German Language & Literature

A History of the German Language Through Texts examines the evolution of German, from the Early Medieval period to the present day. Written in a lively and accessible style, the book looks at the history of German through a wide range of texts, from medical, legal and scientific writing to literature, everyday newspapers and adverts. All texts are translated and accompanied by commentaries. The book also offers a glossary of technical terms and abbreviations, a summary of the main changes in each historical period, a guide to reference material, and suggestions for further reading.

The first history of the German language to bridge the gap between the introductory handbook level and the more specialized journal articles, this volume offers students and teachers a treatment of the subject that is up to date, comprehensive, and stimulating. After outlining problems of language change and reviewing various theoretical approaches--including structuralist, generative, and sociolinguistic theories--Wells integrates internal and external linguistic history through the novel technique of perspective shift, using a different level of language to illustrate each period up to the 17th century. The author also discusses sociolinguistic developments in later medieval German, and provides a synthesis of recent material of the modern period that is not easily available.

The new edition of The Structure of German has been fully revised to take account of developments in the subject. The author describes German phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. He introduces linguistic theory in order to throw light on every aspect of the language, providing students with a linguistically informed and accessible approach to the description of the language.