page_title: Franconian languages
section_title: Low Franconian
hierarchical_section_title: Franconian languages / Three groups / Low Franconian
context_page_description: Franconian includes a number of West Germanic languages and dialects possibly derived from the languages and dialects originally spoken by the Franks from their ethnogenesis in the 3rd century AD. A famous likely speaker was Emperor Charlemagne. Linguists have different views about whether these languages and dialects have descended from a single Franconian proto-language, also known as Istvaeonic.
  The Franconian languages and dialects consist of three main groups. The first is the Low Franconian branch, which consists of Dutch and Afrikaans as well as of several Low Franconian dialects spoken in the Netherlands and Belgium, where they are considered as dialects of Dutch and Limburgish, and in Germany, where they are considered as dialects of German.
  The second group are the Central- and Rhine Franconian dialects. These Central German dialects are considered as dialects of German in Germany and Belgium, as Luxembourgish in Luxembourg, as Lorraine Franconian in France, and as Kerkraads in the Netherlands. Pennsylvania German has an almost purely Rhine Franconian dialect basis.
context_section_description: Low Franconian, also called Low Frankish, consists of Dutch, Afrikaans, Limburgish, and their dialects, some of which are sometimes seen as regional languages. They are spoken in the Netherlands, Belgium, South Africa, Namibia, the western tip of Germany (in the West German Lower Rhine region, former Duchy of Cleves), the northern tip of France (Westhoek), Suriname, and parts of the Caribbean, as well as in communities in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
  With a total of over 40 million speakers this is the most numerous of the three groups, as well as most spread globally and the only group that has members which are official, national and standard languages.
  Sometimes, Low Franconian is grouped together with Low German rather confusingly as "Low German". However, since this grouping is not based on common linguistic innovations, but rather on the absence of the High German consonant shift and Anglo-Frisian features, modern scholars prefer not to group them together. A transitional zone between Low Franconian and Central Franconian is formed by the so-called Meuse-Rhenish dialects (e.g. Low Dietsch, Bergish, and East Bergish) located in southern Dutch Limburg and in the German Lower Rhine (German: Niederrhein).
  Dutch (West Low Franconian), including Surinamese Dutch, Jersey Dutch (extinct), and Stadsfries
  Brabantian dialect, spoken in North Brabant, in the Belgian provinces of Antwerp and Flemish Brabant as well as in the adjacent areas of Dutch and Belgian Limburg
  South Guelderish, spoken in Gelderland and the adjacent areas in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (Kleverländisch, example: Duisburg Platt), including East Bergish, part of the Meuse-Rhenish transitional dialect group with Ripuarian.
  Pella Dutch dialect in Pella, Iowa, U.S.
  West Flemish, spoken in Zeelandic Flanders and Belgian West Flanders
  French Flemish in French Flanders
  East Flemish, spoken in eastern Zeelandic Flanders, in Belgian East Flanders and in the adjacent areas of West Flanders
  Zeelandic, spoken in Zeeland and adjacent Goeree-Overflakkee
  Hollandic, spoken in North and South Holland
  Limburgish (East Low Franconian), spoken in Dutch and Belgian Limburg, as well as in the adjacent areas of Liège and the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia
  Bergish dialects, spoken only in Germany, part of the Meuse-Rhenish transitional dialect group
  Low Dietsch dialects (Platdiets) in the northeast of the Belgian province of Liège
  Southeast Limburgish dialect, part of the Meuse-Rhenish transitional dialect group
  Afrikaans, spoken in South Africa and Namibia
caption: Low Franconian dialects
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