Language Learning: Lëtzebuergesch

This month we feature the language of Luxembourgish. We feature Luxembourgish this month because our translation department just recently completed a large project that included Luxembourgish and several other more challenging or rare languages.

Luxembourgish is the national language of Luxembourg. It is mainly used in Luxembourg, as well as in some bordering nations, such as Belgium, France, and Germany. As such, Luxembourgish has similarities to the Dutch, French, and German languages. It became the national language of Luxembourg in 1984.

Luxembourgish, French, and German are used in the country’s schools. Most people living in Luxembourg are bilingual or trilingual.

It was mostly only a spoken language up to the 19th century, but has been experiencing a recent revival due to nationality eligibility and social media. According to a recent survey, more than 70 percent of the population of Luxembourg use Luxembourgish in their daily lives.

It is still considered by UNESCO to be a vulnerable language.

Sources: https://luxembourg.public.lu/en/society-and-culture/languages/introduction-letzebuergesch.html, https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/699/ (image), https://www.britannica.com/topic/Luxembourgish-language