Low Franconian Low Franconian, Low Frankish, or Netherlandic is a linguistic category used to classify many historical and contemporary West Germanic varieties closely related to, and including, the
Dutch language (or Netherlandish). Most dialects and languages included within the category are spoken in the
Netherlands, northern
Belgium (
Flanders), in the
Nord department of
France, in western Germany (
Lower Rhine), as well as in
Suriname,
South Africa, and
Namibia.
Middle or Central Franconian The
Central Franconian dialects are spoken in the German states of South-Western
North Rhine-Westphalia, most of
Rhineland-Palatinate,
Saarland, the bordering French
Moselle department, and in
Luxembourg, as well as by the
Transylvanian Saxons in
Romania.
Rhine Franconian The Rhine Franconian dialects are spoken in the German states of
Rhineland-Palatinate,
Saarland, northern
Baden-Württemberg, southern
Hesse, northern
Bavaria, in the bordering French
Moselle department, as well as by the
Pennsylvania Dutch in
North America.
East Franconian The East Franconian dialects are transitional dialects between
Central- and
Upper German. The East Franconian dialect branch is one of the most spoken dialect branches in Germany. These dialects are mainly spoken in the region of
Franconia. Franconia consists of the
Bavarian districts of
Upper-,
Middle-, and
Lower Franconia, the region of
South Thuringia (
Thuringia), and the eastern parts of the region of
Heilbronn-Franken (
Tauber Franconia and Hohenlohe) in
Baden-Württemberg. The easternmost Franconian-speaking areas are the
Saxon parts of
Vogtland, in whose central parts East Franconian (Core
Vogtlandian), and in whose eastern parts transitional dialects (North Vogtlandian and Southeast Vogtlandian) are spoken. The East Franconian dialects are the only Franconian dialects that are referred to as "Franconian" by their speakers. It is called
Fränkisch (
Standard High German) or
Fränggisch (East Franconian) by its speakers, though this is due to the region of
Franconia where the dialect is spoken. Only the speakers in Saxon Vogtland refer to their dialects as "Vogtlandian" rather than "Franconian". The largest cities in the East Franconian dialect area are
Nuremberg and
Würzburg.
South Franconian South Franconian is mainly spoken in northern Baden-Württemberg in Germany, but also in the northeasternmost part of the region of
Alsace in France. While these dialects are considered as dialects of German in Baden-Württemberg, they are considered as dialects of Alsatian in Alsace (the other dialects in Alsace are either
Alemannic or Rhine Franconian). The South Franconian dialects are colloquially referred to by their speakers as "Badian" in the
Badian parts, and as "Unterländisch" (the Unterland being the region around Heilbronn) or "Swabian" (because of strong influences from the capital
Stuttgart, where
Swabian dialects are spoken) in the
Württembergian parts of Baden-Württemberg. The largest cities in the South Franconian dialect area are
Karlsruhe and
Heilbronn. ==See also==