Languages of Luxembourg
Encyclopedia
The linguistic situation in Luxembourg
is characterised by the practice and the recognition of three official languages: French
and German
and the national language Luxembourgish
established in law in 1984. These three languages are also referred to as the three administrative languages.
Upon the country's founding, French enjoyed the greatest prestige, and therefore gained preferential use as the official and administrative language. German was used in the political field to comment on the laws and the ordinances in order to make them comprehensible to everyone. At the primary-school level, teaching was limited to German, while French was taught in secondary education. The law of July 26, 1843 reinforced bilingualism by introducing the teaching of French in primary school.
Luxembourgish (Lëtzebuergesch), a Franconian
language of the Moselle
region similar to German
and Dutch
, was introduced in primary school in 1912. It is a Mosel-Frankish dialect like the dialects in Germany bordering Luxembourg. Unlike its German counterparts it is enriched with French vocabulary and deemed to be a national language rather than a German dialect.
The first printed sentences in Luxembourgish appeared in 1821 in a weekly journal the Luxemburger Wochenblatt. The first book in Luxembourgish was released in 1829 by Antoine Meyer
: E' Schrek ob de' Lezeburger Parnassus. Until the 1980s, the language had been used mainly for poetry and drama but has since become increasingly popular for fiction which now represents a significant contribution to Luxembourg literature. Between 2000 and 2002, the Luxembourgish linguist Jerome Lulling
developed a lexical database of 125,000 word forms for the very first Luxembourgish spellchecker, thus launching the computerisation of the Luxembourgish language.
The constitutional revision of 1984 gave the legislature the power to regulate the language by law. On February 24, 1984, a law, passed by the constitutional chamber, made Luxemburgish the national language. Furthermore, this law recognised the three languages of Luxembourg (Luxembourgish, French and German) as administrative languages. French remains the language of legislation, due to the application of the Napoleonic civil code
in Luxembourg.
, which was not involved in devising the German orthography reform of 1996, is not part of the Rat für deutsche Rechtschreibung
(Council for German Orthography). The government of Luxembourg unilaterally adopted the reform and, due to its efficiency, it is well-accepted by the country's teachers. According to the duchy's largest newspaper, the Luxemburger Wort, Luxembourg does not perceive itself as a "German-speaking country" (the only national language is Luxembourgish) and thus had no right to take part in the council. However, it is interesting to note that Luxembourg does participate in the Francophonie and has members in the Académie française
on the other hand, despite French
being only an official language as well. This might be due to the fact that Francophonie as an organisation seeks to promote the use of the French language around the world, rather than regulate it, and thus has many members that are not French-speaking, such as Romania.
and either Latin
, Spanish
or Italian
are taught. At the university level, multilingualism
makes it possible for Luxembourgish students to continue their higher education in French, German or English-speaking countries.
, Italian
, Polish
, Turkish
and Arabic
.
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
is characterised by the practice and the recognition of three official languages: French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and the national language Luxembourgish
Luxembourgish language
Luxembourgish is a High German language spoken mainly in Luxembourg. About 320,000 people worldwide speak Luxembourgish.-Language family:...
established in law in 1984. These three languages are also referred to as the three administrative languages.
Upon the country's founding, French enjoyed the greatest prestige, and therefore gained preferential use as the official and administrative language. German was used in the political field to comment on the laws and the ordinances in order to make them comprehensible to everyone. At the primary-school level, teaching was limited to German, while French was taught in secondary education. The law of July 26, 1843 reinforced bilingualism by introducing the teaching of French in primary school.
Luxembourgish
Franconian languages
Franconian refers to a West Germanic dialect continuum spoken in the Rhineland, including Dutch at one end and all the transitional dialects between Dutch and standard German which do not fully participate in the High German consonant shift or German diphthongization of long vowels...
language of the Moselle
Moselle
Moselle is a department in the east of France named after the river Moselle.- History :Moselle is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
region similar to German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, was introduced in primary school in 1912. It is a Mosel-Frankish dialect like the dialects in Germany bordering Luxembourg. Unlike its German counterparts it is enriched with French vocabulary and deemed to be a national language rather than a German dialect.
The first printed sentences in Luxembourgish appeared in 1821 in a weekly journal the Luxemburger Wochenblatt. The first book in Luxembourgish was released in 1829 by Antoine Meyer
Antoine Meyer
Antoine Meyer, also known as Antun or Tun Meyer was a Luxembourg-born mathematician and poet who later adopted Belgian nationality...
: E' Schrek ob de' Lezeburger Parnassus. Until the 1980s, the language had been used mainly for poetry and drama but has since become increasingly popular for fiction which now represents a significant contribution to Luxembourg literature. Between 2000 and 2002, the Luxembourgish linguist Jerome Lulling
Jerome Lulling
Jérôme Lulling is a linguist from Luxembourg who has been a leading figure in preservation and educational efforts relating to the Luxembourgish language, a Germanic language that became one of Luxembourg’s three official languages in 1984 and spoken by 300,000 persons.Lulling’s initial...
developed a lexical database of 125,000 word forms for the very first Luxembourgish spellchecker, thus launching the computerisation of the Luxembourgish language.
Constitutional revision
Until 1984, the official use of the languages was based on the grand-ducal decrees of 1830, 1832 and 1834, which allowed the free choice between German and French. French was preferred in the administration. Luxembourgish had no official status at all.The constitutional revision of 1984 gave the legislature the power to regulate the language by law. On February 24, 1984, a law, passed by the constitutional chamber, made Luxemburgish the national language. Furthermore, this law recognised the three languages of Luxembourg (Luxembourgish, French and German) as administrative languages. French remains the language of legislation, due to the application of the Napoleonic civil code
Napoleonic code
The Napoleonic Code — or Code Napoléon — is the French civil code, established under Napoléon I in 1804. The code forbade privileges based on birth, allowed freedom of religion, and specified that government jobs go to the most qualified...
in Luxembourg.
Participation in German and French language councils
Despite having German as one of its official languages, LuxembourgLuxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, which was not involved in devising the German orthography reform of 1996, is not part of the Rat für deutsche Rechtschreibung
Rat für deutsche Rechtschreibung
The Rat für deutsche Rechtschreibung , or RdR, is the main international body regulating the German language.With its seat being in Mannheim, Germany, the RdR was formed in 2004 as a successor to the Zwischenstaatliche Kommission für deutsche Rechtschreibung in order to comprise proponents as well...
(Council for German Orthography). The government of Luxembourg unilaterally adopted the reform and, due to its efficiency, it is well-accepted by the country's teachers. According to the duchy's largest newspaper, the Luxemburger Wort, Luxembourg does not perceive itself as a "German-speaking country" (the only national language is Luxembourgish) and thus had no right to take part in the council. However, it is interesting to note that Luxembourg does participate in the Francophonie and has members in the Académie française
Académie française
L'Académie française , also called the French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. The Académie was officially established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII. Suppressed in 1793 during the French Revolution,...
on the other hand, despite French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
being only an official language as well. This might be due to the fact that Francophonie as an organisation seeks to promote the use of the French language around the world, rather than regulate it, and thus has many members that are not French-speaking, such as Romania.
Education
Luxembourgish is taught at pre-primary level, in schools after French and German. Moreover, Luxembourgish is taught only one hour per week at secondary school and only in the first years. In secondary school, besides German, French and Luxembourgish, EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and either Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
or Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
are taught. At the university level, multilingualism
Multilingualism
Multilingualism is the act of using, or promoting the use of, multiple languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. Multilingualism is becoming a social phenomenon governed by the needs of...
makes it possible for Luxembourgish students to continue their higher education in French, German or English-speaking countries.
Press, police, public services
German is the primary language of the press and is used for recording police case files. Public service information is in French and German.Other languages
Foreign-born persons and guest workers make up more than a third (40%) of the population of Luxembourg. The most common languages spoken by them are PortuguesePortuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
, Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
and Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
.
Statistics
The following table lists the percentage of inhabitants who are able to speak a language natively or as a second language.| Luxembourgish | French | German | English | |
| Native language | 77% | 6% | 4% | 1% |
| Second language | 13% | 90% | 88% | 60% |
| Combined | 90% | 96% | 92% | 61% |