Germanic languages
The Germanic languages are a group of Indo-European languages. They came from one language, Proto-Germanic, which was first spoken in Scandinavia in the Iron Age. Today, the Germanic languages are spoken by around 515 million people as a first language.[1] English is the most spoken Germanic language, with 360-400 million native speakers.[2]
| Germanic | |
|---|---|
| Teutonic | |
| Geographic distribution: | Principally northern, western and central Europe, the Americas (Anglo-America, Caribbean Netherlands and Suriname), Southern Africa and Oceania |
| Linguistic classification: | Indo-European
|
| Proto-language: | Proto-Germanic |
| Subdivisions: |
East Germanic (extinct)
|
| ISO 639-2 and 639-5: | gem |
 World map showing countries where a Germanic language is the primary or official language Countries where (a) Germanic language(s) is/are the first language(s) of the majority of the population Countries or regions where (a) Germanic language(s) is/are (an) official but not primary language(s) Countries or regions where (a) Germanic language(s) is/are (an) unofficial but recognised/used in some areas of life/spoken among a local minority | |
The Germanic languages are the East Germanic languages (all extinct), the North Germanic languages, and the West Germanic languages.
When Proto-Germanic split from Proto-Indo-European, one of the main changes in the sounds in the language was Grimm’s law.
Germanic Languages Media
Area of the Nordic Bronze Age culture, ca 1200 BC
Germanic languages and main dialect groups
Germanic – Romance language border: • Early Middle Ages • Early Twentieth Century
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References
- ↑ König & van der Auwera (1994).
- ↑ Crystal 2006, pp. 424–426.
Sources
- König, Ekkehard; van der Auwera, Johan (1994). The Germanic languages. London: Routledge.
- Crystal, David (2006). "Chapter 9: English worldwide". In Denison, David; Hogg, Richard M. (eds.). A History of the English Language. Cambridge University Press. pp. 420–439. ISBN 978-0-511-16893-2.
