Hunsrik

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A language of Brazil

ISO 639-3
hrx
Alternate Names
Hunsriker, Rio Grand Hunsriker
Population

3,000,000 in Brazil. Ethnic population: 5,000,000.

Location

Widespread with high concentrations in Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Paraná. Also in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay (Hunsriker).

Language Maps
Language Status

7 (Shifting).

Classification
Indo-European, Germanic
Dialects

Originally derived from Hunsrücker (Westpfälzisch) German speech variety; influenced by Portuguese [por]. Several dialects, probably due to being language of intercommunication for many other Germanic language speakers such as Swabian [swg], Bavarian [bar] and others as well as immigrants from Switzerland and Austria.

Language Use

Officially minimized until the 2000’s when it began to be recognized as a language and written with a standardized Latin alphabet. Home, market. Positive attitudes. Most also use Portuguese [por] or Spanish [spa].

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Hunsrik
Writing
Latin script.
Other Comments

Emigrated from Germany from 1824 more or less continuously until World War II.