Annotation
Aim of the course: In this course, students will be given a first insight into historiolinguistic issues as well as a systematic overview of the most important phonetic, morphological, lexical, syntactic and text linguistic developments since Old High German. The students should learn to understand linguistic-historically that the grammar and lexicon of the present, the entire spectrum of varieties of contemporary German, from dialect to youth language to the technical language of law, are the result of continuous language change. The main topics covered in the course are:
1. manifestations of the German language. The territorial, social and medial differentiation of the German language. Periodization of German. Language change and its description. The emergence of the New High German written language.
2. prehistory of the German language. Indo-European (relationships of the Indo-European languages). The Germanic languages.
3. old high German. Linguistic and cultural developments (historical-cultural preconditions. Linguistic characteristics).
4. middle high German. Linguistic and cultural developments (Historical-cultural preconditions. Linguistic characteristics).
5. early New High German. Linguistic and cultural developments (Historical-cultural preconditions. Linguistic characteristics).
6. new high German. Linguistic and cultural developments (Historical-cultural prerequisites. Linguistic characteristics).