Old High German

Introduction

Old High German was is the earliest stage of the German language. It was spoken in Southern and Central Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Old High German speaking areas around 950.

The main difference between Old High German and the West Germanic dialects from which it developed is that it underwent the Second Sound Shift or High German consonant shift. This is generally dated very approximately to the late 5th and early 6th centuries—hence dating its start to around 500. The result of this sound change is that the consonantal system of German remains different from all other West Germanic languages, including English and Low German.

Grammatically, however, Old High German remained very similar to Old English, Old Dutch, and Old Saxon.

The verb

The Old High German verb had

• 3 Moods: Indicative, Optative, and Imperative;
• 2 Numbers: Singular and Plural;
• 3 persons

Sample verb nëman 'to take'

Verblist

antwurten, arlosen, bachan, badon, bagan, beran, bergan, beton, biben, biginnan, bihroffen, bintan, biogan, biotan, biroufen, biskizan, bitten, biwintan, bizan, borgen, boron, brehhan, brennen, brestan, breton, bringan, briuwan, bruhhan, buan, dankon, denken, dihton, dolen, draen, dreskan, dringan, drucchen, eindrucchen, ezzan, faldan, fallan, faltan, faran, fasten, fehtan, felhan, findan, firsahhan, flehan, fliogan, fliohan, fluohhon, fogalon, folgen, friosan, fullen, fuolen, fuotaren, gangan, garwen, geban, geltan, gibintan, gifregnan, gileiten, gimanagfalton, ginen, ginenden, giozan, gisahhan, giwaltan, giwinnan, giwintan, glitan, gluoen, gnagan, grifan, haben, haltan, hangen, hazzon, heffen, heizen, heizzan, helfan, hevan, horen, houwan, hraffon, hruzzan, hullan, intbintan, irren, irron, jagon, jesan, jetan, jucchen, kiosan, klazz(j)an, koufon, krahhon, krimman, krimmjan, kruzigon, kweman, lazan, leben, leiben, leren, lernen, lesan, lezzen, lihhen, lobon, losen, lubon, mahhon, managfalton, meinen, meinian, minnon, miskan, miskian, mugan, munan, neman, nerien, niozan, niusen, pagan, queman, raspon, reichen, ridan, riohhan, risan, ritan, roufen, ruofan, sagen, sahhan, scephan, sciozzan, scolan, scouwon, sculan, seggen, sehan, sellen, singan, sinkan, sinnan, siodan, sitten, sizzen, skerzan, skirmen, skirnjan, skritan, slafan, slahan, slihhan, spahhan, sprehhan, stadjan, stantan, stehhan, sterban, stoffon, stritan, sufton, suohhen, sweren, thankon, thionon, toufen, touwen, tragan, trinkan, triogan, triugan, tugan, tuomen, tuon, uualtan, uzneman, wahhen, wahsan, wahten, wanen, waron, weinon, wellen, werdan, werfan, wesan, widarsahhan, wintan, wisen, wizzan, wuntaron, wuofen, zellen, zeman, zittaron, zwehon, zwifalon, ƿerdan, ƿerpan.

References

• Braune, Wilhelm. Althochdeutsche Grammatik. Max Niemeyer Verlag. Tübingen, 1987.