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High German

 - 4 dictionary results

High German

 
Use High German in a Sentence
–noun
1. the group of West Germanic languages that in a.d. c400–c500 underwent the second consonant shift described by Grimm's Law. Abbreviation: HG
2. German (def. 4).
Origin:
1700–10

Ger⋅man

  [jur-muhn]
–adjective
1. of or pertaining to Germany, its inhabitants, or their language.
–noun
2. a native or inhabitant of Germany.
3. a descendant of a native of Germany.
4. Also called High German. an Indo-European language that is based on a High German dialect, is official in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and is also widely used as an international language for scholarship and science. Abbreviation: G, G.
5. Linguistics. any variety of West Germanic speech native to Germany, Austria, or Switzerland.
6. (usually lowercase) an elaborate social dance resembling a cotillion.
7. (lowercase) New England and South Atlantic States. a dancing party featuring the german.
Origin:
1520–30; < L Germānus German; c. Gk Germanoí (pl.)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To High German
High German   (hī)   
n.  

  1. German as indigenously spoken and written in Austria, Switzerland, and central and southern Germany.

  2. The standard variety of German used as the official language in Germany and Austria and as one of the official languages in Switzerland.


[Translation of German Hochdeutsch : hoch, high (from the mountainous terrain of the area in which it originated) + Deutsch, German.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

german  (1)
"of the same parents or grandparents," c.1300, from O.Fr. germain, from L. germanus "of brothers and sisters," related to germen (gen. germinis) "sprout, bud," dissimilated from PIE *gen(e)-men-, from base *gene- "to give birth, beget" (see genus).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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