page_title: West Central German
hierarchical_section_title: West Central German
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Verbreitungsgbiet des westmitteldeutschen Mundartgebiets.
context_page_description: 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
  Ripuarian, spoken in North Rhine-Westphalia and German-speaking Belgium and a small edge in the south of the Dutch province of Limbourg.
  Moselle Franconian in Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and France
  Luxembourgish in Luxembourg, Belgium and France
  Riograndenser Hunsrückisch, spoken in Brazil and derived from the Hunsrückisch dialect of Moselle Franconian
  Rhine Franconian
  Palatinate Franconian, spoken in Rhineland-Palatinate
  Lorraine Franconian in the French region of Lorraine
  Bukovina German in Bukovina
  Pennsylvania German in historical communities in North America, especially in Pennsylvania.
  Hessian in Hesse and the Rhenish Hesse region of Rhineland-Palatinate
  North Hessian
  Central Hessian
  East Hessian
  Apart from West Central German on the southern edge and in south-east Franconian dialects are turning to Upper German.
context_section_description: West Central German (German: Westmitteldeutsche Dialekte) 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 and a small edge in the south of the Dutch province of Limbourg.
  Moselle Franconian (Moselfränkisch) in Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and France (francique mosellan)
  Luxembourgish (Lëtzebuergesch, luxembourgeois) in Luxembourg, Belgium and France (francique luxembourgeois)
  Riograndenser Hunsrückisch, spoken in Brazil and derived from the Hunsrückisch dialect of Moselle Franconian
  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.
caption: West Central German–language area
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