neuneinhalb Lexikon: Hochdeutsch | WDR

Hochdeutsch: The Evolution of Standard German

Historical Context of Hochdeutsch

• Hochdeutsch, or High German, has not existed as a standardized language for long; its development is rooted in the fragmented political landscape of medieval Germany, which consisted of numerous small principalities with distinct dialects.

• The dialectal differences were so pronounced that communication between people from northern and southern regions was often challenging.

The Role of Latin and Martin Luther

• During the Middle Ages, Latin served as the common written language in Germany, but it was primarily accessible to a limited number of educated individuals.

• Martin Luther aimed to make religious texts understandable to all Germans; he chose the Central German dialect for his translation of the Bible, which was more comprehensible across different regions.

Impact of Luther's Translation

• Luther's Bible translation gained widespread readership, leading to the proliferation of his chosen dialect throughout Germany.

• In 1880, Konrad Duden established rules for proper German spelling by publishing a dictionary known as "Duden," which became foundational for standardizing written German.

Contributions to Pronunciation Standards

• Shortly after Duden's work, Theodor Siebs developed guidelines for pronunciation that were later adopted by radio and television broadcasts.