österreichische

Österreichische is the feminine singular and the plural form of the German adjective österreichisch, meaning Austrian. It is used to describe nouns related to Austria, or to indicate something of Austrian origin or character. In ordinary use it appears as an attributive adjective before a noun, for example: die österreichische Küche (the Austrian cuisine), die österreichische Musik (the Austrian music), or österreichische Politik (Austrian politics).

As with most German adjectives, österreichisch changes its ending according to gender, case, and number. Common examples include: ein österreichischer Autor (a male Austrian author), eine österreichische Autorin (a female Austrian author), die österreichische Kultur (the Austrian culture), or die österreichischen Dialekte (the Austrian dialects). When used predicatively with verbs like sein or bleiben, the form matches the surrounding grammar, typically appearing as österreichisch in neutral statements about language or traditions, e.g., Die österreichische Sprache wird von vielen Dialekten beeinflusst.

Österreichische is not typically used as a standalone noun. The standard demonyms for people are Österreicher for a man and Österreicherin for a woman. In written and spoken German, österreichisch also appears in compounds and set phrases such as österreichische Kulturpolitik or österreichische Volksmusik.

Etymologically, österreichisch derives from Österreich, the German name for Austria, itself from the historical term Ostarrîchi, formed with the suffix -isch to denote belonging or origin. The term reflects Austria’s national and cultural identity within the German-speaking world.

In summary, österreichische is a versatile Austrian adjective used widely to describe things associated with Austria, with noun forms for people and clear rules for inflection.