Texas German
Encyclopedia
Texas German is a dialect of the German language
that is spoken by descendants of German immigrants
who settled in the Texas Hill Country
region in the mid-19th century. These immigrants founded the towns of New Braunfels
, Fredericksburg
, Boerne
, Schulenburg
, Weimar
, Walburg, and Comfort
. Most German Texan
s continued to speak German in their homes and communities, but were required to learn English when Texas education rules mandated English-only instruction during and after World War I
. Due to the growth of these communities and cultural bias
during World War I
and World War II
, Texas German speakers drifted towards English, and few passed the language to their descendants.
The dialect is near extinction
, as it is now spoken almost exclusively by a few elderly German Texan
s. Currently, Dr. Hans Boas at the University of Texas
is recording and studying the dialect, building on research originally performed by Dr. Glenn Gilbert, Southern Illinois University
Carbondale
, in the 1960s.
Some 1,035 people report speaking German at home in Fredericksburg
, the town with the largest community of Texas German speakers, where they constitute 12.48% of the total population, 840 in New Braunfels
, 150 in Schulenburg, 85 in Stonewall
70 in Boerne, 65 in Harper
, 45 in Comfort
and 19 in Weimar
, all of which except Weimar lie in the traditional Texas German heartland of the Hill Country. Gillespie County, with the communities of Fredericksburg, Harper, Stonewall and Luckenbach, has a German-speaking population of 2,270, 11.51% of the county's total population. 82,100 German-speakers reside in the state of Texas, but most of those are probably not Texas German speakers.
in Standard German.
Refer to the table below for some examples of differences:
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....
that is spoken by descendants of German immigrants
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
who settled in the Texas Hill Country
Texas Hill Country
The Texas Hill Country is a vernacular term applied to a region of Central Texas featuring tall rugged hills consisting of thin layers of soil atop limestone or granite. It also includes the Llano Uplift and the second largest granite monadnock in the United States, Enchanted Rock, which is located...
region in the mid-19th century. These immigrants founded the towns of New Braunfels
New Braunfels, Texas
New Braunfels is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas that is a principal city of the metropolitan area. Braunfels means "brown rock" in German; the city is named for Braunfels, in Germany. The city's population was 57,740 as of the 2010 census, up 58% from the 2000...
, Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg, Texas
Fredericksburg is the seat of Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census estimate, the city had a population of 10, 530...
, Boerne
Boerne, Texas
Boerne is a city in the Hill Country of Texas in the United States. It is the county seat of Kendall County. Boerne was named in honor of Ludwig Börne, a Jewish German author and publicist, and its population was 10, 471 in the 2010 census. The city is noted for the landmark U.S. Supreme Court...
, Schulenburg
Schulenburg, Texas
Schulenburg is a city in Fayette County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,699 at the 2000 census.Known for its German culture, Schulenburg is home of the Texas Polka Music Museum.-Geography:Schulenburg is located at ....
, Weimar
Weimar, Texas
Weimar is a city in Colorado County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,981 at the 2000 census.In 1873 the town was founded as Jackson, but subsequently called Weimar in tribute to the German city of Weimar....
, Walburg, and Comfort
Comfort, Texas
Comfort is a census-designated place in Kendall County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,363 at the 2010 census. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. Most German Texan
German Texan
German Texan is an ethnic category that includes residents of the state of Texas with German ancestry who identify with the term. This identification may include cultural agreements—German language, German cuisine, feasts, music, hard work, frugality, and close family ties. From their first...
s continued to speak German in their homes and communities, but were required to learn English when Texas education rules mandated English-only instruction during and after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Due to the growth of these communities and cultural bias
Cultural bias
Cultural bias is the phenomenon of interpreting and judging phenomena by standards inherent to one's own culture. The phenomenon is sometimes considered a problem central to social and human sciences, such as economics, psychology, anthropology, and sociology...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Texas German speakers drifted towards English, and few passed the language to their descendants.
The dialect is near extinction
Endangered language
An endangered language is a language that is at risk of falling out of use. If it loses all its native speakers, it becomes a dead language. If eventually no one speaks the language at all it becomes an "extinct language"....
, as it is now spoken almost exclusively by a few elderly German Texan
German Texan
German Texan is an ethnic category that includes residents of the state of Texas with German ancestry who identify with the term. This identification may include cultural agreements—German language, German cuisine, feasts, music, hard work, frugality, and close family ties. From their first...
s. Currently, Dr. Hans Boas at the University of Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
is recording and studying the dialect, building on research originally performed by Dr. Glenn Gilbert, Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University is a state university system based in Carbondale, Illinois, in the Southern Illinois region of the state, with multiple campuses...
Carbondale
Carbondale
Carbondale may refer to:*Carbondale, California*Carbondale, Colorado*Carbondale, Illinois*Carbondale, Indiana*Carbondale, Kansas*Carbondale, Ohio*Carbondale, Oklahoma, an area in Tulsa, Oklahoma*Carbondale, Pennsylvania...
, in the 1960s.
Current distribution and population
Fredericksburg, Texas
Fredericksburg is the seat of Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census estimate, the city had a population of 10, 530...
, the town with the largest community of Texas German speakers, where they constitute 12.48% of the total population, 840 in New Braunfels
New Braunfels, Texas
New Braunfels is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas that is a principal city of the metropolitan area. Braunfels means "brown rock" in German; the city is named for Braunfels, in Germany. The city's population was 57,740 as of the 2010 census, up 58% from the 2000...
, 150 in Schulenburg, 85 in Stonewall
Stonewall, Texas
Stonewall is a census-designated place in Gillespie County, Texas, United States. The population was 469 at the 2000 census. It was named for Thomas J. Jackson, by Israel P. Nunez, who established a stage station near the site in 1870....
70 in Boerne, 65 in Harper
Harper, Texas
Harper is a census-designated place , located west of Fredericksburg on U.S. Highway 290, in Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 1,192 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Harper is located at...
, 45 in Comfort
Comfort, Texas
Comfort is a census-designated place in Kendall County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,363 at the 2010 census. It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
and 19 in Weimar
Weimar, Texas
Weimar is a city in Colorado County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,981 at the 2000 census.In 1873 the town was founded as Jackson, but subsequently called Weimar in tribute to the German city of Weimar....
, all of which except Weimar lie in the traditional Texas German heartland of the Hill Country. Gillespie County, with the communities of Fredericksburg, Harper, Stonewall and Luckenbach, has a German-speaking population of 2,270, 11.51% of the county's total population. 82,100 German-speakers reside in the state of Texas, but most of those are probably not Texas German speakers.
Comparisons with German and English
Texas German is intelligible to anyone with an understanding of continental German, though it adapted to U.S. measurement and legal terminologies. German words were invented or English was "Germanicized" for words not present in 19th century German. In some cases, these new words also exist in modern Standard German, but with a different meaning. The word Luftschiff (see below), for instance, means airshipAirship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
in Standard German.
Refer to the table below for some examples of differences:
| Texas German | Literal translation | Standard 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.... | English English 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... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stinkkatze | Stinkcat | Stinktier | skunk |
| Luftschiff | Airship | Flugzeug | airplane |
| County | County | Kreis | county |
| Blanket | Blanket | Decke | blanket |
| all | empty/gone | leer/alle | gone |
See also
- Pennsylvania GermanPennsylvania German languageThe Pennsylvania German language is a variety of West Central German possibly spoken by more than 250,000 people in North America...
- PlautdietschPlautdietschPlautdietsch, or Mennonite Low German, was originally a Low Prussian variety of East Low German, with Dutch influence, that developed in the 16th and 17th centuries in the Vistula delta area of Royal Prussia, today Polish territory. The word is another pronunciation of Plattdeutsch, or Low German...
- Hutterite GermanHutterite GermanHutterite German is an Upper German dialect of the Austro-Bavarian variety of the German language, which is spoken by Hutterite communities in Canada and the United States...