Upper German

noun

One of two major dialect groups of the High German language; spoken primarily in southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Alsace, and South Tyrol; distinguished from Central German / Middle German (= Mitteldeutsch) by the shifts of Proto-Germanic *-pp-, *-mp- to -pf-, -mpf-.

OriginGerman Oberdeutsch, oberdeutsch →
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Meanings

nounUpper German (uncountable)
  1. uncountableOne of two major dialect groups of the High German language; spoken primarily in southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Alsace, and South Tyrol; distinguished from Central German / Middle German (= Mitteldeutsch) by the shifts of Proto-Germanic *-pp-, *-mp- to -pf-, -mpf-.
adjectiveUpper German (not comparable)
  1. not comparableof the Upper German dialects

Origin

  1. GermanOberdeutsch, oberdeutsch
  2. EnglishUpper German

Calque of German Oberdeutsch, oberdeutsch

More words from German

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 上部德語 /上部德语
  • 上部德語 /上部德语 (shàngbù Déyǔ)language
German Oberdeutsch, oberdeutsch
  • Oberdeutschlanguage
  • oberdeutschrelating to Upper German
Polish dialekt górnoniemiecki, górnoniemiecki
  • dialekt górnoniemieckilanguage
  • górnoniemieckirelating to Upper German
Russian южнонемецкий диалект, южнонемецкий
  • южнонемецкий диалект (južnonemeckij dialekt)language
  • южнонемецкий (južnonemeckij)relating to Upper German
Cite this entry
APA

Upper German. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Upper%20German

MLA

“Upper German.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Upper%20German. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Upper German,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Upper%20German.

Source: Upper German on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.