diutsch
Middle High German
Indo-European (Germanic, West) · historical / hidden variety
Middle High German is the form of High German between Old High German and Early New High German. It is the language of the Nibelungenlied, the Minnesänger (especially Walter von der Vogelweide), Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, and Gottfried von Strassburg's Tristan. The High German consonant shift was complete by the Middle High German period.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Middle High German
Water
wazzer
/ˈwatser/
Fire
viur
/viur/
Sun
sunne
/ˈzunːə/
Moon
mâne
/ˈmaːnə/
Mother
muoter
/ˈmuoːtər/
Father
vater
/ˈfatər/
Eat
ezzen
/ˈetsən/
Drink
trinken
/ˈtrinkən/
Love
minne
/ˈminːə/
Heart
herze
/ˈhertsə/
Tree
boum
/boum/
House
hûs
/huːs/
Dog
hunt
/hunt/
Cat
katze
/ˈkatsə/
Hand
hant
/hant/
Eye
ouge
/ˈouɡə/
Hello
gegrüezet
/ɡəˈɡryːətsət/
Thank you
danc
/daŋk/
One
ein
/ein/
Good
guot
/ɡuoːt/
Sources
- Paul (2007) — Mittelhochdeutsche Grammatik
- Glottolog: midd1343
Words compared
Compared with related Indo-European (Germanic, West) languages
| Meaning | Middle High German | Old High German | Old Saxon | Early New High German (Luther-era) | Middle English | Saterland Frisian | Yiddish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | wazzer /ˈwatser/ | wazzar /ˈwatsar/ | watar /ˈwatar/ | Wasser /ˈvasːər/ | water /watər/ | Woater /ˈvɔːtɐ/ | וואַסער /vasər/ |
| Fire | viur /viur/ | fiur /fiur/ | fiur /fiur/ | Fewr /foɪ̯r/ | fyr /fyːr/ | Fjuur /fjuːɐ/ | פֿײַער /fajər/ |
| Sun | sunne /ˈzunːə/ | sunna /ˈsunna/ | sunna /ˈsunːa/ | Sonne /ˈzɔnə/ | sonne /sɔnːə/ | Sunne /ˈzʊnə/ | זון /zun/ |
| Moon | mâne /ˈmaːnə/ | māno /ˈmaːno/ | māno /ˈmaːno/ | Mond /moːnt/ | mone /moːnə/ | Moune /ˈmoːnə/ | לבֿנה /ləvɔnə/ |
| Mother | muoter /ˈmuoːtər/ | muoter /ˈmuotɛr/ | muoder /ˈmuodər/ | Mutter /ˈmʊtər/ | moder /moːdər/ | Mäme /ˈmɛːmə/ | מאַמע /mamə/ |
| Father | vater /ˈfatər/ | fater /ˈfatɛr/ | fader /ˈfadər/ | Vater /ˈfaːtər/ | fader /faːdər/ | Babe /ˈbaːbə/ | טאַטע /tatə/ |
| Eat | ezzen /ˈetsən/ | ezzan /ˈetsan/ | etan /ˈetan/ | essen /ˈɛsːən/ | eten /eːtən/ | ete /ˈeːtə/ | עסן /ɛsn/ |
| Drink | trinken /ˈtrinkən/ | trinkan /ˈtrinkan/ | drinkan /ˈdrinkan/ | trincken /ˈtrɪŋkən/ | drinken /drɪŋkən/ | drinke /ˈdrɪŋkə/ | טרינקען /trɪŋkən/ |
| Love | minne /ˈminːə/ | minna /ˈminna/ | minnea /ˈminːea/ | Liebe /ˈliːbə/ | love /lʊvə/ | Lieuwde /ˈljœːʊdə/ | ליבע /libə/ |
| Heart | herze /ˈhertsə/ | herza /ˈhertsa/ | herta /ˈherta/ | Hertz /hɛrt͡s/ | herte /hɛrtə/ | Häärt /hɛːrt/ | האַרץ /harts/ |
| Tree | boum /boum/ | boum /boum/ | bōm /boːm/ | Bawm /baʊm/ | tre /treː/ | Boom /boːm/ | בוים /bɔɪm/ |
| House | hûs /huːs/ | hūs /huːs/ | hūs /huːs/ | Hauß /haʊs/ | hous /huːs/ | Huus /huːs/ | הויז /hɔɪz/ |
| Dog | hunt /hunt/ | hunt /hunt/ | hund /hund/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | hound /huːnd/ | Huund /huːnt/ | הונט /hunt/ |
| Cat | katze /ˈkatsə/ | kazza /ˈkatsa/ | katta /ˈkatːa/ | Katze /ˈkat͡sə/ | catte /katːə/ | Kat /kat/ | קאַץ /kats/ |
| Hand | hant /hant/ | hant /hant/ | hand /hand/ | Handt /hant/ | hand /hand/ | Hounde /ˈhɔʊndə/ | האַנט /hant/ |
| Eye | ouge /ˈouɡə/ | ouga /ˈouɡa/ | ōga /ˈoːɡa/ | Aug /aʊk/ | eye /iːə/ | Oge /ˈɔːɣə/ | אויג /ɔɪɡ/ |
| Hello | gegrüezet /ɡəˈɡryːətsət/ | heil /heil/ | heil /heil/ | Gott zum Gruß /ɡɔt t͡sʊm ɡruːs/ | hail /hɛːl/ | Moin /moin/ | שלום־עליכם /ʃoləm aleɪxəm/ |
| Thank you | danc /daŋk/ | danc /daŋk/ | thank /θaŋk/ | Danck /daŋk/ | gramercy /ɡraːmɛrsiː/ | Bedoankje /bəˈdɔːŋkjə/ | אַ דאַנק /a daŋk/ |
| One | ein /ein/ | ein /ein/ | ēn /eːn/ | eyn /aɪ̯n/ | oon /oːn/ | aan /ˈɔːn/ | איינס /eɪns/ |
| Good | guot /ɡuoːt/ | guot /ɡuot/ | gōd /ɡoːd/ | gut /ɡuːt/ | good /ɡoːd/ | goud /ɡoʊt/ | גוט /ɡut/ |
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