Languages of Austria
Encyclopedia
The Languages of Austria
include German
, the official language and lingua franca, Austro-Bavarian, the main language outside Vorarlberg, Alemannic, the main language in Vorarlberg, and several minority languages.
is partially influenced by Austro-Bavarian and uses many "Germanized" words and expressions deriving from it.
. Vorarlberg uses a High Alemannic
, the same dialect group as that spoken in Northern Switzerland (outside Basel) and parts of southern Alsace, France. It is fairly mutually intelligible with German; however, many Germans find it difficult to understand due to the phonological and grammatical differences.
, the capital) speak Central Austro-Bavarian
dialects and the southern parts Southern Austro-Bavarian
dialects. Austro-Bavarian is largely mutually intelligible with German, especially the Central dialects.
is the largest minority language, in a situation mirroring that of Germany
, spoken by some 2.3% of the population.
is the second most spoken minority language, with usage by 2.2% of Austrians.
, is spoken by 2.5% of Austrians, and Burgenland Croats
are recognized as a minority and have enjoyed special rights following the Austrian State Treaty
(Staatsvertrag) of 1955.
). Today, Hungarian is spoken by around 20,000 people (.05% of the Austrian population) in Burgenland.
is spoken by some .04% of the Austrian population.
, is spoken by 0.3% of Austrians. Carinthian Slovenes
are recognized as a minority and have enjoyed special rights following the Austrian State Treaty (Staatsvertrag) of 1955.
on 28 June 2001 for the following languages in respect of specific Länder
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
include German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, the official language and lingua franca, Austro-Bavarian, the main language outside Vorarlberg, Alemannic, the main language in Vorarlberg, and several minority languages.
German
German is the national official language and constitutes a lingua franca and de facto second language: most Austrians other than (mostly rural) seniors are able to speak it. It is the language used in media, in schools, and formal announcements. The variety of German used, Austrian GermanAustrian German
Austrian German , or Austrian Standard German, is the national standard variety of the German language spoken in Austria and in the autonomous Province of South Tyrol...
is partially influenced by Austro-Bavarian and uses many "Germanized" words and expressions deriving from it.
Alemannic
Alemannic is spoken in VorarlbergVorarlberg
Vorarlberg is the westernmost federal-state of Austria. Although it is the second smallest in terms of area and population , it borders three countries: Germany , Switzerland and Liechtenstein...
. Vorarlberg uses a High Alemannic
High Alemannic German
High Alemannic is a branch of Alemannic German and is often considered to be part of the German language, even though it is only partly intelligible to non-Alemannic speakers....
, the same dialect group as that spoken in Northern Switzerland (outside Basel) and parts of southern Alsace, France. It is fairly mutually intelligible with German; however, many Germans find it difficult to understand due to the phonological and grammatical differences.
Austro-Bavarian
The main native language of Austria outside Vorarlberg is Austro-Bavarian, which is spoken using many different dialects. The northern parts of Austria (including ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, the capital) speak Central Austro-Bavarian
Central Austro-Bavarian
The Central Bavarian Germanic dialects forming a subgroup of the Bavarian dialects. The subgroup covers all dialects spoken along the rivers Isar and Danube, on the northern side of the Alps....
dialects and the southern parts Southern Austro-Bavarian
Southern Austro-Bavarian
Southern Bavarian, or Southern Austro-Bavarian, is a cluster of Germanic dialects of the Bavarian group.They are primarily spoken in the Austrian federal-states of Tyrol, Carinthia and Styria, in the southern parts of Salzburg and Burgenland as well as in the Italian province of South Tyrol...
dialects. Austro-Bavarian is largely mutually intelligible with German, especially the Central dialects.
Minority languages
A number of minority languages are spoken in Austria, some of which have official status.Turkish
TurkishTurkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
is the largest minority language, in a situation mirroring that of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, spoken by some 2.3% of the population.
Serbian
SerbianSerbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
is the second most spoken minority language, with usage by 2.2% of Austrians.
Burgenland Croatian
Burgenland Croatian, an official language in BurgenlandBurgenland
Burgenland is the easternmost and least populous state or Land of Austria. It consists of two Statutarstädte and seven districts with in total 171 municipalities. It is 166 km long from north to south but much narrower from west to east...
, is spoken by 2.5% of Austrians, and Burgenland Croats
Burgenland Croats
Burgenland Croats are ethnic Croats in the Austrian state of Burgenland. Although an enclave hundreds of kilometres away from their original homeland, they have managed to preserve culture and language for centuries...
are recognized as a minority and have enjoyed special rights following the Austrian State Treaty
Austrian State Treaty
The Austrian State Treaty or Austrian Independence Treaty re-established Austria as a sovereign state. It was signed on May 15, 1955, in Vienna at the Schloss Belvedere among the Allied occupying powers and the Austrian government...
(Staatsvertrag) of 1955.
Hungarian
While little spoken today, Hungarian has traditionally held an important position in Austria (or, more correctly, Austria-HungaryAustria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
). Today, Hungarian is spoken by around 20,000 people (.05% of the Austrian population) in Burgenland.
Bosnian
The least spoken of Austria's minority languages, the Bosnian languageBosnian language
Bosnian is a South Slavic language, spoken by Bosniaks. As a standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect, it is one of the three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina....
is spoken by some .04% of the Austrian population.
Slovene
Slovene, an official language in CarinthiaCarinthia (province)
Slovenian Carinthia or Slovene Carinthia, most commonly simply Carinthia is a traditional region in the north of Slovenia. It has no official status as an administrative unit within Slovenia, although the association with an informal province is still quite common.The region is referred to as...
, is spoken by 0.3% of Austrians. Carinthian Slovenes
Carinthian Slovenes
Carinthian Slovenes are the Slovene-speaking population group in the Austrian State of Carinthia. The Carinthian Slovenes send representatives to the National Ethnic Groups Advisory Council...
are recognized as a minority and have enjoyed special rights following the Austrian State Treaty (Staatsvertrag) of 1955.
European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
Austria ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority LanguagesEuropean Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is a European treaty adopted in 1992 under the auspices of the Council of Europe to protect and promote historical regional and minority languages in Europe...
on 28 June 2001 for the following languages in respect of specific Länder
States of Austria
Austria is a federal republic made up of nine states, known in German as Länder . Since Land is also the German word for a country, the term Bundesländer is often used instead to avoid ambiguity. The Constitution of Austria uses both terms...
- CroatianCroatian languageCroatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
of BurgenlandBurgenlandBurgenland is the easternmost and least populous state or Land of Austria. It consists of two Statutarstädte and seven districts with in total 171 municipalities. It is 166 km long from north to south but much narrower from west to east... - Slovene (in CarinthiaCarinthia (state)Carinthia is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Situated within the Eastern Alps it is chiefly noted for its mountains and lakes.The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Austro-Bavarian group...
and Styria) - HungarianHungarian languageHungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
(in Burgenland and ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
) - CzechCzech languageCzech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
(in Vienna) - SlovakSlovak languageSlovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...
(in Vienna) - RomaniRomani languageRomani or Romany, Gypsy or Gipsy is any of several languages of the Romani people. They are Indic, sometimes classified in the "Central" or "Northwestern" zone, and sometimes treated as a branch of their own....
(in Burgenland)