Similar to other European countries, different cities and regions of Germany tend to have different dialects and accents. It also has several dialects and names, depending on where it is spoken.

The language is a combination of German and Frisian, with strong similarities to English. In fact, there are around 301,000 native Plattdütsch speakers in the world. Low German – or Plattdütsch – however, is the spoken language of the lowlands of Northern Germany as well as parts of other European countries and European immigrants who settled abroad. Otherwise known as Hochdeutsch, it belongs to the West Germanic group of the Indo-European language family, along with English, Frisian, and Dutch. It is also the official written language of Germany. High German, for instance, is the language of the southern highlands of Germany. Interestingly, these two dialects are geographically linked to specific regions of Germany and other countries around the world. The main difference between the two is the sound system, and in particular, the consonants. However, when spoken, it exists in many dialects, most of which belong to either the High German or Low German dialectal groups. Dialects of GermanĪs a written language, German is fairly uniform. The Duden dictionary first brought together the grammatical and orthographic rules of this modern version of German in 1880. The formation of the language was influenced by the so-called High German consonant shift, a sound change that created a language that is distinctly different from other West Germanic languages. A Goethe-Schiller Monument in Weimar, Germany The celebrated writers of the 19th century, such as Goethe and Schiller, are generally credited with giving High German (or what is also known as Standard High German) its modern written form, creating a language for thinkers, writers, and scientists. The period of Modern High German started with Martin Luther’s translation of the Bible in the early 16th century. Modern High German: circa 1500 to the present.Old German: circa 750 to 1050, this was reportedly quite similar to Old English.Then over the centuries, the German language evolved in three stages: It wasn’t until later on, in the 8th century, that the first written German texts, such as the heroic poem ‘ Hildebrandslied‘, first appeared. Back then, it took the form of a single Germanic language with only minor dialect differences.

The origins and history of the German languageĪdvertisement The origins and history of the German languageĪs a spoken language, German is known to date back to Roman times in the 1st century BCE.

What languages do people speak in Germany?.

To help you get to grips with the German language, this guide includes the following information: Indeed, a 2021 report showed that some 15.4 million people worldwide are currently learning German as a foreign language, and numbers are increasing, proving that it isn’t impossible to master. Despite having a reputation as being one of the most difficult languages to learn, German is actually not as difficult to grasp as it may first appear.

German is the second most widely spoken language in the European Union (after English) and an official language in six countries in Europe. We delve into the origins and characteristics of the German language and provide information on where to learn it in Germany and abroad.

Low german grammar