Omari Gates
Austria's official language is Austrian German, which is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect and differs from German as it is spoken in Germany and Switzerland. While German is the official language, Austria is home to many other spoken languages and dialects. The country's history as a multi-ethnic state within the Holy Roman Empire of German Nations, and later the German Confederation, has resulted in a rich tapestry of languages and dialects.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Official Language | German, Austrian German, Austrian High German |
| Dialects | Austro-Bavarian, Bavarian, Alemannic, Swiss German, Central Austro-Bavarian, Southern Austro-Bavarian, Viennese |
| Minority Languages | Hungarian, Slovenian, Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Romany, Sign Language, Turkish, French, English |
| Number of Languages Spoken | 250 |
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What You'll Learn
Austrian German is the official language
Austrian German is also known as Austrian High German and is mutually intelligible with Federal High German, which is the standard in Germany. Austrian German includes numerous words and idioms borrowed from Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Yiddish, and South Slavic languages. While it is the official language, there are several other languages spoken in Austria due to its diverse population and history.
Austria has several minority languages, 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 considered an official language alongside German. Similarly, 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.
The dialects spoken in Austria vary across regions and are influenced by the historical and cultural diversity of the country. In addition to the standard Austrian German, there are local dialects and regional variations influenced by the dialects spoken in neighbouring countries and historical factors. For example, the Alemannic dialect is spoken in Vorarlberg, which is the same dialect group spoken in northern Switzerland and parts of southern Alsace, France. The Viennese dialect is another prominent dialect that influences other regional dialects in Austria.
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Austro-Bavarian is the main dialect outside Vorarlberg
The official language of Austria is German, which is the first language of 97-98% of the population. However, the German spoken in Austria is slightly different from the German spoken in Germany. The German spoken in Austria is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect and is known as Austrian German. Austro-Bavarian is considered a dialect of German, but some classify it as a separate language. It is the main dialect outside Vorarlberg.
Austro-Bavarian has its origins in the Germanic tribe known as the Bavarii, who established a tribal duchy covering much of what is today Bavaria and some of Austria in the early Middle Ages. The language spoken by this tribe is called "Bairisch" in German, which is different from "Bayerisch", which refers to the state of Bavaria. 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 the largest of all German dialects, with approximately 8.3 million speakers in Austria and 12 million speakers overall.
Bavarian is commonly considered a dialect of German, but there are some notable differences between Bavarian and Standard German. Bavarian differs sufficiently from Standard German that it can be difficult for native speakers of German to adopt the standard pronunciation. Bavarian is also not mutually intelligible with all German dialects, and to most German speakers, it is very difficult to understand. However, educated Bavarians and Austrians can usually read, write, and understand Standard German, and the vast majority of Austro-Bavarian speakers speak Standard German as well.
In addition to Austro-Bavarian, several other dialects are spoken in Austria. In the federal states of Vorarlberg and the Außerfern region of Tyrol, an Alemannic dialect is spoken. This dialect is also spoken in Northern Switzerland (outside Basel) and parts of southern Alsace, France. The rest of the Austrian states speak the Bavarian dialect or a variant thereof. There are three main variants of Bavarian: Central Bavarian, Southern Bavarian, and Northern Bavarian. The Viennese dialect is particularly influential and is a mixture of central and southern Bavarian with high language features.
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Alemannic is the main dialect in Vorarlberg
The main language spoken in Austria is German, which is the country's official language and the first language of most Austrians. However, Austria is also home to several minority languages, including Alemannic, which is the main dialect in the state of Vorarlberg.
Alemannic is a group of High German dialects, deriving its name from the ancient Germanic tribal confederation known as the Alemanni, or "all men". It is spoken by approximately 300,000 people in Vorarlberg, where it is known as High Alemannic, and is very difficult for speakers of standard German to understand. Vorarlberg is the only Austrian state where the local dialect is not Austro-Bavarian. Instead, it is Alemannic, which is also spoken in Liechtenstein, Switzerland (where it is known as Swiss German), Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Bavaria, and the Alsace region of France.
The Alemannic dialect of Vorarlberg is further divided into several regional sub-dialects, such as those of the Montafon, the Bregenzerwald, and Lustenau, which differ significantly from each other. Even within these regions, dialects can vary between towns and villages. This variety is due in part to Vorarlberg's geographic isolation from the rest of Austria, which has allowed its dialect to develop independently from the Bavarian-Austrian language group that characterises the rest of the country. As a result, Vorarlberg has much more in common culturally with other Alemannic-speaking regions, such as Switzerland and Liechtenstein, than with the rest of Austria.
The oldest known texts in Alemannic date to the sixth century and are brief Elder Futhark inscriptions. In the Old High German period, the first coherent texts in Alemannic were recorded in the St. Gall Abbey, including the eighth-century Paternoster. Alemannic Middle High German is less prominent in the historical record, but Huldrych Zwingli's 16th-century Bible translation was in an Alemannic variant of Early Modern High German. From the 17th century onwards, written Alemannic was gradually displaced by Standard German, and no binding orthographical standard for writing modern Alemannic ever emerged.
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Minority languages include Hungarian, Burgenland Croatian and Slovene
German is the official language of Austria and is spoken by most Austrians. However, Austria is also home to several minority languages, including Hungarian, Burgenland Croatian, and Slovene.
Hungarian is recognized as an official language in some regions of Austria. While it is not widely spoken today, Hungarian has historically held an important position in the country due to historical ties between Austria and Hungary. Today, Hungarian is spoken by around 1,000 people in the state of Burgenland, where it holds equal status to German as an official language.
Burgenland Croatian is an official language in the state of Burgenland, where it is spoken by 2.5% of Austrians, or between 87,000 and 130,000 people. Burgenland Croatian combines the Chakavian, Shtokavian, and Kajkavian dialects, with the Burgenland variant primarily based on the Chakavian dialect. The language includes phrases no longer used in standard Croatian, as well as influences from German and Hungarian. Burgenland Croats are recognized as a minority group in Austria and have enjoyed special rights since the signing of the Austrian State Treaty in 1955, which allowed them to use Croatian in education, the judiciary, and public administration.
Slovene, or Slovenian, is recognized as an official language in the mixed-language districts of Carinthia, where it is spoken by approximately 0.3% of Austrians, or 12,686 people as of the 2001 census. Bilingual primary and secondary education is provided by law in the southern part of Carinthia, and Slovene can be studied at the universities of Klagenfurt, Graz, and Vienna. However, the overall number of students studying Slovene is low, and the public use of the language is generally not accepted by the majority population.
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Austria's dialects follow a dialect continuum
Austria's official language is German, which is spoken by approximately 97% of the population. However, Austrian German differs from German as spoken in Germany in terms of vocabulary and grammar, and is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect. The country also has several other spoken languages and dialects.
In Tyrol and Vorarlberg, Alemannic dialects are spoken. These dialects are also spoken in Northern Switzerland and parts of southern Alsace, France. To most German speakers, Alemannic is very difficult to understand. The Alemannic dialect in Vorarlberg is known as High Alemannic.
In addition to local dialects, the individual federal states have regional dialects, which are influenced by how people in the state capital speak. The most prominent of these is the Viennese dialect, which influences many other dialects so that they become a mixture of central and southern Bavarian with Viennese and high language features.
The standard dialect in Austria is Austrian High German, which is mostly identical to the Federal High German used as the standard in Germany. Austrian High German serves as a "roofing language" for the Germanic language variants spoken in Austria, meaning that while Austrians may speak any one of a number of different dialects, Austrian High can be used to communicate with anyone speaking any of those dialects.
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Frequently asked questions
The official language of Austria is Austrian German.
Austrian German is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect and differs from German in vocabulary and grammar. Austrian German is easily understood by those who have learned Standard German.
About 250 languages are spoken throughout Austria, with only about 20 languages (apart from official languages) having more than 10,000 speakers. The largest minority language in Austria is Serbo-Croatian, followed by Turkish.
Seven million Austrians speak a central or southern Bavarian dialect. In Tyrol and Vorarlberg, Alemannic dialects are spoken. The individual federal states have regional dialects, influenced by the state capital. The most prominent of these is the Viennese dialect.
Austria was once part of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nations and later became a part of the German Confederation. This shared history with Germany led to German becoming the official language in Austria.
