Syllabus
Theme
Single topic 1
Premises - Theory - Methods
GSubject areas of linguistic history 2
Premises - Theory - Methods
System-Norm - Parole / Diachrony -Synchrony Principles of language change 3
Language typology
Types of the langage
Indogermanic languages 4
Origin of German language
From Indo-European via Germanic to Old High German; linguistic phenomena: e.g. first sound shift 5
German language
Periodization of the German; Development of language geographical conditions in German; Second sound shift 6
The Old High German I
Language status: phonological-morphological: e.g. ablautgrades 7
The Old High German II
Socio-cultural conditions; text types 8
The Middle High German I
Language status: phonological-morphological: diphthongation, monophthongation, elevation, depression; 9
The Middle High German II
Sociocultural conditions Texts and types of texts; 10
The Early New High German I
Language status: phonological-morphological 11
The Early New High German II
Socio-cultural conditions; Texts and text types 12
The New High German
Genesis of the New High German written language
Scripticism, types of text
Annotation
In this course, the students should gain an initial insight into historiolinguistic questions such as a systematic overview of the most important phonetic, morphological, lexical, syntactic and textlinguistic developments since the Old High German. The students should learn to understand, that the language history that grammar and lexicon of the present, the entire variety spectrum of contemporary German, from dialect over the youth language to the jargon of law are the result of an ongoing language change.
The main topics covered in the course are:
• manifestations of the German language. The territorial, social and media differentiation of the German language. Periodization of the German. The language change and its description. The emergence of the New High German written language.
• Prehistory of the German. Indo-European (relationships of Indo-European languages). The Germanic languages.
• Old High German. Linguistic and cultural developments (historical-cultural prerequisites, linguistic characteristics).
• Middle High German. Linguistic and cultural developments (historical-cultural prerequisites, linguistic characteristics).
• Early New High German. Linguistic and cultural developments (historical-cultural prerequisites, linguistic characteristics).
• New High German. Linguistic and cultural developments (historical-cultural prerequisites, linguistic characteristics).