deutsch

Deutsch, in English commonly called German, is a West Germanic language spoken primarily in Central Europe. The name Deutsch derives from Old High German diutisk, meaning “of the people” or “vernacular,” related to teudisk. The language belongs to the Indo-European family, within the West Germanic branch, and descends from Old High German. Today it has a broad speaker base in Europe and among diaspora communities worldwide.

Geographic distribution and status: German is the official language of Germany and Austria; one of the four national languages of Switzerland; the official language of Liechtenstein; and one of three official languages of Luxembourg. It is also a recognised minority language in Belgium and has regional presence in northern Italy (South Tyrol). German-speaking communities exist across many countries due to immigration and historical settlement.

Standard and varieties: Standard German (Hochdeutsch) is used in education, media, government, and most writing, while numerous regional dialects exist, including Bavarian, Swabian, and Alemannic, as well as Low German (Plattdeutsch). The language uses the Latin alphabet with umlauts (ä, ö, ü) and the sharp S (ß). Orthography was standardized in the 19th and 20th centuries, with major reforms implemented in 1996 and updated later.

History and development: German evolved from Old High German (circa 700–1050), through Middle High German (1050–1350) to Early New High German (14th–18th century). The Luther Bible translation in the 16th century played a pivotal role in standardizing vocabulary and spelling. Modern German emerged in the 18th–19th centuries, continuing to evolve through education, media, and international use.