page_title: History of German
section_title: Old High German
hierarchical_section_title: History of German / High German / Old High German
caption_attribution_description: English: The different West Germanic language regions in the Old-German period (around the year 962 when Otto I was emperor), based on the map DeutschesSprachgebiet962.png; Data for the different regions taken from "Köbler, Gerhard, Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, (4. Auflage) 1993"; See also: Oldhighgerman Dictionary - University of Innsbruck (german) All 5 indicated West Germanic language variants have undisputed documents and primary sources. Old Thuringian has no undisputed primary sources and is hence not indicated on the map, but marked as Franconian. Lombardic and Old English aren't indicated either. Caption in Standard German says the following (from top to bottom): Old Franconian (Rhine, Mosel, Central and Low Franconian) Old Alemannic Old Bavarian Old Saxon Old Frisian (should not be included on the map) Borders: Mind that the borders drawn on this map are only approximate. Not enough data has been handed down from the Early Medieval Period to guarantee 100% accuracy for any historic conclusion. Undisputed primary sources before the year 1000 are, e.g. for: Old Franconian: Augsburger Gebet, Fuldaer Berichte, Fränkisches Taufgelöbnis, Hammelburger Markbeschreibung, Kölner Taufgelöbnis, Lex Rivaria, Lorscher Bienensegen, Mainzer Beichte, Merseburger Gebetsbruchstücke, Pfälzer Beichte, Pariser Tatianfragmente, Reichenauer Beichte, Rheinfränkische Cantica, Trierer Capitulare, Trierer Verse wider den Teufel, Würzburger Beichte, Weißenburger Katechismus, Würzburger Markbeschreibung. Old Alemannic: Alemannische Psalmenübersetzung, Benediktinerregel, St. Galler Schularbeit (Brief Ruodperts), St. Galler Schreibvers, St. Galler Sprichwörter, St. Galler Spottverse, Notker, Notker Glossator, Otfrid of Weissenburg, Physiologus, Weingartner Buchunterschrift. Old Bavarian: Altbayrische Beichte, Bruchstücke einer Beiche (Vorauer Beichte), Altbayrisches Gebet, Carmen ad Deum, Exhortatio ad plebem christianam, Freisinger Paternoster, Hildebrandslied, Jüngere Bayrische Beichte (1000), Kassel Conversations, Mondseer Fragmente (Vienna fragments), Freisinger Petruslied, Pro Nessia, Psalm 138, Sigharts Gebet, Wessobrunn Prayer, Wiener Hundesegen, Abrogans (disputed), Muspilli (disputed) Old Saxon: Sächsische Psalmenbruchstücke, (De Henrico), (Hildebrandslied)
context_page_description: The appearance of the German language begins in the Early Middle Ages with the High German consonant shift. Old High German, Middle High German, and Early New High German span the duration of the Holy Roman Empire. The 19th and 20th centuries saw the rise of Standard German and a decrease of dialectal variety.
  The 20th century brought around the German catastrophe. After World War I, the use of German was suppressed and discouraged due to the anti-German sentiment, but nevertheless it did not inflict any lasting damage to its Sprachraum nor its lingua franca status in some areas. However, after World War II, territorial changes implemented by the Allies practically removed the German language from large parts of Central and Eastern Europe that were inhabited by German-speaking populations beginning in the 12th century. It contributed to moribundness and extinction of some local dialects like Silesian German, High Prussian, or East Pomeranian dialects. It also damaged the language's status in Central-Western and Central-Southern Europe, where anti-German sentiment became even greater than before the war.
context_section_description: The earliest testimonies of Old High German are from scattered Elder Futhark inscriptions, especially in Alemannic, from the 6th century, the earliest glosses (Abrogans) date to the 8th and the oldest coherent texts (the Hildebrandslied, the Muspilli and the Merseburg Incantations) to the 9th century.
caption: The Germanic speaking area within the Holy Roman Empire, c. 962, detailing the distribution of Alemannic, Bavarian, Frankish, Saxon, and Frisian.
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