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
31 core words in Early New High German (Luther-era)
Water
Wasser
/ˈvasːər/
Fire
Fewr
/foɪ̯r/
Sun
Sonne
/ˈzɔnə/
Moon
Mond
/moːnt/
Star
Stern
/ʃtɛrn/
Mother
Mutter
/ˈmʊtər/
Father
Vater
/ˈfaːtər/
I
ich
/ɪç/
You
du
/duː/
Name
Name
/ˈnaːmə/
Eye
Aug
/aʊk/
Hand
Handt
/hant/
Heart
Hertz
/hɛrts/
Love
Liebe
/ˈliːbə/
Tree
Bawm
/baʊm/
House
Hauß
/haʊs/
Dog
Hund
/hʊnt/
Cat
Katze
/ˈkatsə/
Eat
essen
/ˈɛsːən/
Drink
trincken
/ˈtrɪŋkən/
One
eyn
/aɪ̯n/
Two
zwey
/tsvaɪ/
Hello
Gott zum Gruß
/ɡɔt tsʊm ɡruːs/
Thank you
Danck
/daŋk/
Good
gut
/ɡuːt/
Cuckoo
gukuk
/ˈɡukuk/
Computer
Rechenmeister
/ˈrɛçənˌmaɪstər/
Sushi
Stockfisch
/ˈʃtɔkfɪʃ/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Indo-European (Germanic, West, Frühneuhochdeutsch / Early New High German) languages
| Meaning | Early New High German (Luther-era) | German (Swiss) | German (Luxembourgish) | German | German (Austrian) | Pennsylvania German | Middle High German |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Wasser /ˈvasːər/ | Wasser /ˈvasər/ | Wasser /vasɐ/ | Wasser /vasɐ/ | Wasser /vasɐ/ | Wasser /vasər/ | wazzer /ˈwatser/ |
| Fire | Fewr /foɪ̯r/ | Feuer /ˈfɔɪ̯ər/ | Feuer /fɔɪ̯ɐ/ | Feuer /fɔɪ̯ɐ/ | Feuer /fɔɪɐ/ | Feier /faɪər/ | viur /viur/ |
| Sun | Sonne /ˈzɔnə/ | Sonne /ˈsɔnə/ | Sonne /zɔnə/ | Sonne /zɔnə/ | Sonne /sɔnə/ | Sunn /sʊn/ | sunne /ˈzunːə/ |
| Moon | Mond /moːnt/ | Mond /moːnt/ | Mond /moːnt/ | Mond /moːnt/ | Mond /moːnt/ | Muun /muːn/ | mâne /ˈmaːnə/ |
| Star | Stern /ʃtɛrn/ | Stern /ʃtɛrn/ | Stern /ʃtɛʁn/ | Stern /ʃtɛʁn/ | Stern /ʃtɛʁn/ | Schteern /ʃteːrn/ | sterne /ˈstɛrnə/ |
| Mother | Mutter /ˈmʊtər/ | Mutter /ˈmʊtər/ | Mutter /mʊtɐ/ | Mutter /mʊtɐ/ | Mutter /mʊtɐ/ | Mudder /mʊdər/ | muoter /ˈmuoːtər/ |
| Father | Vater /ˈfaːtər/ | Vater /ˈfaːtər/ | Vater /faːtɐ/ | Vater /faːtɐ/ | Vater /fɑːtɐ/ | Daadi /daːdi/ | vater /ˈfatər/ |
| I | ich /ɪç/ | ich /ɪx/ | ich /ɪç/ | ich /ɪç/ | ich /ɪç/ | ich /ɪç/ | ich /ix/ |
| You | du /duː/ | du /duː/ | du /duː/ | du /duː/ | du /duː/ | du /du/ | dû /duː/ |
| Name | Name /ˈnaːmə/ | Name /ˈnaːmə/ | Name /ˈnaːmə/ | Name /ˈnaːmə/ | Name /ˈnaːmə/ | Naame /ˈnaːmə/ | name /ˈnamə/ |
| Eye | Aug /aʊk/ | Auge /ˈaʊɡə/ | Auge /aʊ̯ɡə/ | Auge /aʊ̯ɡə/ | Auge /aːɡə/ | Aag /aːk/ | ouge /ˈouɡə/ |
| Hand | Handt /hant/ | Hand /hant/ | Hand /hant/ | Hand /hant/ | Hand /hɑnt/ | Hand /hant/ | hant /hant/ |
| Heart | Hertz /hɛrts/ | Herz /hɛrts/ | Herz /hɛʁts/ | Herz /hɛʁts/ | Herz /hɛɐts/ | Hatz /hats/ | herze /ˈhertsə/ |
| Love | Liebe /ˈliːbə/ | Liebe /ˈliːbə/ | Liebe /liːbə/ | Liebe /liːbə/ | Liebe /liːbə/ | liewe /liːvə/ | minne /ˈminːə/ |
| Tree | Bawm /baʊm/ | Baum /baʊm/ | Baum /baʊ̯m/ | Baum /baʊ̯m/ | Baum /baːm/ | Baam /baːm/ | boum /boum/ |
| House | Hauß /haʊs/ | Haus /haʊs/ | Haus /haʊ̯s/ | Haus /haʊ̯s/ | Haus /haʊs/ | Haus /haʊs/ | hûs /huːs/ |
| Dog | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | hunt /hunt/ |
| Cat | Katze /ˈkatsə/ | Katze /ˈkɑtːsə/ | Katze /katsə/ | Katze /katsə/ | Katze /kɑtsə/ | Katz /kats/ | katze /ˈkatsə/ |
| Eat | essen /ˈɛsːən/ | essen /ˈɛsn̩/ | essen /ɛsn̩/ | essen /ɛsn̩/ | essen /ɛsn̩/ | esse /ɛsə/ | ezzen /ˈetsən/ |
| Drink | trincken /ˈtrɪŋkən/ | trinken /ˈtrɪŋkn̩/ | trinken /tʁɪŋkn̩/ | trinken /tʁɪŋkn̩/ | trinken /tʁɪŋkŋ/ | drinke /dɾɪŋkə/ | trinken /ˈtrinkən/ |
| One | eyn /aɪ̯n/ | eins /aɪ̯ns/ | eins /aɪ̯ns/ | eins /aɪ̯ns/ | oans /ɑːns/ | eens /eːns/ | ein /ein/ |
| Two | zwey /tsvaɪ/ | zwei /tsvai/ | zwei /tsvaɪ/ | zwei /tsvaɪ/ | zwei /tsvai/ | zwee /tsveː/ | zwei /tsweɪ/ |
| Hello | Gott zum Gruß /ɡɔt tsʊm ɡruːs/ | Hallo /haˈloː/ | Hallo /haloː/ | Hallo /haloː/ | Servus /zɛɐvʊs/ | Hallo /haloː/ | gegrüezet /ɡəˈɡryːətsət/ |
| Thank you | Danck /daŋk/ | danke /ˈdaŋkə/ | danke /daŋkə/ | danke /daŋkə/ | Danke /daŋkə/ | Denki /dɛŋki/ | danc /daŋk/ |
| Good | gut /ɡuːt/ | gut /ɡuːt/ | gut /ɡuːt/ | gut /ɡuːt/ | gut /ɡuːt/ | gut /ɡuːt/ | guot /ɡuoːt/ |
| Cuckoo | gukuk /ˈɡukuk/ | Kuckuck /ˈkʊkʊk/ | Kuckuck /ˈkʊkʊk/ | Kuckuck /ˈkʊkʊk/ | Kuckuck /ˈkʊkʊk/ | — | gouch /ˈɡou̯x/ |
| Computer | Rechenmeister /ˈrɛçənˌmaɪstər/ | Computer /komˈpjuːtər/ | — | Computer /kɔmˈpjuːtɐ/ | Computer /kɔmˈpjuːtɐ/ | Computer /ˈkɔmpjuːtɐ/ | — |
| Sushi | Stockfisch /ˈʃtɔkfɪʃ/ | Sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | — | Sushi /ˈzuːʃi/ | Sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | — | stocvisch /ˈstɔkfiʃ/ |
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