“Diversity and Unity of the German Language”

German is one of the most important culture languages in the world, and like all languages it is constantly changing. Different varieties of German arise depending on who we communicate with, when and where, on what topic and in what medium. Thus our language is not only a language form defined in grammars and dictionaries, but is also a complex bundle of many overlapping language systems.

What elements count as German? Which language forms are of particular interest in the current state of the German language? And what is the role of standard German?

Working with extensive empirical material, the authors of the report have examined selected forms of German which are of particular interest regarding the current state of the language and which – in comparison with to standard German – are not as well researched to date. In this volume, the academies aim to provide basic information that can be used to inform public opinions as well as to define political decisions, for example in the field of education.

The first report was published in 2013 under the title “Reichtum und Armut der deutschen Sprache” (Wealth and Poverty of the German Language) on the subjects of vocabulary, Anglicisms, inflection and nominal style. Both reports were funded by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation.

To the publications: First Report / Second Report