language.
Just above 40% of people in Austria speak English, which is similar to the average in European countries.
