The attitude towards dialects in Europe is radically different from the Russian one. If a dialect for a domestic citizen is likely to be a sign of illiteracy and a low level of education, then in Western Europe, especially in Austria, residents are proud of their local dialect. For example, in Germany those politicians Those who speak the local dialect will always have an advantage over those who speak only standard German.

Literary language versus dialect

Austria historically for a long time played the role of the capital of all German states. Therefore, many are now interested in the question of what language is spoken in Austria. The official languages ​​here are German, Hungarian and Slovenian. But at any serious events, literary German, called Hochdeutsch, will always be used. However, this has nothing to do with a disdainful attitude towards dialects. Rather, broadcasting in a literary language occurs so that the information is understood as clearly as possible. big amount listeners.

Literary German is used in all official institutions - schools and universities. Books and newspapers are printed on it. However, in everyday life, “high” German is used only by guests of the country. Local residents communicate with each other using dialect. For someone who wants to understand what language is spoken in Austria, some everyday situations can be perplexing. For example, a teacher in an educational institution can give a lecture in understandable literary language. And after class, address your friend in a dialect that a foreigner cannot understand anything from.

Which German dialect is Austrian closest to?

Even the dialects of Austria and Germany differ from each other. They say that residents of the northern and southern regions of Germany are unlikely to be able to communicate with each other. Both the spoken and the generally accepted official languages ​​in Austria are closer to Bavarian and Swiss German than to the internationally accepted Hochdeutsch. One of the first researchers who began to study the differences in the numerous German dialects in the 18th century was Johann Popovich.

What language is spoken in Austria: differences from German

German differs from official German in all respects. These include differences in grammar, pronunciation features, and vocabulary. At the end of the 19th century, the famous linguist and philologist Konrad Duden published the “Complete Spelling Dictionary German language" His goal was to unify and standardize German spelling. The rules that the philologist developed became the basis of official German. However, they were not extended to the Austrian version. Thus, in Austria, German has its own characteristics.

Which option is more melodic?

Austrians believe that their German is much more melodic and easier to listen to than the German in Germany. The Germans, of course, are convinced of the opposite. However, it is possible that there is some truth in the Austrians’ belief: after all, in Austria the softening suffix -l is very often used. It turns dry German words like Pfand or Packung into Pfandel and Packerl.

English speaking help

Every tourist is interested in what language is spoken in Austria. Vienna, Linz, Salzburg, Baden - in these cities and many others, most signs, announcements and stop names are in German.

However, in places where tourists congregate, large shopping centers and hotels always have leaflets and guides with English version. Many residents of Austria also speak English and are always ready to help a lost tourist. ATMs and train ticket machines are also switching from German to English throughout Austria. Any Austrian museum has an English audio option, and the largest ones even have audio guides in Russian.

Minority languages ​​in Austria

Even neighboring Germans may not know what language is spoken in, for example, Vorarlberg - these are provinces in which the Swabian dialect of German is spoken. And in most other states they speak southern Bavarian dialects. Great importance There are also languages ​​of ethnic minorities who live mainly close to the borders of the state. These are Slovenes, Croats and Hungarians.

The native language of each of these peoples has its own influence on what language is spoken in Austria. In these regions, teaching in schools is conducted in two languages. This also applies to newspapers and official signs. For example, in Styria and Carinthia the additional languages ​​are Slovenian and Croatian. Local dialects slowly but inevitably influence Austrian German.

The question of what language is spoken in Austria and Australia is unlikely to cause difficulties for anyone. After all, Australia is a continent located thousands of kilometers from German-speaking countries. The main language of Australia is Australian in English.

An interesting question - is there an Austrian language or is it a dialect of German? What language is spoken in Austria? Is it possible to learn traditional German while studying in Austria? Let's find out.

Modern Austrian language

It is known that the official language in Austria is German, so the literary standard of German is taught there: Hochdeutsch. Also, most Austrians know him. But in everyday speech local dialects predominate. Therefore, we can say with confidence that colloquial Austrian is different from literary German.

“High German” is spoken in official situations: on TV channels, in institutions, and also when talking with foreigners. But with friendly, personal communication, they switch to the dialect common in the area.

Dialects

So, let's find out what language is spoken in Austria and its territories. The basis of the Austrian national version of the German language is dialects. The two main ones are Bavarian-Austrian and Alemannic. There are also special sub-dialects of cities, for example Vienna.

Now the main dialect line runs in the west of the country, or more precisely, on the border of the states of Tyrol and Vorarlberg. It is in Vorarlberg that the Alemannic dialect is spoken.

The Bavarian-Austrian dialect is divided into three more sub-dialects, of which two are found in Austria: South Bavarian-Austrian and Middle Bavarian-Austrian. They are common in Lower and Upper Austria, Burgenland, Salzburg, as well as in the regions of Styria, Carinthia and Tyrol.

On the border with neighboring countries, the languages ​​of ethnic minorities predominate - Slovenes, Croats, Hungarians. These languages ​​are also administrative. They are taught in schools, periodicals are published on them, and bilingual signs are used. These languages ​​are spoken in the states of Styria, Carinthia and Burgenland.

Standard German in Austria

In accordance with the eighth article of the Constitution, the official language of Austria is German. It is spoken by about 80% of the country's inhabitants. The languages ​​of national minorities, according to the main law of the state, should not be infringed.

As mentioned above, in Austrian educational institutions They teach literary German, sometimes even according to standards developed in Germany. We also have our own proven programs for teaching German as a foreign language.

Language schools in Austria are really popular not only because good programs training and qualified teachers, but also due to the cost, which is approximately 10% lower compared to courses in Germany. When studying in Austria, you have the opportunity not only to master “high German”, but also to expand your vocabulary with local dialect vocabulary.

Grammar and vocabulary

In 1951, the standard of the Austrian German language was enshrined in textbooks and dictionaries. There are some peculiarities in the speech of Austrians. Most of them are related to set phrases and phonetics, but there are others.

One of them is the presence of so-called Austrianisms in the language. Most of them are found in the legal field and politics. This happened due to the fact that the Austrians retained the clericalism of the times of the Habsburg Monarchy. Most Austrianisms are of Latin origin.

Also, the Austrians, along with the Germans, use their own names of the months. And they easily add greetings when greeting someone. This makes speech less formalized.

A characteristic feature of grammar is education difficult words. In Russian, the vowels “o” and “e” are traditionally added; in Austrian, the consonant “s” is added. But the addition of this consonant sometimes does not coincide with German: Zugsverspätung and Zugverspätung. Also, the gender of nouns does not match the German language: der Spray – das Spray, der Radio – das Radio.

Characteristic feature German in Austria is the conjugation of verbs in the present and complex past tense. Traditionally, in the second person plural the ending of the verb is t, but in Austria we use ts. This allows you to distinguish between second and third person verbs when there is no pronoun nearby.

Another feature is the use of auxiliary verbs. In German, the choice of haben or sein depends on the grammatical characteristics of the verb, in Austrian - on the meaning.

German in Austria: Video

Language structure in Austria

The German language in Austria has its own social-functional structure and has all constituent elements (literary language- everyday colloquial forms of language - dialect). The construction is based on Austrian dialects (Bavarian-Austrian: Central Austrian, South Austrian and (Upper) Alemannic dialect of Vorarlberg), above which are urban dialects and semi-dialects, among them the urban dialect of Vienna, which has long been a kind of norm influencing local peasant dialects as a “unifying force”, and forming a certain basis for the concept of the Austrian interdialect (österreichische Verkehrssprache). The next level is the Austrian everyday spoken language (österreichische Umgangssprache), which is close in form to the literary language, but which is characterized by a specifically Austrian (Viennese) coloring in pronunciation, choice of words and some grammatical forms. The limiting level of the language forms a literary language that preserves national linguistic features (österreichische Hochdeutsch) as an element of the Austrian norm of the German literary language (Schriftsprache).

The Austrian language is distinguished partly by its vocabulary, grammatical features, style, and pronunciation. Unlike the German language of Germany, the Austrian version was not standardized by Duden's rules. Interestingly, Austria also participated in the spelling reform in 1996, and the innovations were taken into account in the 41st edition of the Austrian Dictionary. [source 1, p.62]

Lexical features of the German language in Austria

Historical past of Austria, political system, linguistic contacts with other countries, as well as linguistic self-development determined the originality of the vocabulary of Austrian literary usage. One of the most important factors that determined the lexical originality of the literary language in Austria was its interaction with local dialects. The Viennese dialect had the greatest influence on the literary language. The literary language includes many words of dialect origin.

Paul Kretschmer stated: “Between the language of Berlin and Vienna there are differences in almost every second and third word.” But this is not taken literally, of course, because... he himself did not believe that this would create any obstacles to interterritorial language contacts. With this expression, Kretschmer wanted to show that the lexical composition of one usage is often not characteristic of another. [source 2, p.18]

We can observe a number of differences in the vocabulary of German and Austrian Uzus. For example:

Schwammer (German: Pilz)

Schale (German: Tasse)

Hafner (German Ofensetzer, Töpfer - stove maker)

[source 4, p.62]

Lexical differences between Austrian and German literary usages are, first of all, quantitative in nature. Eg:

The concept of “personal personal data” (year of birth, address, etc.) in the Austrian and German systems has a common lexical identity: Personalien (Personalangaben). But, however, in the Austrian system there is another equivalent: Das Nationale.

And here's another example. Lenkstange - the steering wheel (Fahrradlenkstage) of a bicycle is used by both Austrians and Germans. But the Austrian usage contrasts the German with its own, “intra-Austrian” equivalent in the form of the Latin borrowing das Gubernal.

So on on this basis we can conclude that in order to express the meaning of the common, the Austrian version, in addition to identity, reveals oppositions that increase the quantitative side of the plan for expressing the meaning common to the two usages.

Lexical differences can also be of a qualitative nature. There are lexical-semantic and stylistic discrepancies in one or more meanings of a polysemantic word.

For example, a word common to two usages has two or more meanings. For example, the Latin adjustieren, meaning: einpassen (adjust), zurichten (prepare). But the same word in Austria also has the meaning: dienstmäig kleiden (put on a uniform), which is unknown in German usage. For example, if G stands for a word, and G1, G2, G3 are its meanings, then we get the following picture:

G(in Austria):G1, G2, G3

G(in Germany):G1

We can see that both usages contain G1, i.e. in the meaning of the word they converge, while G2, G3 separate them. [source 2, p.19]

It happens that this or that word in its material expression with the same grammatical structure is used by both usages, but in each of them it has its own eigenvalue. For example, the noun Sessel is used in German usage with the meaning: Lehnstuhl, and in Austrian Stuhl. But in this case, only partial differences can be established (the object on which they sit). But, for example, the word Cottage (borrowed from English). In German it means: kleines Landhaus (country house), and in Austrian it means Villenviertel (city quarter). Here we see more tangible differences:

We can also observe different material expressions of semantic community. Thus, “a strong drink made from juniper” is called Kranewitter in the Austrian version, and Wacholderschnaps in German.

Sometimes the semantic commonality has a material commonality of the root morpheme despite differences in word-formation means. For example, the semantic community “cool” as the core of the community of material expression has the root morpheme kühlen, which in Austrian usage is combined with the prefix über - (überkühlen), and in German with the prefix ab. So, if we take P is a semantic community, C is a root morpheme, and p(p1,p2) are prefixes, then we get:

P(A) - p1C (ьberkьhlen)

Р(Н) - р2С (abkьhlen)

[source 2, p.22]

Finally, stylistic differences between lexical units are also observed when they are contrasted for each unit in a functional or expressive-emotional sense.

Thus, the Austrian Stiege and the German Treppe are understandable and known in every language, due to their of various origins, have different stylistic value. E.G. Riesel notes that in the north a German may use the word Stiege in a certain sense: meist für eine alte und unsgetretene Treppe. And vice versa, the Austrian uses in the broadest and general meaning only Stiege, and Treppe is an elegant, grand staircase.

If we follow the lexico-semantic features of the German language in Austria, we can note one circumstance that there is a certain layer of vocabulary that is common to both the Austrian and German variants at the level of dialect usage and is not within the limits of Austrian and German literature. For example: der Grammel, der Hallodri, der Nock, etc. [source 2, p. 23]

There is also a layer of vocabulary that is characteristic of Austrian literary usage, but in German it is used only at the dialect level.

It is noteworthy that in Austria the forms of greeting are constructed completely differently than in Germany. If in Germany, the address is often omitted, which makes the speech formalized, then in Austria, addresses are easily used, perceived as ordinary and not offensive or ridiculous. For example: in Austria you can hear “Guten Morgen, gnädige Frau”, “Guten Abend, Herr Ingenieur”, “Grü Gott, Herr Doktor”, but in Germany the greeting is limited to the greeting itself and brief address with the mention of the surname - “Guten Morgen”, “Guten Abend, Herr Müller”. [source 3]

Many words of the Austrian variant (Austrianisms) go back to the clerical language of the Habsburg Monarchy, which determined the areas in which the differences are especially strong. So in the field of management, politics and law in Austria they use many own words. For example, instead of the concept of Bundestag, Austrians use the concept of Nationalrat, instead of Bundesverwaltungsgericht - Verwaltungsgerichtshof, instead of Schmerzensgeld - more often Schadensersatz. Characteristic feature legal concepts in the Austrian version is that they mostly come from Latin: in Germany the terminology of Roman law was replaced by its own equivalents, but in Austria this did not happen. Hence such concepts as Legat (Vermächtnis), Servitut (Dienstbarkeit), Causa (Fall, Rechtsgrund). Similar differences are also often found in technical, pedagogical or military terms. [source 3]

From the above we can conclude that the lexical-semantic relations of the two literary usages represent a branched formation. It covers not only everyday colloquial speech, but also the official language, which indicates the presence of lexical separation in functional and genre terms.

The official language is German. Having a fairly characteristic local pronunciation and many idiomatic phrases, everyday Austrian is noticeably different from Hochdeutsch (literary German). Austrian dialects are close to Bavarian Germany and German Switzerland, while local dialects can be traced almost everywhere. Many areas have their own characteristic slang, often incomprehensible even to neighbors, but in communication local residents still try to adhere to the “standard” language. By different estimates it is used regularly by 85 to 88% of the population, but is understood by almost everyone.

At the same time, in Burgenland, even at the official level, you can often hear Croatian (about 1.6% of the country's population speaks it) and Hungarian; in southern Carinthia - Slovenian and Serbian, there are compact communes with a predominant Turkish and Slovak population.

Communication with local residents

Although many Austrians in the cities have a fairly good command of English (it is taught as a second language in all schools), in general it is not easy to communicate in any language other than German in the country. Considering that German cannot be classified as easy, the problem of communication in the provinces can be quite significant. In addition, Austrians speak German with a noticeable accent, and each region or region has its own dialect, even in the capital a separate dialect has developed - Weinerisch. However, almost everyone knows “standard German”.

Slavic languages ​​(Slovenian, Czech, Croatian and others) are quite widespread in the border areas, Hungarian in the east, Roma in the southeast. The preservation of such languages ​​and culture is guaranteed by Austrian constitutional law. However, over the past quarter century, the number of speakers of these languages ​​has sharply decreased (95% of the population consider themselves ethnic Austrians even despite their origin).

Austria is considered a multilingual country with a rich historical and cultural heritage that has influenced its multinationality. What is the official language in Austria and what languages ​​are spoken by the residents of this country? Previously, this state was called the Austrian Empire and united the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, the Carpathians, Croatia, Transylvania, and part of Italy. The state was later transformed into Austria-Hungary. On its territory were modern Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia and, in fact, modern Austria. Naturally, such a rich history left its mark not only on the culture of the country, but also on the national speech. Austria continues to be a multinational and multilingual state to this day. So, what language is spoken in Austria?

State language German is recognized in Austria. Signs on the streets of Austrian cities are made in German, politicians speak German, television and radio programs are broadcast in German, children are taught German in Austrian schools. However, the German language in Austria is significantly different from the standard one that we all know about.

If in political and official circles it is practically no different from the German we learned in schools, then at home, on the street, in the family circle, etc. The so-called national Austrian German is used.

And if you expect to communicate with Austrians in “correct” German, be prepared for the fact that you are unlikely to understand anything from a conversation between two random passers-by in Austria.

In addition, Austrians do not like Germans and are very wary of foreigners who use pure German in their speech. Austria is a country whose linguistic traditions have been formed for a long time under the influence of the cultural characteristics of other countries. Therefore, the official language in Austria differs from standard German not only in sound, it has many dialects and its own words and expressions, so it can safely be called the Austrian language.

Viennese dialect So, in In Austria, German sounds completely different. There are several Austrian dialects. One of the most common is Viennese. Vienna became one of the examples of the formation and development of an urban semi-dialect, which became the basis spoken language Austria. Austrians are very proud of the Viennese dialect, and conversations in it can be heard not only in Vienna, but also in any other part of the country. Patriotic residents of Austria call this dialect melodic, beautiful, different from others and believe that it is much more pleasant to hear than literary German. Vienna is the cultural capital of Austria, therefore the Viennese dialect is associated with in good form. It is spoken not only on the streets, but also primarily at various cultural events in the country, events dedicated to art, and scientific summits. The Viennese dialect is distinguished by its tonality and melody. It is based on the German language, but over time it borrowed features from Italian, Hungarian and Polish, which influenced its unusual sound.

What other languages ​​can you hear on the streets of Austrian cities?

As noted above, this country is multinational, and the language of Austria has been formed over many years of its development. Therefore, in different parts of this state they speak not only different dialects, but also different languages. Thus, more than half of the country’s population speaks Hungarian, and a quarter speaks Slovenian. About 20 thousand people communicate in Czech and about the same number use Romani and Slovak in their speech. Besides, in certain parts state you can hear Turkish and Croatian speech. All these languages ​​are recognized official languages minorities, and residents certain areas Austrians are patriotically proud of them and do not use “correct” German in their speech.

It is worth noting that almost every Austrian can speak English quite well. Therefore, if you are planning to visit Austria as a tourist, do not be alarmed: they will understand and help you if you have minimal knowledge of English. In addition, all signs and signs in Austrian cities are in English, and ATMs and ticket machines provide the traveler with the option to select English for service.

Russian speech in Austria

In addition to all the above languages ​​and their dialects, Austria also speaks Russian. True, the Russian-speaking population is very small - only 3%. However, the Russian language in Austria is becoming more and more popular every year. This is not surprising: Austria is very popular among our compatriots. Snow-white ski slopes and healing thermal springs, delicious strudel and flavored coffee, lakes, castles, palaces, Viennese canals - all this attracts Russian tourists to this beautiful country. The Austrian government is doing everything to ensure that our compatriots have a pleasant and comfortable visit. Audio guides in Russian are available in many museums, in almost any store you can buy a guidebook with a Russian translation, and on the streets of Austrian cities you can hear Russian speech from time to time.

In many Austrian schools and higher educational institutions, Russian speech has been introduced as a compulsory subject for study. In some - as an elective, which Austrian students attend with pleasure. Austria is pleased to welcome students from Russia to its universities, who also influence the development of the popularity of our literature in the country. Particular interest in Russian speech is noticeable in the west of Austria in cities that neighboring Slovenian lands.

Communication with local residents

It is difficult to give an unambiguous answer to the question of what language is best for a tourist to use when communicating with Austrians. If you know German, good. But it is not a fact that you will understand Austrian German: the Germans themselves experience a kind of shock when they hear many dialects and an unfamiliar accent. Knowledge of English will play into your hands: this language has been introduced as a compulsory subject in most Austrian schools, so it will not be possible to give directions or say hello labor for the majority local residents. Moreover, all service staff: salespeople in stores, waiters in restaurants and cafes, hotel administrators - use English quite fluently.

If you are planning a trip to Vienna or one of the Austrian ski resorts, you don’t have to worry about the language barrier at all: here you can hear Russian speech everywhere.