West Germanic languages

West Germanic languages

The West Germanic languages constitute the largest of the three branches of the Germanic family of languages (the others being the North Germanic and the extinct East Germanic languages).

Pronunciation

• English: /wɛst dʒɜːrˈmænɪk ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒɪz/
• German: /vɛst dʒɜːrˈmænɪk ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒɪz/

Etymology

The term "West Germanic" is derived from the geographical location of the language group, which is situated in the western part of the Germanic-speaking world, as opposed to the North Germanic and East Germanic branches.

Related Terms

• Germanic languages
• North Germanic languages
• East Germanic languages
• Old English
• Old High German
• Old Saxon
• Old Dutch
• Old Frisian

The West Germanic languages include the following major languages:

• English
• German
• Dutch
• Afrikaans
• Yiddish
• Frisian

The West Germanic languages are characterized by a number of linguistic features, including the use of the verb second (V2) word order, the High German consonant shift, and the development of grammatical gender.

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