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:

• the weakening of unstressed vowels to : OHG German, Old High (ca.750-1050);: taga, MHG German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: tage ("days")
• the full development of Umlaut and its use to mark a number of morphological categories
• the devoicing of final stops: OHG German, Old High (ca.750-1050);: tag > MHG German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: tac ("day")

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:

• Diphthongisation of the long high vowels pronounced as //iː yː uː// > pronounced as //aɪ̯ ɔʏ̯ aʊ̯//: MHG German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: hût > NHG German: Haut ("skin")
• Monophthongisation of the high centering diphthongs pronounced as //iə yə uə// > pronounced as //iː yː uː//: MHG German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: huot > NHG German: Hut ("hat")
• lengthening of stressed short vowels in open syllables: MHG German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: sagen pronounced as //zaɡən// > NHG German: sagen pronounced as //zaːɡən// ("say")
• The loss of unstressed vowels in many circumstances: MHG German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: vrouwe > NHG German: Frau ("lady")

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)

• West Central German (Westmitteldeutsch)
  • Central Franconian (Mittelfränkisch)
    • Ripuarian (Ripuarisch)
    • Moselle Franconian (Moselfränkisch)
  • Rhine Franconian (Rheinfränkisch)
  • Hessian (Hessisch)
• East Central German (Ostmitteldeutsch)
  • Thuringian (Thüringisch)
  • Upper Saxon (Obersächsisch)
  • Silesian (Schlesisch)
  • High Prussian (Hochpreußisch)

Upper German (Oberdeutsch)

• East Franconian (Ostfränkisch)
• South Rhine Franconian (Süd(rhein)fränkisch)
• Alemannic (Alemannisch)
  • North Alemannic (Nordalemannisch)
    • Swabian (Schwäbisch)
    • Low Alemannic (Niederalemannisch/Oberrheinisch)
  • High Alemannic/South Alemannic (Hochalemannisch/Südalemannisch))
• Bavarian (Bairisch)
  • Northern Bavarian (Nordbairisch)
  • Central Bavarian (Mittelbairisch)
  • Southern Bavarian (Südbairisch)

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:

• the marking of vowel length is almost entirely absent from MHG manuscripts.
• the marking of umlauted vowels is often absent or inconsistent in the manuscripts.
• a curly-tailed z (or) is used in modern handbooks and grammars to indicate the pronounced as //s// or pronounced as //s//-like sound which arose from Germanic pronounced as //t// in the High German consonant shift. This character has no counterpart in the original manuscripts, which typically use or to indicate this sound.
• the original texts often use and for the semi-vowels pronounced as //j// and pronounced as //w//.

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:

• Short vowels: and the umlauted vowels
• Long vowels: and the umlauted vowels
• Diphthongs: ; and the umlauted diphthongs

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:

• Stops:
• Affricates:
• Fricatives:
• Nasals:
• Liquids:
• Semivowels:

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

	front				central		back
	unrounded		rounded
	short	long	short	long	short	long	short	long
close	pronounced as /i/	pronounced as /iː/	pronounced as /y/	pronounced as /yː/			pronounced as /u/	pronounced as /uː/
close-mid	pronounced as /e/
mid	pronounced as /ɛ/	pronounced as /ɛː/	pronounced as /ø/	pronounced as /øː/			pronounced as /o/	pronounced as /oː/
open-mid	pronounced 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

	Bilabial	Labiodental	Alveolar	Postalveolar	Palatal	Velar	Glottal
Plosive	pronounced as /p/  pronounced as /b/		pronounced as /t/  pronounced as /d/			pronounced as /k/   pronounced as /ɡ/
Affricates	pronounced as /p͡f/		pronounced as /t͡s/
Nasal	pronounced 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/
Approximant	pronounced 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

Nominative	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ich	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: du	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ër	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: siu	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ëȥ	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: wir	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ir	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: sie / German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: siu
Accusative	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: mich	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dich	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: in	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: sie	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ëȥ	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: uns(ich)	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: iuch	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: sie / German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: siu
Dative	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: mir	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dir	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: im	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ir	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: im	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: uns	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: iu	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: in
Genitive	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: mîn	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dîn	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: sîn	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ir	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: sîn	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: unser	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: iuwer	German, 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)

Case	Masculine	Neuter	Feminine	Plural
Nominative	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: daȥ	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die / German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu
Accusative	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: daȥ	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die / German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu
Dative	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dëm		German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën
Genitive	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dës		German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër
Instrumental		German, 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.
	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
Nominative	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër tac	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die tage	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu gëbe	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die gëbe	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: daȥ wort	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu wort
Genitive	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dës tages	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër tage	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër gëbe	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër gëben	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dës wortes	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër worte
Dative	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dëm tage	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën tagen	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër gëbe	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën gëben	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dëm worte	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën worten
Accusative	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën tac	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die tage	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die gëbe	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die gëbe	German, 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.
	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
Nominative	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër gast	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die geste	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu kraft	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die krefte	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: daȥ lamp	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu lember
Genitive	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dës gastes	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër geste	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër kraft/krefte	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër krefte	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dës lambes	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër lember
Dative	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dëm gaste	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën gesten	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër kraft/krefte	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën kreften	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dëm lambe	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën lembern
Accusative	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën gast	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die geste	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die kraft	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die krefte	German, 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.
	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
Nominative	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër veter	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die veteren	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu zunge	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die zungen	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: daȥ herze	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: diu herzen
Genitive	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dës veteren	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër veteren	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër zungen	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër zungen	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dës herzen	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër herzen
Dative	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dëm veteren	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën veteren	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dër zungen	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën zungen	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dëm herzen	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën herzen
Accusative	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: dën veteren	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die veteren	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die zungen	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: die zungen	German, 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
	Indicative	Subjunctive
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

• Imperative: 2.sg.: German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: nim, 2.pl.: German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: nëmet
• Present participle: German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: nëmende
• Infinitive: German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: nëmen
• Verbal noun: genitive: German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: nëmen(n)es, dative: German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ze nëmen(n)e

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
	Indicative	Subjunctive
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

• Past participle: German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: genomen

Weak verbs

The present tense conjugation went as follows:

	German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: suochen to seek
	Indicative	Subjunctive
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

• Imperative: 2.sg: German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: suoche, 2.pl: German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: suochet
• Present participle: German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: suochende
• Infinitive: German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: suochen
• Verbal noun: genitive: German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: suochennes, dative: German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: ze suochenne

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
	Indicative	Subjunctive
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

• Past participle: German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: gesuochet

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:

• MHG German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: âventiure < OF French, Old (842-ca.1400);: aventure (NHG German: Abenteuer, "adventure")
• MHG German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: prîs < OF French, Old (842-ca.1400);: pris (NHG German: Preis, "prize, reward")
• MHG German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: lanze < OF French, Old (842-ca.1400);: lance (NHG German: Lanze, "lance")
• MHG German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: palas < OF French, Old (842-ca.1400);: palais (NHG German: Palast, "palace")
• MHG German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: fest, veste < OF French, Old (842-ca.1400);: feste (NHG German: Fest, "festival, feast")
• MHG German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: pinsel < OF French, Old (842-ca.1400);: pincel (NHG German: Pinsel, "paint brush")
• MHG German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: samît < OF French, Old (842-ca.1400);: samit (NHG German: Samt, "velvet")
• MHG German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: rosîn < OF French, Old (842-ca.1400);: raisin (NHG German: Rosine, "raisin")

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

• The noun suffix -German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: îe is seen initially in borrowings from French such as German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: massenîe ("retinue, household") and then starts to be combined with German nouns to produce, for example, German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: jegerîe ("hunting") from German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: jeger ("huntsman"), or German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: arzatîe, arzenîe ("medicine ") from German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: arzat ("doctor"). With the Early New High German diphthongization the suffix became /ai/ (spelling ) giving NHG German: Jägerei, German: Arznei.
• The verb suffix -German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: îeren resulted from adding the German infinitive suffix -en to the Old French infinitive endings -er/ir/ier. Initially, this was just a way of integrating French verbs into German syntax, but the suffix became productive in its own right and was added to non-French roots: MHG German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: turnîeren is based on OF French, Old (842-ca.1400);: tourner ("to ride a horse"), but German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: halbieren ("to cut in half") has no French source.

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:

• Lyric poetry
  • Minnesang
    • Codex Manesse
    • Reinmar von Hagenau
    • Walther von der Vogelweide
    • Heinrich Frauenlob
  • Oswald von Wolkenstein
• Epic
  • German: [[Nibelungenlied]]
  • German: [[Kudrun]]
• Chivalric romance
  • Hartmann von Aue's German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: [[Erec (poem)|Erec]] and German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: [[Iwein]]
  • Wolfram von Eschenbach's German: [[Parzival]]
  • Gottfried von Strassburg's German: [[Tristan]]
  • Ulrich von Türheim's German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: Rennewart and German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: [[Willehalm]]
  • Rudolf von Ems's works
  • Konrad von Würzburg's works
  • Eilhart von Oberge's German, Middle High (ca.1050-1500);: Tristrant
• German: [[Spielmannsdichtung]]
  • German: [[King Rother]]
  • German: [[Herzog Ernst]]
• Chronicles
  • German: [[Annolied]]
  • Jans der Enikel's German: Weltchronik and German: Fürstenbuch
  • German: [[Kaiserchronik]]
• Law
  • German: [[Sachsenspiegel]]

See also

• High German consonant shift
• Matthias Lexer

References

• Book: Brockhaus, Wiebke . Final Devoicing in the Phonology of German. De Gruyter . 1995 . Tübingen. 9783484303362.
• Book: Freytag. Hartmut . Maurer . Friedrich . Rupp . Heinz . Deutsche Wortgeschichte . 1959 . de Gruyter . Berlin, New York . 1. 3-11-003627-4 . 3rd . Frühmittelhochdeutsch 1065–1170. 165–188. 10.1515/9783110841916.165.
• Book: Keller, R.E. . The German Language. Faber and Faber . 1978 . London. 0-571-11159-9.
• Book: Kunisch. Hermann . Maurer . Friedrich . Rupp . Heinz . Deutsche Wortgeschichte . 1959 . de Gruyter . Berlin, New York . 1. 3-11-003627-4 . 3rd . Spätes Mittelalter 1250–1500. 255–322. 10.1515/9783110841916.255.
• Book: Lexer, Matthias . Mittelhochdeutsches Taschenwörterbuch. 38 . S. Hirzel Verlag . 1999 . Stuttgart . 5 May 2017. 978-3777604930.
• Encyclopedia: Lindgren . Kai B. . Althaus HP, Henne H, Wiegand HE . Lexikon der Germanistischen Linguistik . Mittelhochdeutsch . 1980 . 2 . Niemeyer . III . Tübingen . 3-484-10391-4 . 580–584.
• Book: Öhmann . Emil . Maurer . Friedrich . Rupp . Heinz . Deutsche Wortgeschichte . 1959 . de Gruyter . Berlin, New York . 3-11-003627-4 . 3rd . Der romanische Einfluß auf das Deutsche bis zum Ausgang des Mittelalters. 321–396. 1. 10.1515/9783110841916.323.
• Book: Paul, Hermann . Hermann Paul . Wiehl, Peter . Grosse, Sigfried . 1989 . Mittelhochdeutsche Grammatik . 23rd . Tübingen . Niemeyer . 3484102330 . registration .
• Book: Paul, Hermann . Hermann Paul . Thomas Klein . Hans-Joachim Solms . Klaus-Peter Wegera . 2007 . Mittelhochdeutsche Grammatik . 25th . Tübingen . Niemeyer . 978-3484640344.
• Encyclopedia: Rautenberg . Ursula . Besch W, Reichmann O, Sonderegger S . Sprachgeschichte . Soziokulturelle Voraussetzung und Sprachraum des Mittelhochdeutschen . 1985 . Walter De Gruyter . Berlin, New York . 2 . 2 . 1120–29 . 3-11-009590-4 .
• Encyclopedia: Roelcke . Thorsten . Besch W, Betten A, Reichmann O, Sonderegger S . Sprachgeschichte . Die Periodisierung der deutschen Sprachgeschichte . 1998 . 2nd . Walter De Gruyter. Berlin, New York . 2 . 1 . 798–815 . 3-11-011257-4 .
• Book: Schmidt . Wilhelm . Geschichte Der Deutschen Sprache : Ein Lehrbuch Fur Das Germanistische Studium . 2013 . Hirzel . Stuttgart . 9783777622729.
• Book: Tschirch . Fritz . Geschichte der Deutschen Sprache . 1975 . Erich Schmidt . Berlin . 3503007857 . 2nd. <
• Book: Waterman, John T. . A History of the German Language . University of Washington Press . 1976 . Revised . 0-295-73807-3 . registration .
• Book: Wells, C. J. . German: A Linguistic History to 1945 . Oxford University Press . 1987 . 0-19-815809-2.
• Book: Wießner. Edmund . Maurer . Friedrich . Rupp . Heinz . Deutsche Wortgeschichte . 1959 . de Gruyter . Berlin, New York . 1. 3-11-003627-4 . 3rd . Höfisches Rittertum 1200–1300. 187–243. 10.1515/9783110841916.189.

Sources

• Book: Bartsch . Karl . De Boor . Helmut. Das Nibelungenlied. 22 . F.A. Brockhaus. 1988 . Mannheim. 3-7653-0373-9.
• Book: Brackert. Helmut . Das Nibelungenlied. Mittelhochdeutscher Text und Übertragung . Fischer. 1970 . Frankfurt-am-Main. 3436013137.
• Web site: Edrich. Brigitte. Hartmann von Aue: Erec, Handschrift A . 2014. Hartmann von Aue Portal . 17 February 2018.
• Book: Edwards . Cyril . Hartmann von Aue. Erec . Arthurian Archives. German Romance. V. D.S.Brewer . 2014 . Cambridge . 978-1-84384-378-8.
• Book: Edwards . Cyril . Hartmann von Aue. Iwein or the Knight with the Lion . Arthurian Romances. III. D.S.Brewer . 2007 . Cambridge . 978-0-19-923854-5.
• Book: Edwards . Cyril . The Nibelungenlied. Oxford World's Classics. Oxford University Press . 2010 . Oxford . 978-1-84384-084-8.
• Book: Leitzmann. Albert . Erec . Altdeutsche Textbibliothek. 19. 6th. Niemeyer . 1985. Tübingen. 3-484-20139-8.

Further reading

• Jones, Howard; Jones, Martin H. (2019). The Oxford Guide to Middle High German, Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. .
• Walshe, M.O'C. (1974). A Middle High German Reader: With Grammar, Notes and Glossary, Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. .
• Wright, Joseph & Walshe, M.O'C. (1955). Middle High German Primer, 5th edn., Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. The foregoing link is to a TIFF and PNG format. See also the Germanic Lexicon Project's edition, which is in HTML as well as the preceding formats.

External links

• Middle High German conceptual database
• Online versions of the two main MHG dictionaries
• Middle High German audio literature