Middle High German Explained

Middle High German
Nativename:German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diutsch, tiutsch
Region:Central and southern Germany, Austria and parts of Switzerland
Era:High Middle Ages
Familycolor:Indo-European
Fam2:Germanic
Fam3:West Germanic
Fam4:High German
Ancestor:Old High German
Iso2:gmh
Iso2comment:
Iso3:gmh
Iso3comment:
Glotto:midd1343
Glottorefname:Middle High German
Iso6:mdgr
Notice:IPA
Script:Latin

Middle High German (MHG; German: Mittelhochdeutsch (Mhdt., Mhd.)) is the term for the form of German spoken in the High Middle Ages. It is conventionally dated between 1050 and 1350, developing from Old High German and into Early New High German. High German is defined as those varieties of German which were affected by the Second Sound Shift; the Middle Low German and Middle Dutch languages spoken to the North and North West, which did not participate in this sound change, are not part of MHG.

While there is no standard MHG, the prestige of the Hohenstaufen court gave rise in the late 12th century to a supra-regional literary language (German: mittelhochdeutsche Dichtersprache) based on Swabian, an Alemannic dialect. This historical interpretation is complicated by the tendency of modern editions of MHG texts to use normalised spellings based on this variety (usually called "Classical MHG"), which make the written language appear more consistent than it actually is in the manuscripts. Scholars are uncertain as to whether the literary language reflected a supra-regional spoken language of the courts.

An important development in this period was the German: [[Ostsiedlung]], the eastward expansion of German settlement beyond the German: [[Elbe]]-[[Saale]] line which marked the limit of Old High German. This process started in the 11th century, and all the East Central German dialects are a result of this expansion.

"Judeo-German", the precursor of the Yiddish language, is attested in the 12th–13th centuries, as a variety of Middle High German written in Hebrew characters.

Periodisation

The Middle High German period is generally dated from 1050 to 1350. An older view puts the boundary with (Early) New High German around 1500.

There are several phonological criteria which separate MHG from the preceding Old High German period:

Culturally, the two periods are distinguished by the transition from a predominantly clerical written culture, in which the dominant language was Latin, to one centred on the courts of the great nobles, with German gradually expanding its range of use. The rise of the Hohenstaufen dynasty in Swabia makes the South West the dominant region in both political and cultural terms.

Demographically, the MHG period is characterised by a massive rise in population, terminated by the demographic catastrophe of the Black Death (1348). Along with the rise in population comes a territorial expansion eastwards (German: [[Ostsiedlung]]), which saw German-speaking settlers colonise land previously under Slavic control.

Linguistically, the transition to Early New High German is marked by four vowel changes which together produce the phonemic system of modern German, though not all dialects participated equally in these changes:

The centres of culture in the ENHG period are no longer the courts but the towns.

Dialects

The dialect map of Germany by the end of the Middle High German period was much the same as that at the start of the 20th century, though the boundary with Low German was further south than it now is:

Central German (Mitteldeutsch)

Upper German (Oberdeutsch)

With the exception of Thuringian, the East Central German dialects are new dialects resulting from the German: [[Ostsiedlung]] and arise towards the end of the period.

Writing system

Middle High German texts are written in the Latin alphabet. There was no standardised spelling, but modern editions generally standardise according to a set of conventions established by Karl Lachmann in the 19th century. There are several important features in this standardised orthography which are not characteristics of the original manuscripts:

A particular problem is that many manuscripts are of much later date than the works they contain; as a result, they bear the signs of later scribes having modified the spellings, with greater or lesser consistency, in accord with conventions of their time. In addition, there is considerable regional variation in the spellings that appear in the original texts, which modern editions largely conceal.

Vowels

The standardised orthography of MHG editions uses the following vowel spellings:

Grammars (as opposed to textual editions) often distinguish between and, the former indicating the mid-open pronounced as //ɛ// which derived from Germanic pronounced as //e//, the latter (often with a dot beneath it) indicating the mid-close pronounced as //e// which results from primary umlaut of short pronounced as //a//. No such orthographic distinction is made in MHG manuscripts.

Consonants

The standardised orthography of MHG editions uses the following consonant spellings:

Phonology

The charts show the vowel and consonant systems of classical MHG. The spellings indicated are the standard spellings used in modern editions; there is much more variation in the manuscripts.

Vowels

Short and long Vowels

 frontcentralback
unroundedrounded
shortlongshortlongshortlongshortlong
closepronounced as /i/pronounced as /iː/pronounced as /y/ pronounced as /yː/  pronounced as /u/pronounced as /uː/
close-midpronounced as /e/    
midpronounced as /ɛ/pronounced as /ɛː/pronounced as /ø/ pronounced as /øː/  pronounced as /o/pronounced as /oː/
open-midpronounced as /æ/ pronounced as /æː/    
open pronounced as /a/pronounced as /aː/ 
Notes:
  1. Not all dialects distinguish the three unrounded mid front vowels.
  2. It is probable that the short high and mid vowels are lower than their long equivalents, as in Modern German, but that is impossible to establish from the written sources.
  3. The found in unstressed syllables may indicate pronounced as /[ɛ]/ or schwa pronounced as /[ə]/.

Diphthongs

MHG diphthongs are indicated by the spellings,,, and,,, and they have the approximate values of pronounced as //ei//, pronounced as //iə//, pronounced as //ou//, pronounced as //øy//, pronounced as //eu//, pronounced as //yə//, pronounced as //uə//, respectively.

Consonants

 BilabialLabiodentalAlveolarPostalveolarPalatalVelarGlottal
Plosivepronounced as /p/  pronounced as /b/ pronounced as /t/  pronounced as /d/  pronounced as /k/   pronounced as /ɡ/ 
Affricatespronounced as /p͡f/ pronounced as /t͡s/     
Nasalpronounced as /m/ pronounced as /n/  pronounced as /ŋ/  
Fricative pronounced as /f/  pronounced as /v/ pronounced as /s/   pronounced as /s̠/ (pronounced as /ʃ/)  pronounced as /x/ pronounced as /h/
Approximantpronounced as /w/   pronounced as /j/  
Liquid  pronounced as /r/  pronounced as /l/    
  1. Precise information about the articulation of consonants is impossible to establish and must have varied between dialects.
  2. In the plosive and fricative series, if there are two consonants in a cell, the first is fortis and the second lenis. The voicing of lenis consonants varied between dialects.
  3. There are long consonants, and the following double consonant spellings indicate not vowel length, as they do in Modern German orthography, but rather genuine double consonants: pp, bb, tt, dd, ck (for pronounced as //kk//), gg, ff, ss, zz, mm, nn, ll, rr.
  4. It is reasonable to assume that pronounced as //x// has an allophone pronounced as /[χ]/ after back vowels, as in Modern German.
  5. The original Germanic fricative s was in writing usually clearly distinguished from the younger fricative z that evolved from the High German consonant shift. The sounds of both letters seem not to have merged before the 13th century. Since s later came to be pronounced pronounced as //ʃ// before other consonants (as in Stein pronounced as //ʃtaɪn//, Speer pronounced as //ʃpeːɐ//, Schmerz pronounced as //ʃmɛrts// (original smerz) or the southwestern pronunciation of words like Ast pronounced as //aʃt//), it seems safe to assume that the actual pronunciation of Germanic s was somewhere between pronounced as /[s]/ and pronounced as /[ʃ]/, most likely about pronounced as /link/, in all Old High German until late Middle High German. A word like swaz, "whatever", would thus never have been pronounced as /[swas]/ but rather pronounced as /[s̠was]/, later (13th century) pronounced as /[ʃwas]/, pronounced as /[ʃvas]/.

Grammar

Pronouns

Middle High German pronouns of the first person refer to the speaker; those of the second person refer to an addressed person; and those of the third person refer to a person or thing of which one speaks.The pronouns of the third person may be used to replace nominal phrases. These have the same genders, numbers and cases as the original nominal phrase.

Personal pronouns

3rd sg! 1st pl! 2nd pl! 3rd pl
NominativeGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ichGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: duGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ër German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: siu German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ëȥGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: wirGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: irGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: sie / German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: siu
AccusativeGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: michGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dichGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: in German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: sie German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ëȥGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: uns(ich)German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: iuchGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: sie / German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: siu
DativeGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: mirGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dirGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: im German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ir German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: imGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: unsGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: iuGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: in
GenitiveGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: mînGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dînGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: sîn German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ir German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: sînGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: unserGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: iuwerGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ir

Possessive pronouns

The possessive pronouns German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: mîn, dîn, sîn, ir, unser, iuwer are used like adjectives and hence take on adjective endings following the normal rules.

Articles

The inflected forms of the article depend on the number, the case and the gender of the corresponding noun. The definite article has the same plural forms for all three genders.

Definite article (strong)

CaseMasculineNeuterFemininePlural
NominativeGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dërGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: daȥGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diuGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die / German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu
AccusativeGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dënGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: daȥGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dieGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die / German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu
DativeGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dëmGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dërGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën
GenitiveGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dësGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dërGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër
InstrumentalGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu
The instrumental case, only existing in the neuter singular, is used only with prepositions: German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: von diu, German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ze diu, etc. In all the other genders and in the plural it is substituted with the dative: German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: von dëm, German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: von dër, German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: von dën.

Nouns

Middle High German nouns were declined according to four cases (nominative, genitive, dative, accusative), two numbers (singular and plural) and three genders (masculine, feminine and neuter), much like Modern High German, though there are several important differences.

Strong nouns

German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër tac
day m.
German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu gëbe
gift f.
German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: daȥ wort
word n.
SingularPluralSingularPluralSingularPlural
NominativeGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër tac German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die tageGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu gëbe German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die gëbeGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: daȥ wort German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu wort
GenitiveGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dës tages German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër tageGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër gëbe German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër gëbenGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dës wortes German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër worte
DativeGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dëm tage German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën tagenGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër gëbe German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën gëbenGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dëm worte German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën worten
AccusativeGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën tac German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die tageGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die gëbe German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die gëbeGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: daȥ wort German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu wort
German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër gast
guest m.
German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu kraft
strength f.
German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: daȥ lamp
lamb n.
SingularPluralSingularPluralSingularPlural
NominativeGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër gast German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die gesteGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu kraft German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die krefteGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: daȥ lamp German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu lember
GenitiveGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dës gastes German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër gesteGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër kraft/krefte German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër krefteGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dës lambes German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër lember
DativeGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dëm gaste German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën gestenGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër kraft/krefte German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën kreftenGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dëm lambe German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën lembern
AccusativeGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën gast German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die gesteGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die kraft German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die krefteGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: daȥ lamp German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu lember

Weak nouns

German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër veter
(male) cousin m.
German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu zunge
tongue f.
German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: daȥ herze
heart n.
SingularPluralSingularPluralSingularPlural
NominativeGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër veter German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die veterenGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu zunge German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die zungenGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: daȥ herze German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu herzen
GenitiveGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dës veteren German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër veterenGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër zungen German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër zungenGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dës herzen German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër herzen
DativeGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dëm veteren German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën veterenGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër zungen German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën zungenGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dëm herzen German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën herzen
AccusativeGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën veteren German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die veterenGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die zungen German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die zungenGerman, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: daȥ herze German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu herzen

Verbs

See main article: Middle High German verbs. Verbs were conjugated according to three moods (indicative, subjunctive (conjunctive) and imperative), three persons, two numbers (singular and plural) and two tenses (present tense and preterite) There was a present participle, a past participle and a verbal noun that somewhat resembles the Latin gerund, but that only existed in the genitive and dative cases.

An important distinction is made between strong verbs (that exhibited ablaut) and weak verbs (that didn't).

Furthermore, there were also some irregular verbs.

Strong verbs

The present tense conjugation went as follows:

German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: nëmen
to take
IndicativeSubjunctive
1. sg.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ich n'''i'''me German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ich nëme
2. sg.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: du n'''i'''m(e)st German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: du nëmest
3. sg.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ër n'''i'''m(e)t German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: er nëme
1. pl.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: wir nëmen German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: wir nëmen
2. pl.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ir nëm(e)t German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ir nëmet
3. pl.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: sie nëment German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: sie nëmen

The bold vowels demonstrate umlaut; the vowels in brackets were dropped in rapid speech.

The preterite conjugation went as follows:

German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: genomen haben
to have taken
IndicativeSubjunctive
1. sg.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ich n'''a'''m German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ich n'''æ'''me
2. sg.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: du n'''æ'''me German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: du n'''æ'''mest
3. sg.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ër n'''a'''m German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: er n'''æ'''me
1. pl.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: wir n'''â'''men German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: wir n'''æ'''men
2. pl.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ir n'''â'''met German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ir n'''æ'''met
3. pl.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: sie n'''â'''men German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: sie n'''æ'''men

Weak verbs

The present tense conjugation went as follows:

German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: suochen
to seek
IndicativeSubjunctive
1. sg.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ich suoche German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ich suoche
2. sg.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: du suoch(e)st German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: du suochest
3. sg.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ër suoch(e)t German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: er suoche
1. pl.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: wir suochen German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: wir suochen
2. pl.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ir suoch(e)t German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ir suochet
3. pl.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: sie suochent German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: sie suochen

The vowels in brackets were dropped in rapid speech.

The preterite conjugation went as follows:

German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: gesuocht haben
to have sought
IndicativeSubjunctive
1. sg.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ich suochete German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ich suochete
2. sg.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: du suochetest German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: du suochetest
3. sg.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ër suochete German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: er suochete
1. pl.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: wir suocheten German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: wir suocheten
2. pl.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ir suochetet German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ir suochetet
3. pl.German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: sie suochetent German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: sie suocheten

Vocabulary

In the Middle High German period, the rise of a courtly culture and the changing nature of knighthood was reflected in changes to the vocabulary. Since the impetus for this set of social changes came largely from France, many of the new words were either loans from French or influenced by French terms.

The French loans mainly cover the areas of chivalry, warfare and equipment, entertainment, and luxury goods:

Two highly productive suffixes were borrowed from French in this period:

Sample texts

Iwein

The text is the opening of Hartmann von Aue's Iwein

Commentary: This text shows many typical features of Middle High German poetic language. Most Middle High German words survive into modern German in some form or other: this passage contains only one word (German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: jehen 'say' 14) which has since disappeared from the language. But many words have changed their meaning substantially. German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: Muot (6) means 'state of mind' (cognates with mood), where modern German German: Mut means courage. German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: Êre (3) can be translated with 'honour', but is quite a different concept of honour from modern German German: Ehre; the medieval term focuses on reputation and the respect accorded to status in society.

Nibelungenlied

The text is the opening strophe of the German: [[Nibelungenlied]] .

Middle High GermanUns ist in alten mæren    wunders vil geseitvon helden lobebæren,    von grôzer arebeit,von freuden, hôchgezîten,    von weinen und von klagen,von küener recken strîten    muget ir nu wunder hœren sagen.

Modern German translationIn alten Erzählungen wird uns viel Wunderbares berichtetvon ruhmreichen Helden, von hartem Streit,von glücklichen Tagen und Festen, von Schmerz und Klage:vom Kampf tapferer Recken: Davon könnt auch Ihr nun Wunderbares berichten hören.

English translationIn ancient tales many marvels are told usof renowned heroes, of great hardshipof joys, festivities, of weeping and lamentingof bold warriors' battles — now you may hear such marvels told!

Commentary: All the MHG words are recognizable from Modern German, though German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: mære ("tale") and German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: recke ("warrior") are archaic and German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: lobebære ("praiseworthy") has given way to German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: lobenswert. Words which have changed in meaning include German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: arebeit, which means "strife" or "hardship" in MHG, but now means "work", and German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: hôchgezît ("festivity") which now, as German: Hochzeit, has the narrower meaning of "wedding".

Erec

The text is from the opening of Hartmann von Aue's Erec . The manuscript (the Ambraser Heldenbuch) dates from 1516, over three centuries after the composition of the poem.

Literature

See main article: Middle High German literature. The following are some of the main authors and works of MHG literature:

See also

References

Sources

Further reading

External links