Germanic Languages: Top 3 Must-Learn After English

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00:01 Introduction
02:09 West Germanic Languages
02:28 German
09:35 Dutch
11:24 West Frisian
12:08 Afrikaans
15:03 Yiddish
17:20 Scots
18:44 Which West Germanic Languages First?
20:18 North Germanic Languages
21:13 Norwegian
23:11 Swedish
24:22 Danish
25:29 Icelandic
26:53 Feroese
28:00 Which Northern Germanic Language First
28:19 Conclusion

Embark on a linguistic voyage with Polyglot Dreams as we delve into the enchanting world of Germanic languages, unlocking secrets to fast-track your mastery. Dive into the depths of this influential language family, from the global lingua franca of English to the captivating nuances of German, Norwegian, Dutch, and Afrikaans. Explore the rich histories, cultural significance, and diverse dialects that paint a vivid picture of Europe's heart and beyond. Whether you're a language enthusiast eager to expand your horizons or a polyglot in the making, this video is your gateway to understanding and learning Germanic languages more efficiently, communicating with a broader audience, and appreciating the intricate tapestry of linguistic heritage that connects us all.

Discover the Germanic language family's vast expanse, from the melodious contours of Swiss German to the streamlined grammar of Afrikaans, the historical depth of Yiddish, and the unique charm of Bavarian and Westphalian dialects. Our journey doesn't stop with the widely recognized languages; we also venture into the realms of Scots, Icelandic, and Faroese, offering insights into the less explored corners of the Germanic linguistic landscape. Join Polyglot Dreams on this educational adventure, enhancing your language skills, cultural understanding, and connection to the global community through the fascinating study of Germanic languages.

🌟 About Tim Keeley:
Tim Keeley, a seasoned professor and language enthusiast, brings four decades of experience living in Japan and mastering multiple Asian languages. His insights provide a roadmap for language learners eager to unlock the synergy among Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese.

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💡More about me:

[czaronero]

It always amazes me how much effort you put on these. It's a privilege be able to watch a class like that for free. Thanks so much!

[RogerRamos]

German, Dutch and Norwegian are definetely in my plans. Learned a bit of the first and dabbled in the second so far.

[hah-vjhc]

As a German, I've been thinking about learning Dutch for sure

[enoczavalareyes]

That's why I'm learning german, cheers from southern Guanajuato Mexico 👍

[austinbyte]

Discovered your channel recently with the same video about the Slavic languages and watched some about Asian, learning German currently and your got it exactly on time, awesome video!

[gerritgovaerts]

The hard g pronounciation in Dutch is a relatively recent "innovation" by the economic elite in Amsterdam to elevate them selves above the rural peasants . It did spread widely through the Netherlands but not to the southern provinces below the big rivers . Flanders also kept the soft g pronounciation until now . Something comparable happened in late classic Greek as spoken in Athens : it's a socio-economical phenomenon

[hansc]

Great video! I’m lucky to have been born in the Netherlands and to have been exposed to English, German and the Flemish dialects from a young age. I aso studied Scandinavian languages and have bunch of colleagues from SA, so I think it is safe to say that I speak and/or understand all Germanic languages.

[minju]

I'm from Vietnam. Thanks for sharing your precious knowledge. Your video is really helpful. I can hear every word that you deliver. Love your pronunciation. Thank you.

[hydrocharis]

Proper Plattdeutsch is pretty moribund and is pretty niche maybe but I think it's extremely fascinating due to its ties with other Germanic languages. It's truly the missing puzzle piece that ties everything together. It very closely resembles Dutch, German and Frisian, but is also close to what English developped from, and the 'middle low Saxon' dialects also very thoroughly influenced the Scandinavian languages, which makes them so different from Icelandic and Faroese.

[paulwalther]

I’m sure the problem is worse in the Netherlands but no matter where I go, people often want to practice their English with me instead of speaking their native language. This drove me nuts in Japan because I was studying Japanese so diligently.

[yuukihoffner]

Thank you so much for your valuable contribution. I am so happy that you mentionned the three standard varieties of the pluricentric language German. These Standardvarietäten, the deutschländisches Hochdeutsch, österreichisches Hochdeutsch and schweizerisches Hochdeutsch are NOT dialects, but standardized varieties, standardized by processes of norm building written down in the Duden dictionary, the Österreichisches Wörterbuch (= dictionary) and the Wörterbuch der deutschen Gegenwartssprache (= contemporary language). Dialects are the locally different "paroles" ( s. Saussure) within these varieties. Sociolects should not be forgotten either, e.g. the difference between a Viennese upper or middle class speaker of Austrian Hochdeutsch compared to a speaker of Wienerisch dialect with a different lexicon, prosody and phonology. In the eastern parts of Austria the intonation is even more melodious than in Switzerland.

[Stinfield]

Hi Tim, about three years ago I first stumbled upon your lecture of 'the making of a hyperpolyglot'. I wanted to let you know what an inspiration you have been to me ever since, as I decided to spice things up a little like you did; see more of the world, and study different languages. After working hard on Spanish in my spare hours during my student life, I travelled South America last year, an amazing and very rewarding experience. Currently I speak Dutch, English, German and Spanish, and I am already working on my fifth language and not planning on quitting any time soon, aspiring to become a polyglot this year. Thank you kindly for sharing your knowledge and experiences with the world, I wish you all the best.

[jboziu]

Theres an interesting germanic language in Polish which is spoken in one town by only 20 people. It's called Wymysorys language or język Wilamowski in Polish. It's a really interesting language blend of Polish and German but unfortunately it may be extinct in near future because there are only 20 native speakers and most of them are elderly.

[herbertbruna]

Very informative. Yiddish btw had also a large influence on the Amsterdam dialect. And also in pronounciation of the New York dialect. In Dutch we still use many Yiddish word without realizing it. Since I'm Dutch I can better understand Afrikaans reading it then listening to it. I subscribe.

[georgeheytem]

very interesting and i’am so glad so watch this amazing video

[Sparkyparky]

Thank you so much for providing very informative and educational videos. I have learned so much about languages watching your videos.

[kwmx]

Cool video! I've subscribed, greetings from Germany.

[multilingual]

I'm Dutch, born in Frysia, so i was always exposed to a lot of Frysian. Grew up with the weststellingswerfs dialect however, which is different. Learned German in school and continued afterwards. Started learning Swedish when i was around 17 and speak it almost fluently. Also dabbled in Norwegian en Danish quite a lot. Icelandic and Faroese always fascinated me, but the resources were limited, but got to pick up quite a bit. I watched a lot of Swiss german and Austrian German material so i got quite familiar with these dialects and i'm able to recognize them quickly. So, i guess i'm quite a well-rounded Germanic speaker. 😄 Studied a lot of other languages as well, which also might help being able to figure out languages quite quickly. I have been struggling with Russian for like 6 years now.. 🫠 Romance languages were doable, but Slavic languages are a bitch when they're not native to you. So far the hardest languages for me to learn (that i gave a go) are Russian, Hungarian, Finnish, Scottish Gaelic and ofc Chinese. I know other languages could be on that list, but i haven't tried those yet. 😇

[adretter]

8:08 is funny, in Bavarian, "Preiß/Preiss" comes actually from the word "Preuße". So she does not say literally: "She is from northern Germany", but: "She is a Prussian".

[shiptj]

As an English speaker, the Romance languages are easier to read and understand, but there is something about the Germanic languages that is special. It's as if a forgotten childhood is speaking to me.