What is the origin of German?

Proto-Indo-European Period (c. 4500–2500 BC)

The most distant ancestor of German is Proto-Indo-European, a hypothetical but undocumented language. As the Indo-Europeans migrated westward, the language split into several branches, one of which became the Germanic language family.

• The main influence of the Indo-European ancestral language——the phonetic system and basic vocabulary.
• The ancestors of the Germanic people began to settle in Northern Europe and developed a preliminary Germanic culture and language.

Proto-Germanic Period (around 500 BC)

Proto-Germanic is the common ancestor of all modern Germanic languages (such as German, English, Dutch, and the Nordic languages).

• Sound change——the famous Grimm’s Law appeared; for example, the Latin word “pater” became the Germanic word “father”.
• Lexical features——basic natural, relative, and numerical words are still highly similar to today’s German.

Old High German Period (c. 500–1050 AD)

With the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Germanic tribes (such as the Franks, Alemanni, and Saxons) established their power in Central Europe and their languages diverged.

• The High German Consonant Shift——this sound change completely separated High German from other West Germanic languages (such as English and Dutch). For example, English “make” corresponds to German “machen” (to manufacture).
• Geographical range——mainly distributed in today’s southern Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.
• Early document——one of the earliest German-language documents is the Wessobrunn Prayer.

Middle High German Period (1050–1350)

The Middle Ages was a period of rapid evolution and literary flourishing in the German language.

• Social background——the rise of feudalism, urban economic development, and the rise of knight and poet culture.
• Representative work——the “Nibelungenlied”.
• Language characteristics——the phonetic system tended to be simplified and the grammar began to be colloquial.

During the Middle High German period, German began to penetrate a wider range of social classes, but still formed many dialects due to regional differences.

Modern High German Period (1350–1650)

After the Black Death, the social structure of Europe changed, national consciousness gradually emerged, and the demand for language unification increased.

• Martin Luther translated the Bible in 1522, using a written language close to modern standard German, which greatly advanced the process of standardization of German.
• Luther chose the German language based on the Saxon dialect, which accommodates the differences between the north and the south.

Modern German Period (1650–Present)

With the popularization of printing and the formation of nation-states, standard German (Hochdeutsch) gradually took shape.

• After Prussia unified Germany in the 19th century, standard German was promoted throughout the country.
• Contemporary German still retains regional dialects (such as Bavarian and Swiss German), but standard German is used in official fields, education, and the media.