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Is Austrian a language?
Austrian is a variety of the German language, meaning that it isn’t its own language—but it isn’t just a regional dialect either. This is similar to how US English is a variety of the English language. There are some notable differences in both vocabulary and grammar between Austrian and standard German, but the Austrian and German languages are still the same language.
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The Austrian German language isn’t a single dialect either. Specifics can vary between different regions of Austria, but there are some characteristics they all have in common.