Damon Mcknight
During the 1840s, the Austrian Empire was a multi-ethnic state with speakers of over half a dozen languages, including German, Hungarian, Slovak, Slovenian, Croatian, Czech, and Romanian. German was the official language and lingua franca, with Austrian German being the variety used in the region. The Austrian German dialect is influenced by Austro-Bavarian and Alemannic, which is the main dialect in Vorarlberg. The dialects spoken in different provinces of Austria can be distinguished by their accents, and several of these dialects have been influenced by contact with non-Germanic linguistic groups.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Official language | German |
| National official language | German |
| Lingua franca | German |
| De facto first language | German |
| Language used in media, schools and formal announcements | German |
| Variety of German used | Austrian German |
| Dialect spoken in Vorarlberg | High Alemannic |
| Main native language outside Vorarlberg | Austro-Bavarian |
| Dialects spoken in north-eastern parts | Central Austro-Bavarian |
| Dialects spoken in southern parts | Southern Austro-Bavarian |
| Dialects spoken in Styria | Not very Styrian |
| Dialect spoken in Graz, the capital of Styria | Not Styrian, more easily understood by people from other parts of Austria |
| Dialects spoken in Carinthia | Slovene |
| Dialects spoken in some districts of Burgenland | Hungarian and Croatian |
| Minority languages | Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Roma, Turkish, French, Italian, English |
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What You'll Learn
German is the official language
Austrian German differs from Standard German in accent and vocabulary, and German speakers from other regions may have difficulty understanding certain Austrian dialects, such as the local Viennese dialect. However, German-speaking visitors will likely find it easier to understand the Central Austro-Bavarian dialects spoken in northeastern Austria (including the capital, Vienna) than the Southern Austro-Bavarian dialects spoken in the southern parts of the country. The Central Austro-Bavarian dialects are more similar to Standard German.
In everyday life, most Austrians speak one of several Upper German dialects, including Bavarian and Alemannic, which are traditionally spoken but rarely written in Austria. The Alemannic dialect, Swiss German, is spoken by about 300,000 people in Vorarlberg and parts of southern Alsace, France, and it is very difficult for most German speakers to understand. The Bavarian dialect is the mother tongue of more than 8 million Austrians and is predominant in rural areas of Bavaria.
In addition to German, individual Austrian regions recognize the languages of various autonomous ethnic groups as official languages. These legally protected linguistic minorities include the Burgenland Croats and Hungarians, the Carinthian Slovenes, as well as Slovaks, Czechs, and Roma. The Austrian regions of Carinthia and Styria use "Windisch" to describe local Slovenian dialects interspersed with numerous German words.
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Austro-Bavarian dialects
In the 1840s, the official language of Austria was German, specifically Austrian German, which constitutes a lingua franca and de facto first language. However, it is important to note that Austrian German has many dialects, and the variety spoken differs across regions and social contexts. One of the most prominent dialects is Austro-Bavarian, which is considered the main native language of Austria outside of Vorarlberg.
Austro-Bavarian is a group of Upper German varieties spoken in the southeast of the German language area, including the German state of Bavaria, most of Austria, and South Tyrol in Italy. It is considered a dialect of German but has unique features that distinguish it from Standard German. The difference between Austro-Bavarian and Standard German is significant, making it challenging for German speakers from other regions to understand native Austro-Bavarian speakers.
The Austro-Bavarian dialect group includes not only the Austro-Bavarian dialect itself but also the Cimbrian, Hutterite German, and Mócheno dialects of Germany. The language has its origins in the Germanic tribe known as the Bavarii, who established a tribal duchy covering much of what is now Bavaria and parts of Austria during the early Middle Ages. Over time, the Bavarii gradually migrated down the Danube River and into the Alps, settling in the areas where Austro-Bavarian dialects are now spoken.
Austro-Bavarian has several variants, including Central Austro-Bavarian, Southern Austro-Bavarian, and Northern Austro-Bavarian. The Central Austro-Bavarian dialects are spoken in the northeastern parts of Austria, including Vienna, while the Southern Austro-Bavarian dialects are spoken in the southern regions. The Viennese dialect, in particular, has unique characteristics that set it apart from other Austro-Bavarian dialects, with minor variations even between districts within the city.
It is worth noting that the written standard for Austrian German, known as Oberdeutsche Schreibsprache (Upper German written language), was historically influenced by the Bavarian and Alemannic dialects of Austria. However, in 1951, the Österreichisches Wörterbuch was published, helping to standardize Austrian German.
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Alemannic dialects
In the 1840s, the official language of Austria was German, which constitutes a lingua franca and de facto first language. The variety of German used in Austria is known as Austrian German, which is partially influenced by Austro-Bavarian. Austro-Bavarian differs greatly from Standard German, making it difficult for German speakers from other regions to understand.
Alemannic, or Swiss German, is spoken by about 300,000 people in Austria, mostly in Vorarlberg. Vorarlberg uses a High Alemannic dialect, which is also spoken in Northern Switzerland (outside Basel) and parts of southern Alsace, France. To most German speakers, it is very difficult to understand.
Alemannic is a group of High German dialects, which developed in the southwestern part of the Germanic speech area. The name derives from the ancient Germanic tribal confederation known as the Alemanni, meaning "all men". Alemannic dialects are spoken by approximately ten million people in several countries, including Switzerland, western Austria, Swabia, and Liechtenstein, as well as parts of Alsace, France.
Alemannic comprises a dialect continuum, with the Highest Alemannic spoken in the mountainous regions, and Swabian in the relatively flat north. The Alemannic dialects of Switzerland are often called Swiss German or Schwiizerdütsch. While Alemannic was written down as early as the sixth century, it was displaced by Standard German in the seventeenth century. As a result, there is no binding orthographical standard for writing modern Alemannic, and orthographies usually compromise between a precise phonological notation and proximity to Standard German orthography.
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Minority languages
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 was standardized with the publishing of the Österreichisches Wörterbuch in 1951.
In addition to Austrian German, 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, and Romany. In some districts of Burgenland, Hungarian and Croatian have equal status to German as an official language. Slovene is also considered an official language in the mixed-language districts of Carinthia and in Styria. 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.
The Austrian Federal Constitution calls for the respect and promotion of ethnic groups resident in Austria, and a special set of rights was established for Austrian Croats, Czechs, Hungarians, Romani, Slovaks, and Slovenes under the Ethnic Group Act of 1976. The rights of Croats and Slovenes are also set forth in the Austrian State Treaty of 1955, which gave permission to the Burgenland Croats to use Croatian in education, the judiciary, and public administration. However, with the adoption of the Law on National Minorities in 1976, the use of Croatian in public life became limited. After a constitutional complaint in 1987, Croatian was reintroduced as an official language in 6 out of 7 districts of Burgenland.
The dialects of Austrian German vary across the country. Speakers from different provinces of Austria can be distinguished by their particular accents, even when speaking Standard German. Several of these dialects have been influenced by contact with non-Germanic linguistic groups. For example, the dialect of Carinthia has been influenced by Slovene, and the dialect of Vienna has been influenced by immigration from the Czech Republic during the Austro-Hungarian period. The German dialects of South Tyrol have also been influenced by local Romance languages, with many loanwords from Italian and Ladin.
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Influence of history and geography
The language situation in Austria has been influenced by its history and geography. The country's official language is German, which is spoken by about 97% of the population. This is due to Austria's historical ties with Germany; both countries were part of the Frankish Empire and the Kingdom of Bavaria. Austrian German is mutually intelligible with Standard German but has distinct accents and vocabulary. It is influenced by Austro-Bavarian, which is considered the unofficial native language of Austria.
Austria's geography, particularly its mountainous regions, has influenced its language diversity. The country is home to many dialects and regional languages, with the variety of German spoken differing by region. The dialects of Carinthia, Styria, Vienna, Upper Austria, and Tyrol are particularly distinctive. The dialect of Carinthia, for example, has been influenced by its bilingual past with Slovene, while the dialect of Vienna reflects immigration from the Austro-Hungarian region, including what is now the Czech Republic. The German dialects of South Tyrol have also been influenced by local Romance languages, with many loanwords from Italian and Ladin.
The settlement patterns in Austria have been shaped by the Alpine environment, particularly in the western and central regions, where traditional rural housing styles still persist. In contrast, the eastern regions, especially the lowlands, are more focused on agriculture than weathering harsh conditions. More than half of Austria's population lives in cities and towns, with about a quarter in the Vienna urban area. Graz, the country's second-largest city, serves as a gateway to the Balkans, while Innsbruck, north of Brenner Pass, is a rail hub for western Austria.
Austria's geographic position and history have also made it a haven for refugees and emigrants from Eastern Europe during the Cold War and the political upheavals of the late 1980s and early 1990s. This has contributed to the language diversity in the country, with various minority languages spoken by different groups. These include Burgenland Croatian, Hungarian, Slovenian, Turkish, and Czech. The large number of Turkish speakers and immigrants from former Yugoslavia have not had their languages recognized as protected minority languages.
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Frequently asked questions
German is the official language of Austria and has been since the mid-18th century. In the 1840s, most Austrians would have spoken Austrian German, which is influenced by Austro-Bavarian, the unofficial native language of Austria.
Austro-Bavarian is a collection of dialects native to Austria, with distinct branches spoken in the northern and southern parts of the country. It differs greatly from Standard German and is very difficult for German speakers to understand.
In addition to German and Austro-Bavarian, there are several other languages spoken in Austria, including Turkish, Slovenian, Hungarian, Croatian, Slovak, Czech, and Roma.
English is the second most spoken language in Austria, with roughly 40% of the population speaking it. However, only a very small percentage call it their mother tongue.
The written standard for Austrian German is called Oberdeutsche Schreibsprache (Upper German written language), which was influenced by the Bavarian and Alemannic dialects of Austria.
