1st Edition

The German Language Today A Linguistic Introduction

By Charles Russ Copyright 1994
    292 Pages
    by Routledge

    288 Pages
    by Routledge

    This clear and accessible text provides a complete introduction to basic linguistic terms and descriptions of language structures. The German Language Today describes in detail the main liguistic features of the language and the wide variety of speech forms and vocabulary existing within the German-speaking community. It also introduces sociolinguistic and linguistic topics as they relate to the German language, and illustrates them widely with examples. The German Language Today describes the sounds, inflectional processes, syntactic structures, competing forms and different layers of words in the language. Topics covered include: The distribution of German and its dialects The linguistic consequences of German reunification The application of modern linguistic concepts to German, incorporating the findings of the latest German linguistic research. The book has been written with the specific needs of students in mind. It will be invaluable to students of modern German linguistics or modern German society and will be a useful reference resource for postgraduates and teachers of German.

    1 Introduction 2 Variation in German 3 German in Austria 4 The German language in Switzerland 5 German in East Germany 6 Phonetics and phonology 7 German spelling and its reform 8 German grammar 9 Word formation 10 Vocabulary

    Biography

    Charles V.J.Russ is Reader in German and Linguistics at the University of York. His other books include Studies in Historical German Phonology and the edited collections The Dialects of Modern German and Foreign Influences on German: Past and Present.

    `All in all, a concise and valuable source of information and reference!' - Language Intl

    '...presents a simple, clear and didactically well-arranged book.' - Gerhard Nickel, University of Stuttgart (reviewed in IRAL)

    'The German Language Today is a clear and accessible introduction to the study of the German language. It is also a useful refernce for graduate students and teachers of German.' - Studies in Language