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The History of the German Language

German forms part of the Indo-European languages which evolved into the different languages in Europe. The German language evolved in three significant stages: old German, Middle German and Modern German. During the periods of Old and Middle German the language was not standardised until Modern German became established. While a uniform written version of German developed during the Middle German period (from the eleventh to sixteenth century) to replace the Latin texts that had been used formerly, the spoken language remained as a series of dialects.

In the thirteenth and fourteenth century written German became more widespread as Latin administration texts were translated into German. Most imperial documents were written in German particularly during the time of the Emperor, Ludwig the Bavarian. Later the common judicial language was influenced by these translations yet the language of ordinary people was not thus far influenced.

The work of Martin Luther significantly impacted the German language when it was decided to translate the Bible into German. He adapted the German of the chancellery of Saxony for this purpose. The German used by Luther became what is known as Standard Modern German, today. The translation of the Bible did not simply reach a specific group of lawyers, administrators and politicians but was intended to reach the masses as it was of common interest. This communicated a common variety of German and Luther, himself, put effort in to ensure that the language would be readily accepted and easily absorbed by the people and appear quite natural in form. He merged the formal language of the court and lawyers with the colloquial language of the various spoken dialects. The uniformity of the written language helped to establish this.

However it was not until the eighteenth and nineteenth century that Modern German took on its current form when a number of writers ensured the widespread use of the written language in the areas of education, literature, Church and state. Another significant marker in the German language was the creation of a fairly binding orthography by the kingdom of Bavaria in the late nineteenth century and the kingdom of Prussia where Duden created his famous dictionary which formed the basis for the modern dictionary. While it has been subjected to a few reforms up until the present day this dictionary formed the core beginnings for the official language.

The dialects still remained distinct but generally fell into North and Southern categories. The orthography forged a compromise between the two but this did not solve the problem of pronunciation of the standardised words. Siebs fixed rules for pronunciation on stage which formed the basis for the solution. A compromise, again, forms the basis of the standardised language today where the language is derived more greatly from the South but the pronunciation is from the North. North German language is nearer the standard because it is not so easily mixed with dialect. The trend towards standardisation however remains far greater in the written form as it is used in education, formalised agreements, legislature, and so on. But German dialectal differences from region to region remain today. There are differences in pronunciation and grammar in regions of Germany, East France, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The official language of Luxembourg is also a German dialect spoken by nearly half a million people.

German is in the top ten most spoken languages in the world and is spoken in a number of places. It is the official language of Austria, Belgium, an Italian province, Switzerland and the European Union. It is also spoken in the Czech republic, Slovakia, Denmark, Poland, Hungary and Namibia. It is spoken by around 185 million people in the world but the speakers are mostly concentrated in Europe.

German Phrases

When visiting a German speaking country there are some useful phrases to know. Basic greetings are always essential for communication. You can say, 'Guten tag' (hello), 'Ich heibe.' (my name is.), and 'wie geht's?' (how are you?) and reply, 'Mir geht es gut, danke' (I'm fine, thanks). You could also explain, 'Ich spreche nur ein klein wenig Deutsch' (I only speak a little German), 'Ich verstehe nicht' (I don't understand) and 'Konnen sie langsamer sprechen?' (Can you speak more slowly?). You will probably also have to use the words, 'ja' (yes), 'nein' (no), 'sprechen sie Englisch?' (do you speak English?), 'danke' (thank you), 'Es war nett, Sie kennenzulernen' (It was nice meeting you) and 'auf Wiedersehen' (goodbye). These simple phrases are useful for a short visit but an extended stay may require further learning. Much of the vocabulary is informed by the French, Latin and Spanish languages therefore knowledge of these enables faster learning of the language.

German Culture

Germany is a federal republic with no singular dominating religion although it is largely a Christian country. The culture focuses less on ideals and more on planning and organisation which are esteemed in this culture. Rules and regulations are important as they allow people to know the expectations and plan and organise accordingly. Clear lines of demarcation between people, places and objects form the basis for an ordered life. Work and play, for example, are rigidly divided and time is managed effectively by setting a proper time for every activity. The home is managed in a similarly effective way and its surroundings are always kept clean and tidy.

In business German companies are less interested in establishing a personal relationship as finding out about the history of your company, your experience and qualifications. Communication is usually both formal and direct so be prepared for questions and ensure in dealings that you adhere strictly to your points rather than make vague promises or appear emotional about your proposals. Be aware that an open door policy is unlikely and that you should wait for an invite before approaching someone. To make the initial contact a formal approach may be appropriate as there is much written communication in the German business world therefore making contact might be handled by letter and appointments made a couple of weeks in advance.

Learning German is useful in the business world to both avoid some mis-interpretation and show deference which is greatly appreciated, it is also a language that is widespread throughout Europe and useful for visiting many places in Europe.

Further German Language references

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