History of the German Language (Revised Edition) [Paperback]

John T. Waterman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0881335908 | ISBN-13: 978-0881335903 | Publication Date: March 1991 | Edition: Revised

The most accessible, well-balanced history of the German language available! No comparable work is available in English or German that gives readers an adequate foundation in the methods, goals, and results of historico-comparative linguistics as they apply to the German language and its historical antecedents. Waterman's monograph excels through its clear presentation of materials, the extensive use of charts and maps, and a well- organized bibliography. A wealth of examples document a surprisingly broad review of German language issues.

Product Details

• Paperback: 284 pages
• Publisher: Waveland Pr Inc; Revised edition (March 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881335908
• ISBN-13: 978-0881335903
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #866,021 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars thorough for beginners, not inaccessable, March 8, 2002

By 

"beta-fish" (TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: History of the German Language (Revised Edition) (Paperback)

This book covers all of the main concepts you will need to know when studying history of the German language. It's very organized and was great help to me as I was getting my German degree. It was also the only book I could find on the subject in English at the time (this was 2 years ago) and had to special order it. Also- if you are using "Geschichte der deutschen Sprache" by Peter von Polenz in a class and are struggling with translation you REALLY need the Waterman! It will clarify much of the von Polenz.
If you are looking into getting this book, you're probably interested in specific content, so here is a list of the chapters:
Ch. 1 Indo-European (pg.3-18)
Ch. 2 Germanic (pg. 20-49)
Ch. 3 Old High German Period from Beginnings to 1050 (pg 52- 81)
Ch. 4 Middle High German Period 1050-1350 (pg 83-97)
Ch. 5 Early New High German Period, 1350-1600 (pg 102-135)
Ch. 6 New High German Period 1600-1800 (pg 137-147)
Ch. 7 New High German Period from 1800 (pg 163- 193)
Ch. 8 A Brief Description of the Sounds of German (pg 201-208)
Appendix 1: Plates
Appendix 2: Maps
Bibliography (pg 233-275)
Index
If you are a German studies student this is a must have, but
even if you don't have a background in linguistics and are interested in european history, you are likely to find the Waterman fascinating.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best consumed by Advanced Students of German or Linguistics, February 19, 2010

By 

W. T. Hoffman "artist and musician" (Pennsylvania, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A history of the German language : with special reference to the cultural and social forces that shaped the standard literary language (Hardcover)

Everything the other reviewer has said completely applies, however, I'd like to add a couple of caveats for those who might want to check out this book. Altho it's in english, the large sections of German lyrics, mideavel mysticism, poetry, german bible translations, or simply german words transformed from ancient to modern forms, are not at all translated. I would not suggest buying this book, unless you are fluent, or nearly so, in German. Also, if you have never studied linguistics, or an ancient indo European language (ie, Ancient Greek, Latin or Sanskrit), I think you'll be frustrated with the book. I've studied Latin, I'm nearly fluent in German, and I'm familier with Anglo Saxon. I've looked into Russian, and even have a linguistics course under my belt. So I didnt find the book to be over my head, but rather, totally fascinating. Besides the German cultural history, you get a HUGE dose of Ancient European and near Eastern history, especially early Indo-European tribal migrations. Germanic tribes invading the Roman empire spread Germanic vocabulary influence from Spain to The Black Sea (where the East German, ie GOTHIC, language lived.) German cognates exist all over Europe. The constant back and forth between ancient germanic and romance languages, explains the derivation of our modern western European languages. The long transistional vocabulary lists from old germanic, Old High German, and middle High german, into the modern forms, helps in reconstructing the changing meanings of modern German words, as well as picking up more german vocabulary. I still had many limits in my ability to get all I could from the book. Had I read more ancient Latin and Greek historians, and had a better understanding of German dialects, (as a native German might have), I would have ingested much more information from the book. Still many questions were answered, not only about the history of Germanic languages, but also how sound and grammer changes occured to other Indo European languages, such as modern Russian. In conclussion, if you're an advanced student of German, or historical Linguistics, you'll enjoy the book. However, a casual student of word origins, or someone who had a couple years of german in high school, or someone gathering info about ancient european tribal movements, I'd stay clear of this book. There are tons of beginner's books on linguistics, and ancient northern European history, which would be better suited for your needs.