East Franconian German facts for kids
Quick facts for kids East Franconian |
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| Ostfränkisch | |
| Native to | Germany (Bavaria, Thuringia, Saxony, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse) |
| Native speakers | 4,900,000 (2006)e18 |
| Language family |
Indo-European
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| Writing system | Latin (German alphabet) |
| Linguasphere | 52-ACB-dj |
1: East Franconian
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East Franconian (called Ostfränkisch in German) is a special way of speaking German. It's a dialect, which means it's a regional variety of a language. You'll hear it mostly in Franconia, a northern part of Bavaria in Germany. People also speak it in other areas around cities like Nuremberg, Bamberg, and Würzburg.
This dialect is sometimes just called "Franconian." It has different main types, like Unterostfränkisch, Oberostfränkisch, and Südostfränkisch. These are spoken in different parts of the region, like Lower Franconia and Upper Franconia.
East Franconian is interesting because it mixes features from two other German dialect groups: Central German and Upper German. It's spoken in an area where different dialects meet. This makes it unique, as it shares sounds and words with both.
It's one of the German dialects with a large number of speakers. However, exactly where it starts and ends can be a bit tricky to define. This is because it blends into neighboring dialects. For example, it mixes with Bavarian in the south and Rhine Franconian in the west.
Experts at the "Fränkisches Wörterbuch" project in Fürth study East Franconian. This project is run by the Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften and Erlangen-Nuremberg University. They work to understand and record this unique dialect.
Different Ways to Group East Franconian
People who study languages often group dialects in different ways. For East Franconian, there are a few main ideas about how its smaller parts fit together.
One way to look at it divides East Franconian into three main sub-dialects:
- Oberostfränkisch (Upper East Franconian): Spoken in areas like Würzburg, Regnitz, and Bayreuth.
- Unterostfränkisch (Lower East Franconian): Heard in places like the Würzburg area and near Coburg.
- Südostfränkisch (South East Franconian): Spoken in parts of Middle Franconia and Hohenlohe.
Another way to group them is simpler, with two main sub-dialects:
- Unterostfränkisch (Lower East Franconian): Found in Lower Franconia and the Coburg and Henneberg areas.
- Oberostfränkisch (Upper East Franconian): Spoken in Upper and Middle Franconia.
These different ways of grouping show how rich and varied the East Franconian dialect is. Each sub-dialect has its own special features.
See also
