West Germanic dialects are a branch of the Germanic languages, which are part of the larger Indo-European language family. These dialects are primarily spoken in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and parts of Belgium and the Netherlands. They include major languages such as German, Dutch, and English, as well as various regional dialects. The West Germanic dialects can be divided into three main groups: High German, Low German, and Anglo-Frisian. High German is spoken in southern Germany and includes standard German, while Low German is found in northern Germany and the Netherlands. Anglo-Frisian encompasses the dialects that evolved into English and Frisian.