Frühneuhochdeutsch (Luthers Sprache)
Early New High German (Luther-era)
Indo-European (Germanic, West, Frühneuhochdeutsch / Early New High German) · historical / hidden variety
Early New High German (Frühneuhochdeutsch, ENHG, c. 1350-1650) is the German of the Reformation: Luther's Bible (1522 NT, 1534 complete, 1545 final), Hans Sachs's plays, the Volksbücher tradition. Luther's East Central German (ostmitteldeutsch) Saxon chancery prose became the basis on which Modern Standard German (Hochdeutsch) was standardized in the following centuries. Distinct from Middle High German (gmh, 1050-1350) by the New High German Diphthongization (MHG mîn → ENHG mein "my", MHG hûs → ENHG haus "house", MHG iuwer → ENHG euer "your"). Distinct from Modern German (de) by archaic Fraktur-era spellings (Hauß for Haus, Danck for Dank, Hertz for Herz, Bawm for Baum) and pre-standard regional variation. The pedagogical canon taught in German Liceum classes for reading Luther, the Reformation pamphlet tradition, and ENHG literary corpus. Anchored at Wittenberg — Luther's home, site of the 95 Theses (1517), and center of Reformation print culture.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Early New High German (Luther-era)
Water
Wasser
/ˈvasːər/
Fire
Fewr
/foɪ̯r/
Sun
Sonne
/ˈzɔnə/
Moon
Mond
/moːnt/
Mother
Mutter
/ˈmʊtər/
Father
Vater
/ˈfaːtər/
Eat
essen
/ˈɛsːən/
Drink
trincken
/ˈtrɪŋkən/
Love
Liebe
/ˈliːbə/
Heart
Hertz
/hɛrt͡s/
Tree
Bawm
/baʊm/
House
Hauß
/haʊs/
Dog
Hund
/hʊnt/
Cat
Katze
/ˈkat͡sə/
Hand
Handt
/hant/
Eye
Aug
/aʊk/
Hello
Gott zum Gruß
/ɡɔt t͡sʊm ɡruːs/
Thank you
Danck
/daŋk/
One
eyn
/aɪ̯n/
Good
gut
/ɡuːt/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Indo-European (Germanic, West, Frühneuhochdeutsch / Early New High German) languages
| Meaning | Early New High German (Luther-era) | German | German (Austrian) | Pennsylvania German | Middle High German | East Franconian | Kölsch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Wasser /ˈvasːər/ | Wasser /vasɐ/ | Wasser /vasɐ/ | Wasser /vasər/ | wazzer /ˈwatser/ | Wasser /vasːə/ | Wasser /vasɐ/ |
| Fire | Fewr /foɪ̯r/ | Feuer /fɔɪ̯ɐ/ | Feuer /fɔɪɐ/ | Feier /faɪər/ | viur /viur/ | Feier /faɪɐ/ | Füer /fyːɐ/ |
| Sun | Sonne /ˈzɔnə/ | Sonne /zɔnə/ | Sonne /sɔnə/ | Sunn /sʊn/ | sunne /ˈzunːə/ | Sunn /sʊn/ | Sonn /zɔn/ |
| Moon | Mond /moːnt/ | Mond /moːnt/ | Mond /moːnt/ | Mund /mʊnt/ | mâne /ˈmaːnə/ | Maa /maː/ | Mond /moːnt/ |
| Mother | Mutter /ˈmʊtər/ | Mutter /mʊtɐ/ | Mutter /mʊtɐ/ | Mudder /mʊdər/ | muoter /ˈmuoːtər/ | Mudder /mʊdɐ/ | Moder /moːdɐ/ |
| Father | Vater /ˈfaːtər/ | Vater /faːtɐ/ | Vater /fɑːtɐ/ | Daadi /daːdi/ | vater /ˈfatər/ | Vadder /fadɐ/ | Vatter /fatɐ/ |
| Eat | essen /ˈɛsːən/ | essen /ɛsn̩/ | essen /ɛsn̩/ | esse /ɛsə/ | ezzen /ˈetsən/ | esse /ɛsə/ | esse /ɛsə/ |
| Drink | trincken /ˈtrɪŋkən/ | trinken /tʁɪŋkn̩/ | trinken /tʁɪŋkŋ/ | drinke /dɾɪŋkə/ | trinken /ˈtrinkən/ | trinke /trɪŋkə/ | drinke /dʁɪŋkə/ |
| Love | Liebe /ˈliːbə/ | Liebe /liːbə/ | Liebe /liːbə/ | liewe /liːvə/ | minne /ˈminːə/ | Liebe /liːbə/ | Leev /leːf/ |
| Heart | Hertz /hɛrt͡s/ | Herz /hɛʁt͡s/ | Herz /hɛɐt͡s/ | Hatz /hats/ | herze /ˈhertsə/ | Herz /hɛrts/ | Hätz /hɛts/ |
| Tree | Bawm /baʊm/ | Baum /baʊ̯m/ | Baum /baːm/ | Baam /baːm/ | boum /boum/ | Bauma /baʊmaː/ | Boum /baʊm/ |
| House | Hauß /haʊs/ | Haus /haʊ̯s/ | Haus /haʊs/ | Haus /haʊs/ | hûs /huːs/ | Haus /haʊs/ | Huus /huːs/ |
| Dog | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | hunt /hunt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hongk /hoŋk/ |
| Cat | Katze /ˈkat͡sə/ | Katze /kat͡sə/ | Katze /kɑt͡sə/ | Katz /kats/ | katze /ˈkatsə/ | Katz /kats/ | Katz /kats/ |
| Hand | Handt /hant/ | Hand /hant/ | Hand /hɑnt/ | Hand /hant/ | hant /hant/ | Hand /hand/ | Hand /hant/ |
| Eye | Aug /aʊk/ | Auge /aʊ̯ɡə/ | Auge /aːɡə/ | Aag /aːk/ | ouge /ˈouɡə/ | Aach /aːx/ | Auch /aʊx/ |
| Hello | Gott zum Gruß /ɡɔt t͡sʊm ɡruːs/ | Hallo /haloː/ | Servus /zɛɐvʊs/ | Hallo /haloː/ | gegrüezet /ɡəˈɡryːətsət/ | Grüß Gott /ɡrʏs ɡɔt/ | Tach /tax/ |
| Thank you | Danck /daŋk/ | Danke /daŋkə/ | Danke /daŋkə/ | Denki /dɛŋki/ | danc /daŋk/ | Vergelt's Gott /fɛɐɡɛlts ɡɔt/ | Dankeschön /daŋkəʃøːn/ |
| One | eyn /aɪ̯n/ | eins /aɪ̯ns/ | oans /ɑːns/ | eens /eːns/ | ein /ein/ | ans /ans/ | ein /aɪn/ |
| Good | gut /ɡuːt/ | gut /ɡuːt/ | gut /ɡuːt/ | gut /ɡuːt/ | guot /ɡuoːt/ | guad /ɡuə̯d/ | joot /joːt/ |
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