This article is about the history of New High German. For a description of New High German grammar, see German language.
New High German (NHG; German: Neuhochdeutsch (Nhdt., Nhd.)) is the term used for the most recent period in the history of the German language, starting in the 17th century. It is a loan translation of the German Neuhochdeutsch (Nhd.). The most important characteristic of the period is the development of a standard written German, followed by the standardisation of the spoken language.[1] For this reason, the term New High German (or simply High German) is also used as a synonym for modern Standard German.
The German term was originally coined in 1819 by Jacob Grimm for the period from around 1450 to the present day, following on from Middle High German (Mittelhochdeutsch).[2][3] However, in 1878 Wilhelm Scherer proposed a transitional period, 1350–1650, for which he coined the new term Frühneuhochdeutsch (Early New High German), thus dating New High German from the mid 17th century.[4] In spite of many alternative proposals,[5] Scherer's remains the most widely adopted periodisation of German.[6]
Geographical extent of New High German in the German Empire and surrounding states (1910):
Areas where at least 50% of the population would speak German language.
There are both linguistic and extra-linguistic reasons for regarding the mid-17th century as the beginning of a new linguistic period. By this time, the sound changes which result in the phonological system of Modern German had been completed—no further major changes take place within the NHG period.[7] The Thirty Years War saw the population reduced by at least one third, and the subsequent Treaty of Westphalia, signed in 1648, guaranteed the relative independence of hundreds of small and large states within the Holy Roman Empire, as well as recognizing the complete independence of the Netherlands and Switzerland.[8] The 1641 publication of Justus Georg Schottelius's Teutsche Sprachkunst marks the beginning of the debate about a standardized national language.[9]
The New High German period is often subdivided, with a general consensus over a break in the first half of the 19th century, with another after 1945.[10] The earliest of these periods, Older New High German (Älteres Neuhochdeutsch), sees the gradual establishment of a standard written language by grammarians, lexicographers, and writers; the second, Younger New High German (Jüngeres Neuhochdeutsch), sees the spread of this standard throughout the publishing media (and becoming an international language of science), into the schoolroom, and into spoken German.[11] After 1945, the loss of German-speaking territory in the East, the decline of German as an international language, and the massive influence of English on the vocabulary are seen as markers of a new period, referred to as Gegenwartsdeutsch ("contemporary German").[12][13] These changes, however, are in the status and use of the language, while the phonology and morphology have seen only rationalisation and not substantial change over the last 370 years.[14][7]
Territoryedit
Current distribution areas of the German language in Europe
For the first two hundred years of the period, the linguistic boundary of German remained relatively stable, even where the territory itself changed hands, as in Alsace, a French possession since the Treaty of Westphalia.[15] The only major area of change was in the East. Initially only individual German-speaking settlers moved into the underpopulated lands of Brandenburg, Pomerania and Bohemia, but in the late 17th century both Prussia and Austria had policies of attracting settlers to these lands.[16]
From the late 19th century, however, there have been significant losses of German-speaking territory. The eastward settlement of the earlier period was reversed by a Russian government policy of Russianisation and by the resistance of the Polish population to further German immigration, causing many German speakers to return West.[17] At the end of the Second World War the German-speaking populations of Bohemia and the land east of the Oder-Neisse line, which became part of Poland, were forcibly expelled.[18]
Characteristicsedit
The New High German period is characterised by the codification of German grammar and the development of a standard language in both writing and speech. Unlike earlier periods, there have been few major changes in phonology or morphology. Rather, the standard language has selected particular features and these choices have then exerted an influence on individual German dialects.[1]
^Keller 1978, p. 470. sfn error: no target: CITEREFKeller1978 (help)
^Keller 1978, pp. 479–481. sfn error: no target: CITEREFKeller1978 (help)
^Keller 1978, pp. 481–483. sfn error: no target: CITEREFKeller1978 (help)
^Keller 1978, pp. 482–483. sfn error: no target: CITEREFKeller1978 (help)
Sourcesedit
Besch, Werner; Wolf, Norbert Richard (2009). Geschichte der deutschen Sprache. Berlin: Erich Schmidt. ISBN9783503098668.
Grimm, Jacob; Grimm, Wilhelm (1854–1863). "neuhochdeutsch". Deutsches Wörterbuch. Leipzig: Hirzel.
Grimm, Jacob (1819). Deutsche Grammatik. Göttingen: Dieterische Buchhandlung. Reprint
Grimm, Jacob (1822). Deutsche Grammatik (2nd ed.). Göttingen: Dieterische Buchhandlung.
Keller, R.E. (1979). The German Language. London: Faber and Faber. ISBN0-571-11159-9.
Penzl, Herbert (1975). Vom Urgermanischen zum Neuhochdeutschen : eine historische Phonologie. Grundlagen der Germanistik 16. Berlin: Erich Schmidt. ISBN3-503-00790-3.
von Polenz, Peter (2000). Deutsche Sprachgeschichte vom Spätmittelalter bis zur Gegenwart. Vol. I: Einführung, Grundbegriffe, 14. bis 16. Jahrhundert (2nd ed.). De Gruyter. ISBN978-3110164787.
von Polenz, Peter (1999). Deutsche Sprachgeschichte vom Spätmittelalter bis zur Gegenwart. Vol. II: 17. und 18. Jahrhundert (2nd ed.). De Gruyter. ISBN978-3110143447.
von Polenz, Peter (2013). Deutsche Sprachgeschichte vom Spätmittelalter bis zur Gegenwart. Vol. III: 19. und 20. Jahrhundert (2nd ed.). De Gruyter. ISBN978-3110314540.
Roelcke T (1998). "Die Periodisierung der deutschen Sprachgeschichte". In Besch W, Betten A, Reichmann O, Sonderegger S (eds.). Sprachgeschichte. Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). Berlin, New York: Walter De Gruyter. pp. 798–815. ISBN3-11-011257-4.
Scherer, Wilhelm (1878). Zur Geschichte der deutschen Sprache (2nd ed.). Berlin: Weidmann.
Sonderegger, Stefan (1979). Grundzüge deutscher Sprachgeschichte. Vol. I. Berlin, New York: Walter de Gruyter. ISBN3-11-003570-7.
Wells, C. J. (1987). German: A Linguistic History to 1945. Oxford University Press. ISBN0-19-815809-2.
Young, Christopher; Gloning, Thomas (2004). A History of the German Language through texts. London, New York: Routledge. ISBN0-415-18331-6.
April 10, 2024
high, german, this, article, about, history, description, grammar, german, language, german, neuhochdeutsch, nhdt, term, used, most, recent, period, history, german, language, starting, 17th, century, loan, translation, german, neuhochdeutsch, most, important,. This article is about the history of New High German For a description of New High German grammar see German language New High German NHG German Neuhochdeutsch Nhdt Nhd is the term used for the most recent period in the history of the German language starting in the 17th century It is a loan translation of the German Neuhochdeutsch Nhd The most important characteristic of the period is the development of a standard written German followed by the standardisation of the spoken language 1 For this reason the term New High German or simply High German is also used as a synonym for modern Standard German New High GermanNeuhochdeutschNative toGermany Austria Luxembourg Liechtenstein Switzerland Netherlands Language familyIndo European GermanicWest GermanicGermanHigh GermanNew High GermanEarly formsOld High German Middle High German Early New High GermanWriting systemGerman alphabetOfficial statusOfficial language inAustria Germany Liechtenstein Luxembourg Switzerland Belgium European Union Namibia until 1990 Language codesISO 639 1 span class plainlinks de span ISO 639 2 span class plainlinks ger span B span class plainlinks deu span T ISO 639 3 a href https iso639 3 sil org code deu class extiw title iso639 3 deu deu a Glottologmode1258 Contents 1 Periodisation 2 Territory 3 Characteristics 4 See also 5 References 6 SourcesPeriodisation editThe German term was originally coined in 1819 by Jacob Grimm for the period from around 1450 to the present day following on from Middle High German Mittelhochdeutsch 2 3 However in 1878 Wilhelm Scherer proposed a transitional period 1350 1650 for which he coined the new term Fruhneuhochdeutsch Early New High German thus dating New High German from the mid 17th century 4 In spite of many alternative proposals 5 Scherer s remains the most widely adopted periodisation of German 6 nbsp Map of Central Europe in 1648 Territories under the Holy Roman Empire comprising the Alpine heartland Erblande of the Habsburg monarchy nbsp Geographical extent of New High German in the German Empire and surrounding states 1910 Areas where at least 50 of the population would speak German language There are both linguistic and extra linguistic reasons for regarding the mid 17th century as the beginning of a new linguistic period By this time the sound changes which result in the phonological system of Modern German had been completed no further major changes take place within the NHG period 7 The Thirty Years War saw the population reduced by at least one third and the subsequent Treaty of Westphalia signed in 1648 guaranteed the relative independence of hundreds of small and large states within the Holy Roman Empire as well as recognizing the complete independence of the Netherlands and Switzerland 8 The 1641 publication of Justus Georg Schottelius s Teutsche Sprachkunst marks the beginning of the debate about a standardized national language 9 The New High German period is often subdivided with a general consensus over a break in the first half of the 19th century with another after 1945 10 The earliest of these periods Older New High German Alteres Neuhochdeutsch sees the gradual establishment of a standard written language by grammarians lexicographers and writers the second Younger New High German Jungeres Neuhochdeutsch sees the spread of this standard throughout the publishing media and becoming an international language of science into the schoolroom and into spoken German 11 After 1945 the loss of German speaking territory in the East the decline of German as an international language and the massive influence of English on the vocabulary are seen as markers of a new period referred to as Gegenwartsdeutsch contemporary German 12 13 These changes however are in the status and use of the language while the phonology and morphology have seen only rationalisation and not substantial change over the last 370 years 14 7 Territory edit nbsp Current distribution areas of the German language in EuropeFor the first two hundred years of the period the linguistic boundary of German remained relatively stable even where the territory itself changed hands as in Alsace a French possession since the Treaty of Westphalia 15 The only major area of change was in the East Initially only individual German speaking settlers moved into the underpopulated lands of Brandenburg Pomerania and Bohemia but in the late 17th century both Prussia and Austria had policies of attracting settlers to these lands 16 From the late 19th century however there have been significant losses of German speaking territory The eastward settlement of the earlier period was reversed by a Russian government policy of Russianisation and by the resistance of the Polish population to further German immigration causing many German speakers to return West 17 At the end of the Second World War the German speaking populations of Bohemia and the land east of the Oder Neisse line which became part of Poland were forcibly expelled 18 Characteristics editThe New High German period is characterised by the codification of German grammar and the development of a standard language in both writing and speech Unlike earlier periods there have been few major changes in phonology or morphology Rather the standard language has selected particular features and these choices have then exerted an influence on individual German dialects 1 See also editGerman literature of the Baroque periodReferences edit a b Besch amp Wolf 2009 p 227 Grimm 1819 p xxvi Grimm amp Grimm 1854 1863 Scherer 1878 pp 13 14 Roelcke 1998 with a table of the main alternative proposals Wells 1987 p 23 a b Penzl 1975 p 125 Keller 1978 p 338 sfn error no target CITEREFKeller1978 help Rolf Moulin amp Ruge 2016 p 20 sfn error no target CITEREFRolfMoulinRuge2016 help Roelcke 1998 pp 804 811 Sonderegger 1979 pp 183 184 Young amp Gloning 2004 pp 307 308 Roelcke 1998 pp 804 813 Sonderegger 1979 p 179 Keller 1978 p 470 sfn error no target CITEREFKeller1978 help Keller 1978 pp 479 481 sfn error no target CITEREFKeller1978 help Keller 1978 pp 481 483 sfn error no target CITEREFKeller1978 help Keller 1978 pp 482 483 sfn error no target CITEREFKeller1978 help Sources editBesch Werner Wolf Norbert Richard 2009 Geschichte der deutschen Sprache Berlin Erich Schmidt ISBN 9783503098668 Grimm Jacob Grimm Wilhelm 1854 1863 neuhochdeutsch Deutsches Worterbuch Leipzig Hirzel Grimm Jacob 1819 Deutsche Grammatik Gottingen Dieterische Buchhandlung Reprint Grimm Jacob 1822 Deutsche Grammatik 2nd ed Gottingen Dieterische Buchhandlung Keller R E 1979 The German Language London Faber and Faber ISBN 0 571 11159 9 Penzl Herbert 1975 Vom Urgermanischen zum Neuhochdeutschen eine historische Phonologie Grundlagen der Germanistik 16 Berlin Erich Schmidt ISBN 3 503 00790 3 von Polenz Peter 2000 Deutsche Sprachgeschichte vom Spatmittelalter bis zur Gegenwart Vol I Einfuhrung Grundbegriffe 14 bis 16 Jahrhundert 2nd ed De Gruyter ISBN 978 3110164787 von Polenz Peter 1999 Deutsche Sprachgeschichte vom Spatmittelalter bis zur Gegenwart Vol II 17 und 18 Jahrhundert 2nd ed De Gruyter ISBN 978 3110143447 von Polenz Peter 2013 Deutsche Sprachgeschichte vom Spatmittelalter bis zur Gegenwart Vol III 19 und 20 Jahrhundert 2nd ed De Gruyter ISBN 978 3110314540 Roelcke T 1998 Die Periodisierung der deutschen Sprachgeschichte In Besch W Betten A Reichmann O Sonderegger S eds Sprachgeschichte Vol 2 2nd ed Berlin New York Walter De Gruyter pp 798 815 ISBN 3 11 011257 4 Scherer Wilhelm 1878 Zur Geschichte der deutschen Sprache 2nd ed Berlin Weidmann Sonderegger Stefan 1979 Grundzuge deutscher Sprachgeschichte Vol I Berlin New York Walter de Gruyter ISBN 3 11 003570 7 Wells C J 1987 German A Linguistic History to 1945 Oxford University Press ISBN 0 19 815809 2 Young Christopher Gloning Thomas 2004 A History of the German Language through texts London New York Routledge ISBN 0 415 18331 6 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title New High German amp oldid 1178690244, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
