High German
1
4.8
- noun
- /haɪ ɡɜːrmən/
:
alto alemán
- He opens a large, gold-covered book which the teachers have made and recites in the monotone drone of high German about his long and strenuous journey to come visit them, and about all children who should be good.
- Old High German
- New High German
Examples
-
"This usage is known from Middle High to New High German.
Academic text (2013) -
Do you know the old High German?
Fiction book (1995) -
His "Palatinate-Yiddish" is formed into pure High German.
Academic text (1990) -
"It was language," my mother said, "Grandma is High German and Grandpa's Low."
Fiction book (1991) -
Additional thanks are due to Linda Parshall for assistance with the translations from Middle High and Early New High German texts throughout.
Academic text (2013) -
The second Merseberg charm, a parallel Old High German source, offers some insight into Odin's role as a healer and the question of gender associated with healing in Germanic mythology.
Academic text (1999) -
Many German speakers prefer to use High German in formal situations.
-
My teacher explained that High German is the official language of Germany and Austria.
-
During the language class, we learned how to speak High German correctly.
Synonyms
1
1.8
A language spoken in Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland
1
1.0
The language spoken in Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland
Surface Forms
Morphology
High + German
The words 'high' and 'German' make it clear this refers to a particular kind or variety of German, so learners can guess it's a variety rather than something unrelated. However, the specific linguistic sense (a historical/dialectal term often meaning the standard or southern/highland German varieties) is specialized and not directly derivable from the constituents, so prior exposure or instruction is usually needed.
Etymology
The name High German comes from the idea of High land: people who lived in the hills and mountains spoke this way of German. Because writers like Martin Luther used that way in books, High German later became the 'standard' language used in schools and formal settings.