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What languages are derived from the German language EXCEPT?

It's important to understand that the concept of "derived from" is a bit nuanced when it comes to languages. Languages don't have a simple parent-child relationship like some other concepts. They evolve over time, influence each other, and sometimes even borrow features from languages unrelated to their original family.

Here's a breakdown of the relationship between German and other languages:

* Direct descendants of German: There are no direct descendants of German, meaning no languages that evolved directly and solely from German.

* Part of the West Germanic Branch: German is part of the West Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family. Other languages in this branch include:

* English

* Dutch

* Frisian

* Yiddish

* Afrikaans

* Low German (Plattdeutsch)

Here's why it's not accurate to say these languages are "derived from" German:

* Shared ancestor: These languages all evolved from a common ancestor (Proto-West Germanic) alongside German, not from German itself.

* Mutual influence: These languages have influenced each other throughout history. English, for example, has borrowed many words from German and vice versa.

* Evolutionary process: Language change is a complex process, not a simple lineage.

Therefore, it's more accurate to say that:

* English, Dutch, Frisian, Yiddish, Afrikaans, and Low German are closely related to German, sharing a common ancestor.

* They have influenced each other over time, but none are directly "derived from" German.

Let me know if you have any other questions about language relationships.

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