ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Germanic languages

Okay kiddo, let me tell you about Germanic languages in a simple way.

Have you ever heard someone speak German or Dutch or even English? These are all examples of Germanic languages. They all come from a family of languages that originated in Europe, thousands of years ago.

It's like a big family tree, with all the Germanic languages coming from the same place and branching off into different languages over time. Just like how you might have cousins who are related to you, but they may speak a different language or have different traditions.

The Germanic languages have a lot of similarities, like the way they use grammar and some vocabulary. For example, in German and English, you might say "I am" or "I have" in the same way. But in other languages, like French or Italian, they might use a different way to say the same thing.

Overall, Germanic languages are a big group of languages that are similar in some ways, but also have their own unique features. People all over the world speak these languages, and they all help us to communicate with each other in our own special way.