West Germanic

noun

1. a subbranch of Germanic that includes English, Frisian, Flemish, Dutch, Plattdeutsch, Yiddish, and German. : WGmc, W. Gmc.

adjective

1. of or relating to this subbranch of Germanic.

West Germanic

noun

1. a subbranch of the Germanic languages that consists of English, Frisian, Dutch, Flemish, Afrikaans, Low German, German, Yiddish, and their associated dialects

Word History and Origins

Origin of West Germanic¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

To translate her into English is to excavate linguistic strata: Panska reads like a Japonic parody of Nordic syntax translated into a West Germanic language.

From New York Times

“Same arrogance of centuries past that did down native Celtic languages for the Germanic import,” he wrote, referring to the English language’s West Germanic roots.

From Seattle Times

Together with English and Frisian, the German language forms part of the West Germanic group of languages.

From Project Gutenberg

A few Latin appellatives learned from the Romans in the German wars had been adopted into the common West Germanic tongue, and are found in English as in the allied dialects.

From Project Gutenberg

These, with High German, constitute the 'West Germanic' branch, as Gothic and the Scandinavian tongues constitute the 'East Germanic' branch, of the Teutonic family.

From Project Gutenberg