The German Language: A Linguistic Introduction (review)

Penned with undergraduate and postgraduate English university students in mind, this textbook delivers a description of German and of linguistics in general within the framework of generative grammar. While the authors maintain that knowledge of German is not needed to use the book, few readers with no German would want to approach an introduction to linguistics based on German structures.

An introductory chapter approaches the fascinating question of a definition of German, including perceptions of German speakers, of non-German speakers, and of linguists. Turning to the issue of the language faculty, syntax emerges as the linguistic capability no animals except humans appear to have. The discussion of pragmatics, particularly how it relates to semantics, ensues. Here German could serve as a fine example of language-specific pragmatics, given its formal and informal ‘you’ morphemes, especially the case of one set of forms for both singular and plural formal (Sie, Ihnen, Ihr).

In concert with the authors’ chosen perspective, Ch. 2 (‘Syntax’) heads the five chapters that lead the students through grammar and is followed by ‘Morphology’, ‘Phonetics’, ‘Phonology’, and ‘Lexis’. The three final chapters are ‘Stylistics’, ‘Historical background’, and ‘Contemporary variation’. The authors are careful to outline numerous viewpoints on issues about which linguists do not agree; in an introductory textbook this is especially welcome as it supports a refined level of critical thinking. The chapters are largely self-contained so that instructors so inclined could alter the sequence of the material to suit their needs. Within the chapter on the history of German, the authors discuss phonology and morphology before syntax, a departure from the overall organization of the text. Generally, the chapters are clearly written, with useful examples provided throughout. The authors further foster critical reflection by raising questions about the accuracy of examples of linguistic terminology, such as slang, accent, or standard, thereby enhancing the students’ grasp of the nature of the discipline.

A few items need tidying up, such as occasional references to ‘Germans’ when ‘speakers of German’ is meant; also, not all German verb infinitives end in -en (e.g. sein, tun, entwickeln); finally, the ‘accident of birth[place]’ (3) is not as central to a child’s native language as is the locale where the child is raised—many children are raised in places with a language different from that of their birth mother.

It appears that the material in this textbook could be covered in a typical semester. Each chapter includes glossed lists of further reading, and Chs. 2–9 also contain exercises. Both of these components are welcome as sources for assignments and/or test items. The list of abbreviations is incomplete, and the index could be substantially improved. No introduction to the German language in English should fail to include at least passing mention of Mark Twain’s essay ‘The awful German language’ that appeared as an appendix to his A tramp abroad (1880) and that helps explain the typo (sie for Sie) on p. 190.