Elbe Germanic

Elbe Germanic refers to a dialect group of the West Germanic languages that was spoken in the region of the Elbe River. This dialect group is now extinct.12

The Germanic languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family. They are typically divided into three groups: West Germanic (including English, German, and Dutch), North Germanic (including Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian), and East Germanic (now extinct).1

The Elbe River itself is a major waterway in central Europe, flowing from the Czech Republic through Germany to the North Sea. Historically, the area around the Elbe River was settled by various peoples, and in the 12th century, Germans began colonizing lands east of the river.342