
The Central German dialects

High German subdivides into Upper German (green) and Central German (blue), and is distinguished from Low German (yellow). The main isoglosses, the Benrath and Speyer lines are marked in black.
'Central German' (in
German: ''Mitteldeutsch'', or rarely ''Zentraldeutsch'') is a group of
High German dialects spread from the
Rhineland to
Thuringia, south of
Low German and
Low Franconian and north of
Upper German. In older books, Central German is sometimes called ''Middle German''.
Central German divides into two subgroups,
West Central German (
Franconian) and
East Central German. Central German is distinguished by having experienced only the first and fourth phases of the
High German consonant shift.
Classification
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West Central German' (''Westmitteldeutsch'')
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Central Franconian' (''Mittelfränkisch'')
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Ripuarian (''Ripuarisch'')
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Moselle Franconian (''Moselfränkisch'')
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Luxembourgish (''Letzebuergesch'')
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Rhine Franconian' (''Rheinfränkisch'')
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Lorraine Franconian (''Lothringisch'')
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Palatinate German (''Pfälzisch'')
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Hessian (''Hessisch'')
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East Central German' (''Ostmitteldeutsch'')
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Berlin-Brandenburgish
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Thuringian (''Thüringisch'')
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Upper Saxon (''Obersächsisch'')
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Silesian (''Schlesisch'')
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High Prussian (''Hochpreußisch'')