Germanic (language group)

[language, geography] LANGUAGE BRANCH GERMANIC Sub-Branch East North Germanic (a.k.a. Scandinavian) West Group Scandinavian branch has two groups Scandinavian branch has two groups Language Gothic (extinct), et al. Old Norse Old High German Modern lang.   Icelandic; Norwegian; Swedish; Danish German; Yiddish; Dutch; English   Frisian: father = heit Language groupings are use fo comparative historical linguistics. The aim of this branch of linguistics is to show relationships between languages and to reconstruct proto-languages (the language used in pre-history that formed the basis for the current languages). The method used for this is the investigation of regular correspondences in the sounds of the central vocabulary. An example of one of these sound correspondences is provided by the following small sample:   Dutch German English Frisian Swedish Danish Norwegian Icelandic vader Vater father (heit) fader fader far fair vier vier four fjouwer fyra fire fire fjórir vol voll full fol full fuld full fullur huis Haus house hûs hus hus hus hús bruin braun brown brún brun brun brun brúnn uit aus out út ut ud ut út muis Maus mouse mûs mus mus mus mús