Damon Mcknight
Austria has a rich linguistic history and a diverse range of languages. German is the official language of Austria and is used in the media, schools, and formal announcements. However, there is no single language called Austrian. The country has several dialects and minority languages, including Austro-Bavarian, which is native to the region and differs significantly from Standard German.
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What You'll Learn
Austrian German
German is the national official language of Austria and constitutes a lingua franca and de facto first language. The variety of German used in Austria is Austrian German, which is partially influenced by Austro-Bavarian. Austrian German is the official language used in important fields such as media, education, and administrative communications. It is mutually intelligible with Standard German, and most of the differences lie in accent and
Alemannic, or Swiss German, is spoken by about 300,000 people, mostly in Vorarlberg. It is also considered the main dialect in Vorarlberg, where they use High Alemannic, the same dialect group spoken in Northern Switzerland (outside Basel) and parts of southern Alsace, France. Austro-Bavarian is the main dialect outside Vorarlberg and the main native language of Austria. It has approximately 8.3 million speakers in Austria and differs greatly from Standard German, making it difficult for German speakers from other regions to understand.
In addition to the standard variety, in everyday life, most Austrians speak one of several Upper German dialects. The Viennese dialect, for example, is more challenging for German speakers to understand. There are also minority languages in Austria, such as "Jenisch" and "Windisch", which is used to describe local Slovenian dialects interspersed with German words.
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Austro-Bavarian
The official language of Austria is German, which is used in the media, schools, and formal announcements. However, the German spoken in Austria, known as Austrian German, is influenced by Austro-Bavarian, the main dialect spoken outside the western federal state of Vorarlberg. Austro-Bavarian is a group of Upper German varieties and is considered a dialect of German, although some classify it as a separate language. It is spoken in the south-east of the German language area, including the German state of Bavaria, most of Austria, and South Tyrol in Italy.
While educated Bavarians and Austrians can typically read, write, and understand Standard German, they may have limited opportunities to speak it, particularly in rural areas. In these regions, Standard German is primarily used in writing and the media, leading to the term "Schriftdeutsch" ("written German"). The exposure of Austro-Bavarian speakers to Standard German has increased with the spread of universal education, and younger people in urban areas tend to speak Standard German with only a slight accent.
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Alemannic
Written Alemannic was displaced by Standard German in the 17th century, and as a result, there is no binding orthographical standard for writing modern Alemannic. However, some writers, such as Johann Peter Hebel and Ida Ospelt-Amann, have published works exclusively in the Alemannic dialect.
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Minority languages
German is the official language of Austria, and Austrian German is a variant of German that is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect. Austrian German is used in the media, schools, and formal announcements. It is the de facto first language of Austria, with most Austrians able to speak it apart from some rural seniors. However, there are several minority languages spoken in Austria, some of which have official status.
Austria ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in 2001, recognising several minority languages. These include Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, and Roma. 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, spoken by 2.3% of Austrians. Other minority languages in Austria include English, French, Italian, Romanian, and Bosnian.
Alemannic, or Swiss German, is spoken by about 300,000 people in Vorarlberg, a western Austrian state. It is influenced by Swiss German and is very difficult for most German speakers to understand. Vorarlberg uses a High Alemannic dialect, similar to the dialect spoken in northern Switzerland and parts of southern Alsace, France.
Austria's history has influenced the languages spoken in the country. The Austro-Hungarian Empire, which existed in the 19th and 20th centuries, has left a legacy of Hungarian speakers in Austria. The large number of Turkish speakers and immigrants from former Yugoslavia have not had their languages recognised as protected minority languages. Additionally, the spread of Germanic tribes and Austria's historical rule within the Holy Roman Empire have contributed to the linguistic diversity of the region.
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Dialects
Austria has a diverse linguistic landscape, with about 250 languages spoken across the country. German is the official language and the lingua franca, with almost the entire population (98%) speaking it fluently. However, Austrian German differs from Standard German in vocabulary and grammar due to the influence of other dialects, and regional accents can vary significantly.
The main dialect outside Vorarlberg is Austro-Bavarian, which has about 8.3 million speakers and is considered the de facto national language of Austria. Austro-Bavarian differs greatly from Standard German, and it has no official written form. It covers a variety of dialects that change as one travels from the north to the south of the country. The north-eastern parts, including Vienna, speak Central Austro-Bavarian, while the southern parts speak Southern Austro-Bavarian.
Alemannic, or Swiss German, is the main dialect spoken in Vorarlberg and some areas of Tyrol's Reutte District. It is quite distinct from Standard German and is very difficult for German speakers from other regions to understand. About 300,000 people in Austria speak Alemannic, which is also widely spoken in Switzerland, France, and southern Alsace.
In addition to these primary dialects, several minority languages are recognised in Austria. These include Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, and Roma. Serbo-Croatian is the largest minority language, spoken by over 4% of the population, followed by Turkish at 2.3%. In the mixed-language districts of Carinthia, Slovene is considered an official language alongside German. Similarly, in some districts of Burgenland, Hungarian and Croatian hold equal status with German as official languages.
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Frequently asked questions
Austrians speak Austrian German, which is the official language of Austria and is mutually intelligible with Standard German.
Besides Austrian German, other languages spoken in Austria include Alemannic, Austro-Bavarian, and several minority languages such as Hungarian, Croatian, Turkish, and Slovenian.
With a strong emphasis on learning English in schools, approximately three-quarters of Austrians are able to converse in English.
While Austrian German is generally intelligible to German speakers, certain regional dialects and accents may be more challenging to understand.
Austria's history was closely tied to Germany's for a significant period, including being part of the Holy Roman Empire and the German Confederation. As a result, Austrian German evolved from German influence and became the official language.
