German, Standard

A language of Germany

ISO 639-3

Alternate Names

Deutsch, Tedesco

Population

75,300,000 in Germany (1990). Population total all countries: 83,812,810.

Location

Also in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Moldova, Mozambique, Namibia, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan.

Language Maps

Belgium, Luxembourg and Netherlands

Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden

Language Status

1 (National). De facto national language.

Classification

Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, East Middle German

Dialects

Major related language areas are Bavarian [bar], Schwäbian [swg], Alemannisch [gsw], Mainfränkisch [vmf], Hessisch, Palatinian, Rheinfränkisch, Westfälisch [wep], Saxonian, Thuringian, Brandenburgisch, and Low Saxon [nds]. Many varieties are not mutually inherently intelligible. Our present treatment is incomplete. Standard German is one High German variety, developed from the chancery of Saxony, gaining acceptance as the written standard in the 16th and 17th centuries. High German refers to dialects and languages in the upper Rhine region. Lexical similarity: 60% with English [eng], 29% with French [fra].

Language Use

28,000,000 L2 speakers.

Language Development

Taught in primary and secondary schools. Fully developed. Bible: 1466–2004.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about German, Standard

Writing

Braille script. Latin script, primary usage. Latin script, Fraktur variant, used until 1940. Runic script, no longer in use.

Other Comments

Based equally on East Upper German and East Middle German. Christian.

Also spoken in:

Expand All Collapse All

Austria

Language nameGerman, Standard

Dialects

Kärntnerisch.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1929, Constitution, Article 8), constitution reinstated 1945.

View other languages of Austria

Belgium

Language nameGerman, Standard

Population

150,000 in Belgium (Hawkins 1987).

Location

Liège Province, Eupen and Sankt-Vith cantons, municipalities: Eupen, Kelmis, Lontzen, Raeren, Amel, Bnlingen, Bntchenbach, Sankt-Vith, and Burg-Reuland.

Status

2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in German-speaking areas (1994, Constitution, Articles 2,4,30).

View other languages of Belgium

Czech Republic

Language nameGerman, Standard

Population

39,100 in Czech Republic (2001 census).

Location

Erzgebirge, a border mountain range.

Status

4 (Educational).

Language Use

Also use Czech [ces].

View other languages of Czech Republic

Denmark

Language nameGerman, Standard

Population

25,900 in Denmark (2007).

Location

North Slesvig (Sydjylland), Sønderjylland.

Status

2 (Provincial). Statutory language of provincial identity in Syddanmark region (1955, Danish-German Agreement).

Other Comments

There are German schools.

View other languages of Denmark

Hungary

Language nameGerman, Standard

Population

33,800 in Hungary (2001 census). Ethnic population: 88,400.

Location

Mostly west.

Status

4 (Educational). Language of recognized nationality (1993, Minorities Act No. LXXVII).

Language Development

Taught in primary and secondary schools.

Other Comments

Germans in Hungary speak varieties other than standard German at home.

View other languages of Hungary

Italy

Language nameGerman, Standard

Population

225,000 in Italy (Vincent 1987).

Location

North, Trentino-Alto Adige, South Tyrol, Bolzano province.

Alternate Names

Tedesco

Status

2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Trentino-Alto Adige region (1999, Historical Minorities Protection Act, No. 482).

Language Development

Taught in primary and secondary schools.

View other languages of Italy

Kazakhstan

Language nameGerman, Standard

Population

958,000 in Kazakhstan. Population excludes Plautdietsch [pdt].

Status

4 (Educational). Recognized language (1997, Language Law, No. 151-1, 11 July, Articles 4,6,7).

Language Development

Found in minority schools.

View other languages of Kazakhstan

Liechtenstein

Language nameGerman, Standard

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1921, Constitution, Article 6).

View other languages of Liechtenstein

Luxembourg

Language nameGerman, Standard

Population

10,900 in Luxembourg (Johnstone and Mandryk 2001).

Status

1 (National). Statutory national working language (1984, Language Law of 24 February, Articles 2, 4).

Language Use

Taught in school as L2.

View other languages of Luxembourg

Namibia

Language nameGerman, Standard

Population

22,500 in Namibia (2006).

Status

4 (Educational).

Language Use

Radio broadcasts.

Language Development

Taught in primary schools.

View other languages of Namibia

Paraguay

Language nameGerman, Standard

Population

166,000 in Paraguay. 19,000 L1 speakers of Plautdietsch [pdt].

Status

4 (Educational).

View other languages of Paraguay

Poland

Language nameGerman, Standard

Population

500,000 in Poland (1998).

Location

Opolskie and Silesian provinces.

Status

2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Opolskie and Silesian provinces (2005, Minorities Act of 2 January, Articles 2(2), 9).

View other languages of Poland

Romania

Language nameGerman, Standard

Population

45,100 in Romania (2002 census).

Location

Transylvania.

Dialects

Transylvanian.

Status

4 (Educational). Statutory language of national identity (2001, Local Public Administration Law No. 215, Article 40(7), others).

Other Comments

Over 70% of the 500,000 1988 population emigrated to Germany (Johnstone 1993). People known as Saxons.

View other languages of Romania

Slovakia

Language nameGerman, Standard

Population

5,410 in Slovakia (2001 census).

Status

4 (Educational).

Language Use

Also use Hungarian [hun] or Slovak [slk].

Other Comments

Christian.

View other languages of Slovakia

Slovenia

Language nameGerman, Standard

Population

1,540 in Slovenia.

Status

4 (Educational). Language of recognized nationality (2000, Slovenian Ratification, European CRML).

View other languages of Slovenia

Switzerland

Language nameGerman, Standard

Population

11 cantons and 6 half-cantons.

Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1999, Constitution, Article 70(1)), co-equal with Italian [ita] and French [fra] on the federal level.

Language Use

Not L1 for many.

Language Development

Main language of education in Schwyzerdütsch (German) and Rheto-Romansch-speaking areas.

View other languages of Switzerland

Ukraine

Language nameGerman, Standard

Population

33,300 in Ukraine (2001 census).

Status

4 (Educational).

View other languages of Ukraine

Ethnologue

German, Standard

A language of Germany

Also spoken in:

Browse by

Current Edition

Other Products

Related Sites

Contact

Search form

German, Standard

A language of Germany

Also spoken in: