Find the Germanic Languages Trivia Quiz

Answer:

English is the official language in 58 sovereign states and anywhere between 49 and 67 places including non-sovereign territories, depending on the source. It is a Germanic Language, having evolved from several West Germanic dialects spoken by the Anglo-Saxons who migrated to Britain in the 5c. It was influenced by Old Norse, Old French, and Latin.

German is an official language in 6 countries and is recognized in several specific regions in Europe. It evolved from Proto-Germanic, the common ancestor of all Germanic languages. It was influenced by Latin, French, and English. It is most closely related to Afrikaans, Dutch, Frisian, and English.

Dutch is the official language of 6 sovereign countries and a handful of European/South American unions. It is a West Germanic language, which evolved from Old Frankish dialects and is closely related to English and German, however its closest relative is Afrikaans. Dutch has been influenced by several languages including Flemish, Brabantian, Hollandic, Low Saxon, Frankish, Frisian, French, English, German and Indonesian.

Frisian is not an official language in any country, however it enjoys official status as a minority language in Germany and the Netherlands. It evolved from the West Germanic Language branch, sharing a common ancestor with Old English and Old Saxon. Frisian is closely related to English and has been heavily influenced by Dutch.

Afrikaans is an official language in only one country, South Africa, where it is one of 12 official languages. It evolved mainly from 17c Dutch and developing into a distinct West Germanic language through simplifying Dutch grammar and vocabulary as well as taking elements of Portuguese, Khoisan, Malay and other European languages. It is considered to be a daughter language of Dutch and is mutually intelligible although they are separate languages.

The Scots language is not an official language of any one country but is one of Scotland's three recognized indigenous languages (alongside English and Scottish Gaelic). It evolved from Germanic dialects brought by the Angles and Norse settlers in Scotland. Scots was influenced by Germanic languages, Norse, Celtic as well as Romance languages. It is related to English but has its own unique influences.

Swedish is an official language in Sweden and Finland where it shares official status with Finnish. It is also the sole official language of Finland's autonomous Åland Islands. Swedish evolved from Old Norse which was the common language of Scandinavia during the Viking Era. It was influenced by Middle Low German, Latin, and French, with extensive tech and pop culture vocabulary from English.

Danish is an official language in Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. It evolved from Old Norse, the Viking Era language. It was influenced by Low German, Latin, Dutch, French, and English. As a North Germanic language, it is closely related to Norwegian and Swedish.

Norwegian is the official language of Norway where it shares official status with the Sami languages. It evolved from Old Norse and is closely related to Swedish and Danish, in fact they can usually understand each other (a dialect continuum). Norwegian is also related to Faroese and Icelandic, and loosely related to German and English.

Faroese is the official language of the Faroe Islands where it shares its status with Danish. It is a North Germanic language, and it evolved from Old West Norse; and was influenced by Danish and Celtic languages. Faroese is related to Icelandic and West Norwegian, both of which evolved from the same language.