Standard German

Standard German (also high German or High German ) refers to the codified in vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar and writing standards of the German language varieties.

Term

With standard German all standardized language varieties in the German-speaking area are referred to, and so distinguished from the non-standard language varieties: the dialects, colloquial languages ​​, trade languages ​​and sociolects. Standardized language varieties are used for cross-regional understanding.

The term Standard German is problematic in that there is no legitimate authority in the German language area, could set the standards in terms of rules for grammar and pronunciation of the German language. Unlike countries such as France, where the Académie française officially regulated, what is " real" French, there is thus no for all citizens "real" German. In the context of service regulations are available for German civil servants ( thus also teachers) and public sector employees a ( thus ) 'official High German ". Likewise, workers are mostly by work instructions to ensure compliance such as the " new German spelling " dependent (eg journalists). A private person may write and speak as she pleases ( in their spare time ) ( German ).

The often colloquially used for the standard German term high German referred to in the Germanic linguistics actually a group of dialects in central and southern Germany ( central and upper German ) delineating through the Benrather line from Low German.

Standards have put the manuals of individual scholars or groups of scholars. But these are never gone unchallenged, as their authors have even if they were based on observation language, chosen according to their own criteria, what you want as default and what is not. The consequence is that such works have undergone numerous revisions, in which was then recognized what was previously considered standard unconstitutional. For the debate is an example Theodor screen ' German pronunciation to call, but the original title " German stage pronunciation" shows that at first no general standard was intended. In the area of ​​grammar of the 4th band ( the grammar ) of the Duden series gained importance because the first band ( the German spelling ) by Minister of Education decree in the "old " Federal Republic of (pre- 1990) for decades as " prevail in all cases of doubt " ( as the subtitle still the 20th edition of 1991) was applied. The 3rd and 5th edition of the Duden grammar have undergone revisions, the recent developments in linguistics on the one hand and on the other in the language itself are followed. Both the theoretical conditions under which the criteria for the standards to be set up, as well as the language practice that deviated more and more from the ostensible standards have led to the formulation of new standards. Such competing grammars and are therefore descriptive rather difficult to use as normative and for many potential users for orientation.

The standard varieties of German are languages ​​on compensation plurizentrischer basis. A German, which is everywhere identical to all the words and phrases that do not exist.

Among the dialect groups, the Thuringian- Upper Saxon dialect group Anhalt dialect and the Eastern Frankish dialect group on most parallels to the written language. The low substrate German language has this changed the pronunciation. According to a widespread opinion, the written standard German as closely as slang ( "the best high German " ) in Hanover and the surrounding area is spoken. Low German dialects that were there originally native, there are hardly spoken. By the early 20th century, however, was the Prague German as "the best high German ".