| Population |
250,000 in Luxembourg (1998). Population total all countries: 320,830. |
| Region |
Also in Belgium, France, Germany, United States. |
| Alternate names |
Frankish, Letzburgisch, Lëtzebuergesch, Luxembourgish, Luxemburgian, Luxemburgish, Moselle Franconian |
| Dialects |
As distinct from Standard German as is Dutch [nld] (Stephens 1976); not inherently intelligible with it. A Moselle variety of Frankish-German origin, related to varieties of Mitteldeutsch of Belgium. |
| Classification |
Indo-European, Germanic, West, High German, German, Middle German, West Middle German, Moselle Franconian |
| Language use |
National language. Vigorous. The language of creativity for most. Modest amounts of literature. Perhaps 50,000 L2 speakers. All domains. All ages. Pride in ethnic identity and language. West and Central varieties considered more sophisticated; North more rural, peasant-like. Variety used by older Belgian-border inhabitants considered old fashioned and riddled with French words, but perfectly intelligible. German considered a foreign language, not used with others who speak Luxembourgeois. Also use English, French, or German. |
| Language development |
Literacy rate in L2: 99% German, French. Written Luxembourgeois taught in schools. Letters often written in it. Newspapers. Radio programs. TV. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible portions: 2000. |
| Writing system |
Latin script. |
| Comments |
SVO; prepositions; genitives, articles, adjectives, numerals, relatives before noun heads; question word initial; 3 prefixes, 2 suffixes on a word; rigid word order; passives; nontonal. Christian. |
