German

German is the language spoken in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. It is has had several different stages and different dialects.

German and its variations and offshoots are all West Germanic languages, in the larger group of Germanic. There are many dialects of German, and often the location of an individual in and around Germany can determine how far the dialect is from the standard of High German. In the North, a large dialect is often acknowledged as a separate West Germanic language known as Low German. Low German and its close relative Dutch are known for only going through the fourth stage of the High German Consonant Shift, which separates High German from most other West Germanic languages.

List of German Dialects, Forms, and Offshots

• Standard German
  • Old High German
  • Middle High German
  • Early New High German
  • New High German
• Upper German
• Alemannic
• Bavarian
• Low German (Also known as Flat German or Low Saxon)
  • Old Saxon (Old Low German)
  • Middle Low German
  • Low German or Low Saxon