West Central German

West Central German belongs to the Central, High German dialect family in the German language. Its dialects are thoroughly Franconian and comprise the parts of the Rhinelandic continuum located south of the Benrath line isogloss, including the following sub-families:

  • Central Franconian (Mittelfränkisch)
    • Ripuarian (Ripuarisch), spoken in North Rhine-Westphalia (including Kölsch) and German-speaking Belgium
    • Moselle Franconian (Moselfränkisch) in Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and France (francique mosellan)
      • Luxembourgish (Lëtzebuergesch, luxembourgeois) in Luxembourg, Belgium and France (francique luxembourgeois)
  • Rhine Franconian (Rheinfränkisch, francique rhénan)
    • Palatinate Franconian (Pfälzisch, francique palatin), spoken in Rhineland-Palatinate
      • Lorraine Franconian (Lothringisch, francique lorrain) in the French region of Lorraine
      • Bukovina German (Bukowinadeutsch) in Bukovina (extinct)
      • Pennsylvania German (Pennsylvaniadeutsch) in historical communities in North America, especially in Pennsylvania.
    • Hessian (Hessisch) in Hesse and the Rhenish Hesse region of Rhineland-Palatinate
      • North Hessian (Nordhessisch)
      • Central Hessian (Mittelhessisch)
      • East Hessian (Osthessisch)

Apart from West Central German on the southern edge and in south-east Franconian dialects are turning to Upper German. This transition area between Central German and Upper German is captured by the dialect families of South Franconian German and East Franconian German, colloquially miscalled Franconian as dialects of this sub-family are spoken all over Franconia.

West Central German was spoken in several settlements throughout America, for example in the Amana Colonies.

Famous quotes containing the words west, central and/or german:

    “Personality is the glitter that sends your little gleam across the footlights and the orchestra pit into that big black space where the audience is.”
    —Mae West (1892–1980)

    “There has never been in history another such culture as the Western civilization M a culture which has practiced the belief that the physical and social environment of man is subject to rational manipulation and that history is subject to the will and action of man; whereas central to the traditional cultures of the rivals of Western civilization, those of Africa and Asia, is a belief that it is environment that dominates man.”
    —Ishmael Reed (b. 1938)

    “Sometimes, because of its immediacy, television produces a kind of electronic parable. Berlin, for instance, on the day the Wall was opened. Rostropovich was playing his cello by the Wall that no longer cast a shadow, and a million East Berliners were thronging to the West to shop with an allowance given them by West German banks! At that moment the whole world saw how materialism had lost its awesome historic power and become a shopping list.”
    —John Berger (b. 1926)