Which regions did the earliest West Germanic dialects develop in?
The earliest West Germanic dialects developed from the fragmentation of Northwest Germanic, a linguistic continuum that encompassed territory from Scandinavia southward across much of Germany and the Low Countries.1
During the 3rd to 6th centuries CE, this region split into three major dialect divisions:
* North Sea Germanic: Developed in Jutland and the northwest of Germany.1
* South Germanic: Developed in central Germany.1
* North Germanic: Developed in Scandinavia.1
The term West Germanic is used to recognize the strong linguistic affinities between North Sea Germanic and South Germanic, which shared several developments not found in North Germanic. North Sea Germanic served as a transitional dialect and a center of innovation, while transitional dialects—such as those that may be reflected in the Old Saxon language—likely existed between the North Sea and South Germanic groups.1