German language is a member of the western group of Germanic languages. German is used not only in Germany but also in Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and other countries within Europe and beyond German cannot be limited to the language of one country. We might, therefore, modify our statement and say that German is the sole language used in Germany and Austria. This, while again true, excludes the important fact that it is also used in other countries, albeit with a different status. In Germany and Austria it is the sole national language, whereas in Switzerland it is used alongside French, Italian and Romansh and in Luxembourg it competes with French and Luxembourgian.