Paperback
Uncover the fascinating, complex evolution of the German language.

A History of German, 2nd Edition

What the Past Reveals about Today's Language

$85.20

  • Paperback

    468 pages

  • Release Date

    5 September 2018

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Summary

This book provides a detailed but accessible introduction to the development of the German language from the earliest reconstructable prehistory to the present day. Joe Salmons explores a range of topics in the history of the language, offering answers to questions such as:

  • How did German come to have so many different dialects and close linguistic cousins like Dutch and Plattdeutsch?
  • Why does German have ‘umlaut’ vowels and why do they play so many different roles in t…

Book Details

ISBN-13:9780198723028
ISBN-10:0198723024
Author:Joseph Salmons
Publisher:Oxford University Press
Imprint:Oxford University Press
Format:Paperback
Number of Pages:468
Edition:2nd
Release Date:5 September 2018
Weight:832g
Dimensions:20mm x 174mm x 247mm
A-Format
B-Format
C-Format
A History of German, 2nd Edition by Joseph Salmons - ISBN: 9780198723028
174 × 247 mm
A4
mm / in
What They're Saying

Critics Review

I strongly recommend this book to everybody interested in learning and/or teaching the history of German.

Review from previous edition Joseph Salmons has produced a brilliant and challenging book that is already spurring fruitful discussion and collaboration. This project will give students a real sense of our dynamic field, with its lively debates and intriguing open questions. For many students, Salmonss book and website will be their first taste of Germanic historical linguistics and perhaps their first exposure to linguistics of any kind. It will not be long before many young colleagues start telling us that what first turned them on to the serious study of language was A History of German. * David Fertig. Language, 07/07/14 *
an insightful, informative, and inspiring work of scholarship … A History of German is a major contribution to the fields of historical Germanic linguistics and historical linguistics in general, and it will certainly be useful to readers for many years to come. * John D. Sundquist, Journal of Germanic Linguistics 05/06/15 *
The book had its origin in material prepared for university courses, and the authors enthusiasm for the subject, his estimable command of current research, and his desire to communicate it to students are evident throughout. * Martin Durrell, The Modern Language Review 16/04/2014 *
I strongly recommend this book to everybody interested in learning and/or teaching the history of German. * Barbara Schlücker, Morphology 18/09/13 *
a most welcome addition to the existing literature on the history of the German language … a joy to read … an excellent volume. * Tonya Kim Dewey, Beitraege zur Geschichte der deutschen Sprache und Literatur 12/06/15 *

About The Author

Joseph Salmons

Joseph Salmons is the Lester W. J. “Smoky” Seifert Professor of Linguistics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he is also co-founder and Director of the Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures. His work focuses on language change in the context of linguistic theory, especially speech sounds. He serves as editor of Diachronica: International Journal for Historical Linguistics and his main publications include The Oxford Handbook ofHistorical Phonology (co-edited with Patrick Honeybone; OUP, 2015) and Germanic Heritage Languages in North America: Acquisition, Attrition, and Change (co-edited with Janne Bondi Johannessen; Benjamins, 2015).

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