Middle High German
Conjugate VerbsFacts
- Language: Middle High German
- Alternate names:
- Language code: gmh
- Language family: Indo-European, Classical Indo-European, Germanic, Northwest Germanic, West Germanic, High German, Upper German, Middle-Modern High German
- Number of speakers: Extinct
- Script: Latin alphabet, Gothic script
More information:
Introduction
Middle High German is the term used for the period in the history of the German language between 1050 and 1350.
Middle High German is not a unified written language and the term covers two main dialect areas:
- Upper German (Oberdeutsch)
- Central German or Middle German (Mitteldeutsch)
German Language Periods
- Old High German is the earliest stage of the German language, conventionally covering the period from around 500 to 1050 CE.
- Middle High German is the term used for the period in the history of the German language between 1050 and 1350.
- Modern German is the language spoken today.
The verb
The Old High German verb had
- 3 Moods: Indicative, Subjunctive, and Imperative;
- 2 Tenses: Present and Preterite;
- 2 Numbers: Singular and Plural;
- 3 persons
Sample verb nëmen 'to take'
| Person | Indicative | Subjunctive | Imperative | ||
| Present | Preterite | Present | Preterite | ||
| Sg.1 | nime | nam | nëme | næme | - |
| Sg.2 | nim(e)st | næme | nëmest | næmest | nim |
| Sg.3 | nim(e)t | nam | nëme | næme | - |
| Pl.1 | nëmen | na'men | nëmen | næmen | - |
| Pl.2 | nëm(e)t | na'met | nëmet | næmet | nëmet |
| Pl.3 | nëment | na'men | nëmen | næmen | - |
Nibelungenlied
The Nibelungenlied, translated as The Song of the Nibelungs, is an epic poem written around 1200 in Middle High German.Paralleltexts
References
- Weinhold et al. Kleine Mittelhochdeutsche Grammatik. Stuttgart, 1972.