WestGermanic

West Germanic is a branch of the Germanic language family, itself a subdivision of the Indo-European languages. It is spoken primarily in northwestern Europe and includes languages such as English, German, Dutch, Afrikaans, Frisian, and Yiddish. These languages share a common ancestor, Proto-West Germanic, which is believed to have been spoken around the 3rd century CE.

The distinction between West Germanic and other Germanic branches, North Germanic (spoken in Scandinavia) and East Germanic (now extinct, including Gothic), is based on linguistic innovations. West Germanic languages underwent a series of sound changes and grammatical developments that set them apart. For instance, the second Germanic consonant shift played a significant role in differentiating West Germanic from other branches.

Within West Germanic, further subdivisions exist. The languages are often grouped into Anglo-Frisian (English and Frisian), Low German (including Dutch and Afrikaans), and High German. The relationship between these groups is complex and reflects historical migration patterns and contact between different speech communities. While many West Germanic languages have diverged significantly, they still retain a degree of mutual intelligibility, particularly among closely related varieties like Dutch and Afrikaans, or various dialects of German. The study of West Germanic languages is crucial for understanding the history of Europe and the evolution of its languages.