Alemannic Dialects
The Alemannic dialects are a group of Germanic dialects spoken in parts of Austria. They are closely related to Swiss German and Low Alemannic and are sometimes referred to as Austrian German. There are three main Alemannic dialects spoken in Austria: Upper Alemannic, Central Alemannic, and Lower Alemannic.
Upper Alemannic is spoken in the northwesternmost part of Austria, in the Vorarlberg region. It is also spoken in parts of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Central Alemannic is spoken in the Tyrol region of Austria, as well as in parts of Switzerland, Italy, and Germany. Lower Alemannic is spoken in the southernmost part of Austria, in the state of Styria.
The Alemannic dialects are characterized by certain features of pronunciation and grammar. For example, they tend to use the dative case more often than other Germanic dialects, and they have a distinctive way of forming the plural of specific nouns. Alemannic dialects also have several unique words and phrases.
The Alemannic dialects are an essential part of Austrian culture. They are spoken by a significant minority of the population and are used in regional television and radio broadcasts. They are also taught in some schools. Within the country, there are also distinct differences in regional dialects.
Other Major Unofficial Languages are spoken in Austria.
There are many languages spoken in Austria, in addition to the official language of German. These include various dialects of the German language, as well as other languages such as English, Serbian, Turkish, Slovene, Croatian, and Hungarian.
Slovene
One of the most common languages spoken in Austria, in addition to German, is Slovene. This language is spoken by around 2% of the population, primarily in the southeastern region of the country. The Slovene language is spoken in Austria by a minority of the people. There are approximately 36,000 Slovene speakers in Austria, representing around 0.5% of the total population. The vast majority of Slovene speakers in Austria live in Carinthia, making up around 2% of the population.
The Slovene language is one of the 24 official languages of the European Union and is therefore protected under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In Austria, the Slovene language is used in education, the media, and in some public institutions.
There are three main dialects of Slovene spoken in Austria: Carinthian, Littoral, and Upper Carniolan. The Carinthian dialect is the most widely spoken in Austria, followed by the Littoral dialect. The Upper Carniolan dialect is spoken by a smaller number of people and is mainly found in the province of Carinthia.