German Language History

Sprechen Sie Deutsch? In today's business, a positive answer to this question is getting vital. Nowadays, over 100 million people speak German (Deutsch) as their native language. German is the official language of Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein and one of the four national languages of Switzerland. German is also spoken in diverse modern dialects in northern Italy, eastern France (Alsace and parts of Lorraine), as well as parts of Belgium and Luxembourg.

The language of Beethoven, Mozart, Freud, Nietzsche and Einstein, German is second only to English in the field of scientific publications. Forty per cent of scientists in the US recommend that their students learn German. In Poland and Hungary the figure is over 70%. Germany is the most powerful economy in Europe and the third largest industrial nation in the world.  

German Language History

LOW AND HIGH GERMAN

German departed from the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language (which includes English, Dutch, Scandinavian and the now extinct Gothic) by a shift in sounds called the Second Germanic Sound Shift. Its effect can still be seen by comparing modern German words with their English cognates: pound>Pfund; pipe>Pfeife; hope>hoffen; apple>Apfel, etc. 

The Second Sound Shift divides Germany into a smaller Northern part (without the sound shift) and a larger central and Southern part (with the sound shift). Since the part of Germany where there was no Second Sound Shift are the North German Lowlands, their language is called Low German as distinct from High German.

German comes in many dialects which are in general not mutually intelligible: Dutch and its Belgian variety Flemish are official languages in the Netherlands and in Belgium (they are closely related to the Low German languages of Germany's North); Afrikaans which developed out of the Dutch spoken by Dutch settlers is an official language in South Africa; Luxemburgish (from High German) is an official language in Luxemburg and Yiddish, which developed out of Middle High German dialects and is now spoken by several million Jews throughout the world.

OLD, MIDDLE AND MODERN GERMAN

Historically, German falls into three main periods: Old German (c. AD 750-c.AD 1050); Middle German (c.1050-c.1500); and Modern German (c.1500 to the present). The earliest existing records in German date back to about AD 750. In this first period, local dialects were used in writing, and there was no standard language. In the middle period a relatively uniform written language developed in government after the various chancelleries of the Holy Roman Empire began, in the 14th cent., to use a combination of certain dialects of Middle High German in place of the Latin, that until then, had dominated official writings.

The German of the chancellery of Saxony was adapted by Martin Luther for his translation of the Bible. He chose it because at that time the language of the chancelleries alone stood out as a norm in a multitude of dialects, and Luther thought he could reach many more people through it.

The modern period is usually said to begin with the German used by Luther, which became the basis of Modern High German, or modern standard German. The spread of uniformity in written German was also helped by printers, who, like Luther, wanted to attract as many readers as possible.

During the 18th cent, a number of outstanding writers gave modern standard German essentially the form it has today. It is now the language of church and state, education and literature. A corresponding norm for spoken High German, influenced by the written standard, is used in education, the theatre, and broadcasting.

Although dialectal differences within both the High German and Low German regions remain, a trend toward uniformity in the direction of the written standard is expected partly as a result of widespread broadcasting, diminishing isolation, and increased socio-economic mobility.

Main German-speaking countries:

GERMANY

Population: 82,424,609 (July 2004 est.)
Languages: German, other Germanic dialects 
GDP: $2.271 trillion (2003 est.)
GDP per capita: $27,600 (2003 est.)

Exports: machinery, vehicles, chemicals, metals and manufactures, foodstuffs, textiles
Exports partners: France 10.6%, US 9.3%, UK 8.4%, Italy 7.4%, Netherlands 6.2%, Austria 5.3%, Belgium 5.1%, Spain 4.9%, Switzerland 4% (2003 est.)
Imports: machinery, vehicles, chemicals, foodstuffs, textiles, metals
Imports partners: France 9.2%, Netherlands 8.4%, US 7.3%, Italy 6.3%, UK 6%, Belgium 4.9%, China 4.7%, Austria 4% (2003 est.)

As Europe's largest economy and most populous nation, Germany remains a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defence organisations. The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War allowed for German unification in 1990. Since then, Germany has expended considerable funds to bring Eastern productivity and wages up to Western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU countries introduced a common European exchange currency, the euro.

The birthplace of Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven and Johannes Brahms, among others, Germany's gift to European classical music is colossal while Goethe, Nietzsche, Kant and Brecht are giants in the world of letters and philosophy. 

AUSTRIA

Population: 8,174,762 (July 2004 est.)
Languages: German (official nationwide), Slovene (official in Carinthia), Croatian (official in Burgenland), Hungarian (official in Burgenland)
GDP: $245.3 billion (2003 est.)
GDP per capita: $30,000 (2003 est.) 

Exports: machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and parts, paper and paperboard, metal goods, chemicals, iron and steel; textiles, foodstuffs
Exports partners: Germany 31.9%, Italy 9.6%, Switzerland 5.2%, US 4.9%, France 4.8%, UK 4.7% (2003 est.)
Imports: machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal goods, oil and oil products; foodstuffs
Imports partners: Germany 43.2%, Italy 6.7%, Hungary 5.4%, Switzerland 5%, Netherlands 4.2% (2003 est.)

Famous for its spectacular mountain scenery, Austria remains strategically important as it sits on the key Danube trade route and acts as a bridge between East and West. Together with Switzerland, Austria forms Europe's neutral core. After annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938 and then Allied occupation, Austria's 1955 State Treaty declared the country "permanently neutral".

The capital, Vienna, hosts a number of international organisations, including the OSCE Secretariat, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Austria has a very rich cultural heritage. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart occupies a place of his own as composer of some of the best loved European classical music while the works of Franz Schubert enjoy great popularity too. In the world of philosophy and ideas, Siegmund Freud continues to provoke controversy while Ludwig Wittgenstein was one of the major influences in 20th century thinking. In fine art, the paintings of Gustav Klimt are widely admired.

SWITZERLAND

Population: 7,450,867 (July 2004 est.)
Languages: German (official) 63.7%, French (official) 19.2%, Italian (official) 7.6%, Romansch (official) 0.6%, other 8.9%
GDP: $239.3 billion (2003 est.)
GDP per capita: $32,700 (2003 est.)

Exports: machinery, chemicals, metals, watches, agricultural products
Exports partners: Germany 19.7%, US 10.1%, Italy 9.4%, France 8.9%, UK 5.9%, Austria 4.4% (2003 est.)
Imports: machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural products, textiles
Imports partners: Germany 27.5%, France 11.8%, Italy 10.6%, US 8.1%, Austria 4.6%, UK 4.4%, Russia 4.2%, Netherlands 4.2% (2003 est.)

A landlocked, majestically scenic country, the Swiss Confederation's long-standing neutral status has given it political stability that has helped it become one of the world's wealthiest countries.

Switzerland's independence and neutrality have long been honoured by the major European powers, and Switzerland was not involved in either of the two World Wars. The political and economic integration of Europe over the past half century, as well as Switzerland's role in many UN and international organisations, has strengthened Switzerland's ties with its neighbours. However, the country did not officially become a UN member until 2002. Switzerland remains active in many UN and international organisations, but retains a strong commitment to neutrality.

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