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Branches of the same Tree
German and English were once closely related dialects of the same language family, spoken by Germanic tribes in modern-day northern Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Accordingly, both were pronounced very similarly until about the 5th century CE.
The Anglo-Saxon migration to Britain, however, set the dialects on two distinct evolutionary paths. On the European mainland, the Germanic dialects developed into Old High German, the precursor to modern German. Meanwhile, in Britain, the Anglo-Saxon dialects evolved into Old English, which later gave rise to modern English.
Two major phonetic shifts drove the pronunciation of German and English apart. The High German Consonant Shift, which began around 500 CE and lasted into the early Middle Ages – led to sharper German consonant sounds. Meanwhile, English retained a softer pronunciation of consonants. Several centuries later, The Great Vowel Shift, which occurred between 1400-1700, changed English standard vowels into diphthongs. Meanwhile, German retained the standard vowels.
Not all German dialects underwent these changes equally, though. Low German (spoken in northern regions) retained many older pronunciation features, keeping closer to English and Dutch. Similarly, many alpine dialects in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland were also less exposed to pronunciation changes, given their speakers’ relative geographical isolation.
Words From Far and Wide
Like its pronunciation, German vocabulary has undergone significant evolution over the centuries. The lexicon can be broadly divided into two categories: native German words and loanwords.
Native German words, also known as inherited words, form the bedrock of the language. They make up the majority of modern German vocabulary and trace their origins back to the early Germanic tribes. These words reflect their tribes’ daily lives, tools, possessions, and social structures. They’re typically simple in meaning – often concrete rather than abstract – and structure, usually consisting of just one or two syllables.
Loanwords, by contrast, were borrowed from other European languages – primarily through cultural and economic exchanges. The earliest and most significant foreign influence was Latin, introduced via the Roman Empire’s presence in Germanic territories. Italian left its most notable mark on German during the Baroque period (17th century), when it was at the forefront of artistic and musical innovation. French became a dominant influence during the Enlightenment (17th-18th century), when it enriched German in the realms of culture, diplomacy, and the arts. Its prominence, however, waned with the Industrial Revolution, which triggered an influx of English loanwords.
As a result, modern German vocabulary is a rich mosaic. Native German words make up over 70 percent, while loanwords account for approximately 30 percent . The main sources of loanwords are Latin, French, English, Italian, and Greek. Words from other origins exist as well but constitute just a small portion.
The majority of loanwords have been part of the German language for long enough to become partially adapted to it. This integration makes them nearly indistinguishable from native German words – both in appearance and sound. However, subtle traces of their origins remain, particularly in their pronunciation. These nuances are essential for formulating pronunciation guidelines, as we will see later.
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