Editing German language (section)

== History ==
German developed from the West Germanic dialects spoken in central Europe during the early medieval period. The High German consonant shift separated the High German dialects from Low German and other western Germanic varieties.

Old High German was used from about the eighth century until the eleventh century. Much of its surviving record consists of religious writing. Glosses and legal documents also preserve the language, while poetry forms another part of the surviving corpus.

Middle High German developed during the eleventh century. It was used in court literature and religious writing. Administrative documents and regional records also used Middle High German, although written forms differed because the German-speaking territories remained politically divided between secular rulers, ecclesiastical states and self-governing cities.

Early New High German developed from the fourteenth century onward. Printing increased the circulation of written material between regions, while territorial administrations produced more records in German. Martin Luther's German translation of the New Testament was published in 1522, followed by a complete Bible in 1534. Its wide circulation influenced spelling and vocabulary, although regional written forms remained common.

Schools and publishing later encouraged a more uniform standard. Government administration reinforced common written practices, while dictionaries recorded accepted spelling. The first edition of the ''Duden'' spelling dictionary was published in 1880. Standard German subsequently developed separate national forms in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, which remain mutually intelligible.