When I began my study of German
I had no idea that the German we hear today
is actually a standardized form of the language
which has been shaped by linguistic changes
historical events, and cultural influences over the centuries
Standard German is actually a combination of different dialects
In this video, I will guide you through the fascinating story
of the development of the German language
It was a long and ongoing journey to shape and standardize German
and despite numerous historical events
the language flourished through the efforts of
authors, writers, translators
eventually becoming the German we know today
Before we delve into the details
let's briefly outline the stages of the German language
It underwent five distinct stages on its path
to becoming the language we know today
Proto-Germanic Language
Old High German: 700 A.D. or 600 A.D. to the 11th Century
Middle High German: 1050 - 1350 AD
Early New High German: 1350 - 1600 AD
New High German: 1600 - to the present time
The term "Proto-Germanic" refers to the reconstructed
ancestral language from which the Germanic family of languages descended
It is believed to have been spoken around the first millennium
Proto-Germanic is a branch of the broader
Indo-European language family
Unfortunately, due to the scarcity of historical relics
little is known about the early nature of the Germanic language
Linguists have attempted to reconstruct this ancient language
through comparisons and analyses of various Germanic languages
While the early Germanic language was not written down
it was transmitted orally through migrations and tribal movements
Nevertheless, traces of the language spoken in those times
can be found in artifacts
such as weapons, jewelry, tombstones, stories, and songs
left behind by early Germanic tribes
During this period
people in the German-speaking areas of Europe
spoke various dialects that are collectively referred to as Old High German
This period corresponds with the early Middle Ages
and the time of the Frankish Empire
under the rule of Charlemagne and his successors
Old High German is a collective term for the earliest West Germanic dialects
and is the earliest stage of the German language
that has considerable written records
The term "High" refers to dialects spoken in the higher
or more mountainous and southern regions
of Germany of Austria, and Switzerland
These Old High German dialects were not standardized and varied by region
Despite the many dialects spoken during this time
Latin was the dominant-written language for most official and religious matters
Old High German was studied through ancient manuscripts
preserved in various monasteries of the time
including St. Gallen, Reichenau, and Regensburg
These linguistic artifacts were discovered in Old Saxon
a dialect of Old German, which exhibited clear similarities to German
One of the most important artifacts related to Old Saxon
is a poetic Regensburg manuscript from the 9th to 10th centuries
about the life of Christ
named "Der Heliand" ("savior" in English)
which was written by a monk or student of the Fulda monastery
It describes the details of missionary work
and shows lexical similarities to modern-day German
Vocabulary such as "so," "liebe" (love), "gode" (god)
and the letter "ä" began to resemble the German words we know today
During the Middle High German period
people in the German-speaking regions of Europe
spoke various dialects that collectively fall under the umbrella
of Middle High German
This period is significant for the development of the German language
as it saw a flourishing of German literature
and the further development of regional dialects
The Holy Roman Empire was a multi-ethnic complex
of territories in Western and Central Europe
Latin continued to be the language of learning
scholarship, and the Church
and so would have been known by the educated classes
It's important to understand that there was not just one standardized
"Middle High German" language that everyone spoke
Rather, there were numerous regional dialects
and the boundaries between them were fluid
Nevertheless, despite this regional diversity
certain dialects gained prestige
And became the basis for written literature
Most notably, the "courtly" dialect
used in the famous Middle High German epic "Nibelungenlied"
as were the works of notable authors like
Walther von der Vogelweide and Hartmann von Aue
The works of these authors give us an insight
into the life and culture of the time
Myths and legends from the Germanic past
were written down in poetic forms
with borrowings in the "language of the Knighthood"
Influenced by French loanwords
The Early New High German period
encompasses the Late Middle Ages and the Renaissance in Europe
This was a time of significant cultural and intellectual changes
Humanism emerged during the Renaissance
leading to a revival in the study of ancient Greek and Roman texts
and the exploration of new ideas in science philosophy, and art
These developments greatly influenced
the language and literature of the time
This period saw significant linguistic changes
that led to the development of modern German
Key features of Early New High German include:
1.
Simplification of the grammatical system
The case system became less complex
And declensions were simplified compared to Middle High German
Phonological changes
Pronunciation underwent shifts
including changes in vowel sounds
and the emergence of new consonant sounds
One of the most important events of this period
was the Protestant Reformation
initiated by Martin Luther in 1517
Luther translated the Bible into vernacular German
Luther was born and raised in the region of Saxony
in what is now central Germany
and his native dialect was an East Central German dialect
However, for his Bible translation, he didn't strictly use his local dialect
Instead, Luther chose to use a version of German
that would be understood by people in the many
different regions of the Holy Roman Empire
He utilized the 'chancellery language
(Kanzleisprache) used in the Saxon courts
which was based on a mix of East Central and Upper German dialects
This chancellery language was already serving as a kind of
lingua franca among the educated and literate of the time
Furthermore, Luther's work was not just a direct translation from the original texts
And he also strove to make the language approachable
and relatable to common people
He is said to have "listened to the people in the market"
And tried to make the Bible sound familiar and accessible
His translation became widely popular and had a tremendous impact
on the German language
Furthermore, the invention of the movable type printing press
by Johannes Gutenberg around 1440
also had a huge impact on the Early New High German period
The printing press made books more affordable and accessible
leading to an increase in literacy rates
The press enabled the rapid dissemination of Luther's writings
and his German Bible
thus reinforcing the standardization process of the German language
Now let's take a break before entering the New High German Period
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During the Middle Ages and up to the 18th century
Latin was the language of international communication
education, and legal affairs in many parts of Europe
including the Holy Roman Empire
However, in the courts of certain regions
particularly in Western Europe
French was indeed the language of the court
French became the international language of diplomacy
from around the 17th century, and remained so until the 20th century
Like English today
It also became the language of the court and notability in many European countries
In the German territories, which were part of the Holy Roman Empire
the situation was more complex
There were many different regional courts
each with its own preferred languages
In some cases, French was used, especially in the west
and among the higher nobility who were connected to other European courts
By the time we reach the New High German period
the use of German in courts and official settings became increasingly standardized
It was not until the 18th century
with the influence of the German enlightenment
and the desire for a unified national language
that German became the prevalent language
in most official contexts throughout what is now Germany
The period of the Enlightenment (Late 17th to 18th Century)
a period of intellectual and philosophical development in Europe
In Germany, this period saw a move towards a more standardized language
especially in written texts
Major thinkers at that time, like Immanuel Kant
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
and Friedrich Schiller
all wrote in German during this period
and had a significant impact on the language
Their works exemplified the expressive possibilities
of New High German and helped establish it
as a language of literature and intellectual discourse
Notable authors like Hans Sachs, Andreas Gryphius, and Martin Opitz
contributed to the growth and refinement of the German language
The northern dialects did not develop their own written language
with the exception of Dutch
which was a German dialect in the Middle Ages but evolved
into its own language in the 16th century
Grammatical and phonetic norms initially appeared
in the Duden Handbook in 1880
which became the official definition of the German language in 1901
New High German underwent simplifications and changes
in its grammatical structures compared to Middle High German
Complex inflectional endings gradually simplified
and word order became more rigid
following a subject-verb-object pattern
New High German continued to evolve over time
adapting to changing social, technological, and cultural contexts
Today, New High German serves as the foundation for Standard German
the official language of Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland In Liechtenstein
and parts of Italy, It is spoken by millions of people worldwide
The political unification of Germany under Prussian leadership
in 1871
made it necessary to have a standardized form of the language
for use in government, education, and national media
Language academies, such as the Prussian Academy of Sciences
played a crucial role in developing and maintaining
a standardized German language
In 1880, the first edition of the Complete Orthographic Dictionary
of the German Language was published
The spelling rules from the 1880 Duden remained in place
until the first spelling reform of 1996
The industrial revolution in the 19th century
introduced technical terms into the language
The rapid advances in technology and industry during this period
introduced a whole range of new vocabulary
such as "Elektrizität" (electricity)
"Waschmaschine" (washing machine)
and "Eisenbahn" (railroad)
Increased communication, education, and literacy rates
helped spread these new words and standardize their usage
Now The World Wars and the division of Germany during the Cold War
had profound effects on German society, including the language
Exposure to other languages (especially English)
led to the borrowing of words (Anglicisms)
and political and societal changes introduced new vocabulary
like "Computer"
"Job"
and "Team"
When we enter 20th century
the impacts of globalization and technological advances
have all contributed to shaping Modern Standard German
Let's talk about the German dialects
German dialects can be categorized into three major groups:
the low German dialects in the north
more closely related to Frisian and Dutch
than to their southern parts
the middle German dialects, consisting of dialects such as
Kölsch
Hessian
and Berlinerisch
the high German dialects such as Swiss German
Austrian dialects, and most notably for foreigners
the Bavarian dialect.
Here it is to note that national borders and dialectal borders do not match up
Today, an estimated 50 Percent of German speakers
though mostly the younger generation
do not speak a dialect, retaining only an accent in their speech
Dialects, especially those with an ample difference
in grammar and pronunciation from high German
are still widely spoken in rural areas
and more commonly in the south of Germany
Contrary to Germany
Austria and Switzerland do have a flourishing dialect culture
and for most citizens, high German is considered a different language
Though it is not necessary to learn a dialect
as in Arabic, it is helpful to get familiar with a dialect
if you plan on moving to a dialect-heavy region
The linguistic variability in all those dialects
is definitely worth exploring, nonetheless
Learning a language is not just about studying grammar
or building vocabulary.
It's an opportunity to understand the culture
mindset, and way of life of the people who use that language
When you explore the language's history and see how it has evolved
you begin to appreciate its dynamic and intriguing nature
This, really, one of the most fascinating aspects of learning a language
I hope this video was informative and helpful
If you have any further information, please share it in the comments
So, Stay curious ! See you in the next video!
Bye