Bairisch

Bairisch, often referred to as Bavarian, is a group of closely related German dialects spoken in Bavaria (Germany) and across parts of Austria. It belongs to the Upper German branch of the West Germanic language family and forms a major part of the Bavarian–Austrian dialect continuum. Bairisch is not a single standardized language; it comprises several regional varieties with substantial internal differences in pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar.

Linguistic classification typically divides Bairisch into Northern Bavarian, Central Bavarian and Southern Bavarian, with additional Austro-Bavarian varieties in Austria such as Tyrolean and Viennese. These varieties share many features that distinguish them from Standard German, yet they remain broadly mutually intelligible within the dialect group. Bairisch varieties also coexist with Standard German in education, media and formal discourse, contributing to a pronounced dialect continuum across the region.

Geographically, Bairisch is primarily spoken in Bavaria in Germany and in large parts of Austria (including Tyrol, Salzburg, Upper Austria and Styria). Smaller communities exist among German-speaking minorities in neighboring regions and in South Tyrol, Italy. The dialect’s use ranges from everyday informal speech to local media and literature, though there is no single official orthography for Bairisch; writers typically employ dialect spellings or adapt Standard German spelling for dialect texts.

Historically, Bairisch traces to Old Bavarian and has deep cultural significance in Bavarian identity. In contemporary times, it coexists with Standard German and remains a living, evolving part of the linguistic landscape in the German-speaking Alpine region.