Check nearby libraries
Buy this book
Thousands of years ago, seafront clans in Denmark began speaking the earliest form of Germanic language--the first of six "signal events" that Ruth Sanders highlights in this marvelous history of the German language. Blending linguistic, anthropological, and historical research, Sanders presents a brilliant biography of the language as it evolved across the millennia. She sheds light on the influence of such events as the bloody three-day Battle of Kalkriese, which permanently halted the incursion of both the Romans and the Latin language into northern Europe, and the publication of Martin Luther's German Bible translation, a "People's" Bible which in effect forged from a dozen spoken dialects a single German language. The narrative ranges through the turbulent Middle Ages, the spread of the printing press, the formation of the nineteenth-century German Empire which united the German-speaking territories north of the Alps, and Germany's twentieth-century military and cultural horrors. The book also covers topics such as the Gothic language (now extinct), the vast expansion of Germanic tribes during the Roman era, the role of the Vikings in spreading the Norse language, the branching off of Yiddish, the lasting impact of the Thirty Years War on the German psyche, the revolution of 1848, and much more. Ranging from prehistoric times to modern, post-war Germany, this engaging volume offers a fascinating account of the evolution of a major European language as well as a unique look at the history of the German people. It will appeal to everyone interested in German language, culture, or history. - Publisher.
Check nearby libraries
Buy this book
Subjects
German language, Social aspects, Sociolinguistics, Social aspects of German language, HistoryPlaces
GermanyShowing 1 featured edition. View all 1 editions?
Edition | Availability |
---|---|
1
German: biography of a language
2010, Oxford University Press
Hardcover
in English
0195388453 9780195388459
|
aaaa
Libraries near you:
WorldCat
|
Book Details
Table of Contents
Edition Notes
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Classifications
The Physical Object
ID Numbers
Community Reviews (0)
Feedback?History
- Created September 30, 2009
- 8 revisions
Wikipedia citation
×CloseCopy and paste this code into your Wikipedia page. Need help?
December 15, 2010 | Edited by 158.158.240.230 | Edited without comment. |
December 15, 2010 | Edited by 66.32.87.242 | Edited without comment. |
December 15, 2010 | Edited by 66.32.87.242 | Added new cover |
December 15, 2010 | Edited by 66.32.87.242 | Update covers |
September 30, 2009 | Created by ImportBot | Imported from Library of Congress MARC record |