The German language belongs to the Western Germanic Group of the Indo-European language family along with English, Frisian, and Dutch. German is the official language of German and Austria as well as one of the Official languages of Switzerland. "The recorded history of Germanic languages begins with their speakers’ first contact with the Romans, in the 1st century BCE. The history of the German language dates back over a thousand years, evolving from the early Germanic languages spoken by tribes in Central Europe. The earliest form of the language, known as Old High German (OHG), was spoken roughly between 500 and 1050 AD. This period saw significant regional variation, with different dialects emerging as the tribes spread across the continent. During the Middle Ages, the language continued to evolve, with influences from Latin due to the Christianization of the Germanic peoples, and from French as a result of cultural contact. The transition to Middle High German (MHG) occurred between 1050 and 1350, during which the language became more standardized in written form, especially in religious and literary texts.
 

The early Modern German language emerged in the 16th century, partly due to the influence of Martin Luther’s translation of the Bible into German. Luther’s work helped shape a more unified, standardized version of the language that spread through printing presses and education. By the 18th and 19th centuries, the development of a unified standard German was further promoted by intellectuals, writers, and educators. The establishment of German as a standard national language became a defining feature of the modern state, particularly after the unification of Germany in 1871. Throughout the 20th century and beyond, German continued to evolve with the rise of new media and globalization, yet it remains rooted in its historical dialectal and regional variations.

There are approximately 95 million native speakers and 85 million second language speakers throughout the the world.