WestSüdslawisch

WestSüdslawisch is not an established term in comparative linguistics. In practice, scholars distinguish three primary branches of the Slavic language family: West Slavic, South Slavic and East Slavic. The compound form would be a shorthand or umbrella label for combining West Slavic and South Slavic languages, but it is not widely used as a formal language group. When encountered, it is usually clarified as a nonstandard grouping rather than a formal taxonomic category.

West Slavic languages include Polish, Czech, Slovak, Kashubian, Silesian and the Sorbian languages (Upper and Lower Sorbian). South Slavic languages cover Slovenian, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Montenegrin, Macedonian and Bulgarian, among others. The West and South branches together form the bulk of Slavic languages spoken in Central and Southeast Europe.

Proto-Slavic split into West, South and East branches in the early stages of the linguistic record. West Slavic and South Slavic share some historical developments not found in East Slavic alone, but they also show substantial internal diversity. Dialectal variation within the two branches is extensive, and standard languages often standardize multiple dialects.

Scripts vary: many West Slavic languages use Latin script, while South Slavic languages use both Latin and Cyrillic scripts. The term WestSüdslawisch remains uncommon and is mainly of informal or pedagogical use rather than a formal linguistic designation. See also West Slavic, South Slavic, East Slavic, Proto-Slavic.