Germanophone

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. A speaker of German as a first language, especially one living in a region where German is widely used ; describing or relating to such speakers or the areas they inhabit
2. Someone whose mother tongue is German, often one living among other linguistic communities ; of or belonging to the German-speaking population or the territories where German is spoken
3. A native German speaker or inhabitant of a German-speaking area ; characterising the cultures, communities or regions where the German language predominates

Etymology: "Germanophone" is a plain compound, built from "Germano-", a combining form of "German" used in words about Germany or German speakers, and "-phone", from Greek "phōnē", meaning "sound" or "voice." The pattern is the same as "Anglophone" or "Francophone," and the sense is simply a person or community whose language is German, or a region where German is spoken. The word is formed from parts that were each productive in English for a long time, so its meaning follows directly from them. Because it is an adjective as well as a noun, it can describe a country, region or culture ("the Germanophone parts of Switzerland") as well as the people themselves.

Synonyms: German-speaking