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Western Yiddish is a dialect of the Yiddish language, which is part of the Germanic languages family. It originated in central Europe around the 9th century as a fusion of Semitic (Hebrew and Aramaic) and Germanic elements, with some influence from Romance languages. Western Yiddish was the dominant form during the Old Yiddish period and comprised Southwestern, Midwestern, and Northwestern dialects. It was primarily used in German-speaking areas. By the 16th century, a standardized literary language developed based on Western Yiddish. However, due to assimilation with German and assimilationist movements, Western Yiddish eventually faded into extinction.12

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