However, back then there was no one standard language for German; in fact, even the writings included many different local dialects. Very gradually, a slightly more uniform version of German began to emerge during the Middle German period, with the beginning and rise of the chancelleries. However, there were still many different dialects, of which a combination was generally used instead of the dominant language of the time, Latin.

Martin Luther translated the complete Bible in the early 1500s, beginning the period of Early New High German. He used the German language as it had been developed up until that time, based on various Eastern Central and Eastern Upper German dialects as well as the Middle High German period’s grammatical structure and system. However, because different regions of Germany at the time had different dialects, the first copies of the Bible had lists of translations for each region. In addition, Luther’s translation was actually rejected by many Roman Catholics in the beginning, but eventually become more readily accepted throughout Germany and much of Western Europe.

It wasn’t until the mid-1700s that Germany began to accept a standard version of German, which is generally considered to be during the Early Modern High German period. This form was shaped and developed through the work of many talented and notable writers during this time, and also serves as the basis for what we now know as modern German—written in official documents for the Church and State, as well as in historical and modern literature, education, and the arts. Around 1800, standard German evolved from a mostly written language with many spoken dialects to a more uniform spoken language.

There are still a number of variations and dialects of German spoken today, which all come from different regions of Germany, as well as in other countries such as Switzerland and Luxembourg. Most notable is the common dialect known as Low German, whose linguistic background and history is slightly fuzzier, but has carried over into modern times and is still spoken and sometimes preferred today.

Low German, spoken mainly in northwestern Germany as well as Denmark, was first known as Old Saxon or Old Low German, a West Germanic language, which was preserved in written form from about the ninth century until the twelfth, at which point it emerged into Middle Low German. Middle Low German was spoken until around 1500, and was divided into two variants: East Low German and West Low German. Middle Low German also became the basis on which modern Low German evolved.

In the mid-18th century, the Brothers Grimm released the first official German dictionary, which became and still remains the most thorough lexical guide to German today. Grammatical rules were solidified in 1880’s Duden Handbook, and the “German spelling reform of 1996,” an international agreement of German orthography, became official in 1998.

Patrick Stump
http://www.lingo24.com/