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Austria is a landlocked Central European country with a population of almost nine million people. German is the official language of Austria and is used by the government, in the media, and in education. However, there are several other languages spoken in Austria, including various dialects of German and other minority languages.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Official language | Austrian 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 |
| Number of languages spoken | 250 |
| Largest minority language | Serbo-Croatian |
| Second-largest minority language | Turkish |
| Third-largest minority language | Romanian |
| Minority language with official status | Slovene, Hungarian, Burgenland-Croatian |
| Minority languages without official status | Czech, Slovak, Roma, Italian, Yiddish, South Slavic, Aramaic |
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What You'll Learn
Official language: German
German is the official language of Austria and is used in the country's media, schools, and formal announcements. It is the de facto first language of Austria, with approximately 97% to 98% of the population speaking German, and a little over 93% calling it their mother tongue. Austrian German, the variety of German used in Austria, is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect and differs from Standard German in vocabulary and accent, with regional accents also coming into play. German-speaking visitors to Austria may find that they do not understand certain regional dialects, such as the Viennese dialect.
Austrian German is mutually intelligible with Standard German, and most Austrians speak both German and Austro-Bavarian. Austro-Bavarian is the unofficial native language of Austria and differs greatly from Standard German, making it difficult for German speakers from other regions to understand. It is a collection of dialects native to Austria, with distinct branches spoken in the northern and southern parts of the country. Austro-Bavarian has no official orthography, but literary efforts have been made to depict the pronunciation in the spelling, particularly in poems.
Alemannic, or Swiss German, is the main dialect in Vorarlberg and some areas of Tyrol's Reutte District and is spoken by about 300,000 people in Austria. It is a High Alemannic dialect, the same dialect group spoken in Northern Switzerland (outside Basel) and parts of southern Alsace, France. To most German speakers, Alemannic is very difficult to understand.
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-
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Austrian German dialect
German is the national official language of Austria and constitutes a lingua franca and de facto first language. Austrian German, the variety of German used in Austria, is partially influenced by Austro-Bavarian and is considered the country's official language. It is distinct from Standard German in vocabulary, expressions, pronunciation, grammar, and cultural context. Austrian German is also influenced by Bavarian and Alemannic dialects, which are traditionally spoken but rarely written in Austria.
Austrian German has its origins in the mid-18th century, when Empress Maria Theresa and her son Joseph II introduced compulsory schooling in 1774 and implemented several reforms in their multilingual Habsburg Empire. The standardisation of Austrian German was influenced by the written standard, Oberdeutsche Schreibsprache (Upper German written language), which was highly influenced by the Bavarian and Alemannic dialects of Austria. Austrian German has the highest sociolinguistic prestige locally and is used in the media and other formal situations.
Alemannic, or Swiss German, is spoken by about 300,000 people, mostly in Vorarlberg, where a High Alemannic dialect is used. To most German speakers, Alemannic is very difficult to understand. The main native language of Austria outside Vorarlberg is Austro-Bavarian, with approximately 8.3 million speakers in Austria. The northeastern parts of Austria, including the capital Vienna, speak Central Austro-Bavarian dialects, while the southern parts speak Southern Austro-Bavarian dialects. Austro-Bavarian differs significantly from Standard German, making it challenging for German speakers from other regions to understand.
Austrian German has numerous words and idioms borrowed from languages such as Czech, Hungarian, Italian, Yiddish, and South Slavic. It also exhibits regional variations, with the western regions influenced by Bavarian dialects, deviating more from Standard German than the eastern regions. Cities like Vienna, being the cultural hub, may use language closer to Standard German in formal contexts.
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Minority languages: Turkish, Hungarian, Croatian
German is the official language of Austria and is spoken by most Austrians. However, Austria is also home to several minority languages, including Turkish, Hungarian, and Croatian.
Turkish is the second-largest minority language in Austria, with 2.3% of the population speaking it. The Turkish Austrian community forms the largest ethnic minority group in the country and mainly descends from the Republic of Turkey. There has also been significant Turkish migration from other post-Ottoman countries, including the Balkans (especially Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Romania), Cyprus, Iraq, and Syria. The first mass migration of the Turkish minority from Western Thrace in Greece to Austria began in the 1960s, with another wave occurring between 2010 and 2018 due to the Greek government-debt crisis. Turkish people were also recruited as \"guest workers\" in the 1960s and 1970s, and they later brought their families to Austria. More recently, Turkish Bulgarian migration to Austria has increased due to Bulgaria's membership in the European Union and the freedom of movement it grants its citizens.
Hungarian is another minority language in Austria, with around 1,000 speakers in the state of Burgenland. Historically, Hungarian held an important position in Austria due to the historical ties between the two countries. Hungarian is recognized as an official language in some districts of Burgenland, where it holds equal status with German.
Croatian, specifically the Burgenland variant, is also recognized as an official language in Austrian Burgenland and is spoken by 2.5% of Austrians. The Burgenland Croats are ethnic Croats who gained minority status in the Austrian Treaty of Independence of 1955, and their language combines the Chakavian, Shtokavian, and Kajkavian dialects. They were given refuge by Austrian King Ferdinand I in the 1530s after the Turks destroyed their settlements. The Austrian State Treaty of 1955 gave them permission to use Croatian in education, the judiciary, and public administration. Croatian organizations have appointed their representatives to the Council for National Minorities of the Austrian government since 1993.
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Austro-Bavarian dialect
The Austro-Bavarian dialect, also known as Bavarian, is a group of Upper German varieties spoken in the south-east of the German language area. This includes the German state of Bavaria, most of Austria, and South Tyrol in Italy. It is considered the main dialect in Austria outside of Vorarlberg. Austro-Bavarian is also used to refer to the dialect group that includes the Austro-Bavarian dialect, as well as 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 that covered much of what is today Bavaria and parts 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 it a unique language code, and UNESCO lists Bavarian as an endangered language. The difference between Bavarian and Standard German is larger than the difference between Danish and some varieties of Norwegian or between Czech and Slovak. Bavarian is spoken by approximately 12 million people, making it the largest of all German dialects. In Austria alone, there are approximately 8.3 million speakers of Austro-Bavarian.
Austro-Bavarian differs significantly from Standard German, making it challenging for German speakers from other regions to understand native Austro-Bavarian speakers. It has no official orthography, but literary efforts, especially in poems, attempt to capture the pronunciation in the spelling. Certain phrases and words are unique to specific regions of Austria and Bavaria and are rarely used in Standard German. For example, "Griaß God" ("greet God" or "may God greet you") and "Servus/Servas" ("at your service") are greeting phrases specific to Austro-Bavarian. Other terms, like "Pfiat di / Pfiat eich (euch)" ("watch over you [God]" or "may God watch over you"), are used as farewells.
Austro-Bavarian has several variants, including Central Bavarian, Southern Bavarian, and Northern Bavarian. Within these subgroups, there are noticeable differences, such as the distinct accents of Carinthia, Styria, and Tyrol. The Viennese dialect also exhibits unique characteristics that set it apart from other Austro-Bavarian dialects. Despite the variations within Austro-Bavarian, it is generally considered a dialect rather than a separate language. Elevating it to the status of a distinct language would be arbitrary, as the differences within Austro-Bavarian dialects can be as significant as those between Austro-Bavarian and Standard German.
While Standard German is the official language of Austria, the influence of Austro-Bavarian is evident. Austrian German, the variety of German spoken in Austria, is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect. Educated Bavarians and Austrians can typically read, write, and understand Standard German, but they may have limited opportunities to speak it, especially in rural areas. In these regions, Standard German is primarily used in writing and the media.
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English as a second language
English is the second most spoken language in Austria, with around 40% of the population speaking it. It is also the most populous foreign language in the country, with 6.4 million speakers, as most children learn English in school. However, only a small percentage of Austria's population calls English their mother tongue.
English is one of the major foreign languages spoken in Austria, along with French and Italian. French is spoken by about 7% of Austrians, while Italian has influenced Austrian German, with numerous words and idioms borrowed and adopted from the language.
Austria's linguistic history is tied to its political history. The country was once part of the Holy Roman Empire, the German Confederation, and the German Republic after World War I. This historical influence has resulted in German being the official language of Austria, with Austrian German being a version of German influenced by Austro-Bavarian.
Austrian German, the country's lingua franca, differs from Standard German in accent and vocabulary due to the influence of the Austro-Bavarian dialect. While Austrian German and Standard German are mutually intelligible, regional accents and dialects in some parts of the country, such as the Viennese dialect, can be challenging for German speakers to understand.
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Frequently asked questions
The official language of Austria is German, specifically Austrian German, which differs from Standard German.
The main dialect in Austria is Austro-Bavarian, which is considered the unofficial native language of Austria.
Other languages spoken in Austria include Turkish, Slovenian, Croatian, Hungarian, and Czech.
Around 40% of people in Austria speak English, making it the second most spoken language in the country.
Another dialect spoken in Austria is Alemannic, which is the main dialect in the region of Vorarlberg and some parts of Tyrol.
