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What are the three main branches of the Germanic language family?
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Germanic languages
Distribution of the Germanic languages in Europe.
Scholars typically divide the Germanic language family into three primary branches:1
- West Germanic: This group includes English, German, and Netherlandic (Dutch).1
- North Germanic: This branch comprises Danish, Swedish, Icelandic, Norwegian, and Faroese.1
- East Germanic: This branch is now extinct. It consisted of Gothic and the languages of tribes such as the Vandals and Burgundians.1