Where In Europe Are The Germanic Languages Mostly Spoken?
The easiest way of getting to know a people is by studying their lifestyle and their culture. The things that affect them and shape their everyday behavior are the ones that we need to focus on. But culture is not just one thing, it covers every aspect of life. There are cultures with religious influences and then there are those with regional aspects. In any case, it is a multidimensional concept studying which requires time and patience. However, it is the most effective way of understanding people which is why it is better to not look elsewhere when you want to get to know a nation. Language is the most important aspect of a culture and it defines the identity of a people.
Where in Europe are the Germanic Languages Mostly Spoken?
The Germanic group is mainly a European branch by location. Although plenty of its members are spoken in America, that’s not where their native speakers live. With the exception of a couple of names, all of the vernaculars of the group are spoken in Europe natively. But Europe is not small, therefore the question remains that in which areas of it are Germanic tongues mostly spoken. These tongues cover western, central, and northern regions of Europe. Here is a general breakdown of the areas in which Germanic tongues are spoken:
- Northern Europe:
The northern branch of the Germanic group covers the Nordic countries. Its biggest languages are the ones spoken in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. The whole region is known for its particular culture and the similarities between its tongues. Other vernaculars spoken in the area include Icelandic and Faroese.
The origin of all five of these vernaculars is pretty similar and they used to share a lot of similarities. However, with time, changes became the most apparent in Icelandic and Faroese. Today, these two are the most unique members of the group and only share a few similarities. This difference is interesting because the other three members of the North Germanic branch are mutually intelligible. The speakers of Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish can understand each other easily even after all this time. But differences are increasing in these three too and maybe they will stop being so similar in the future.
- Central Europe:
German is the most famous Germanic language in central Europe. It is spoken by over a hundred million native speakers. It also has plenty of students and people who speak it as their second language. Low German, a group of unstandardized dialects, is also spoken in central Europe. Although it only has a few native speakers, it can be understood by almost seven million people.
Yiddish is also a central European language, but it has lost the status it once held in the region. It was a strong force of the people before World War II.
- Western Europe:
Although the North Sea and the English Chanel separate England from the rest of Europe, it is still considered a western European country. English is spoken by all the population of the UK. It is also spoken throughout Europe by small number of people but the majority of them lives in the UK. Other Germanic languages spoken in the area include Dutch, spoken by the 24 million people of the Netherlands as their native tongue. It also has plenty of speakers in other countries. Frisian languages are spoken in both the Netherlands and Germany.
Some more vernaculars spoken in the area by only a few people include Scots and the Limburgish varieties. All the members of the Germanic branch have cultural roles that they play in the area where they are spoken. Apart from English and Dutch, all the vernaculars spoken in Western Europe only have a couple of millions of speakers. Some might even become extinct in the future like the ones from East Germanic branch.
