EUROPEAN LANGUAGES. 



63 



The following is the Lord's Prayer in Saxon, as written about 

 A. D. 900. Uren Fader thic arth in Heofnas, sic gehalgud thin 

 noma, to cymeth thin ric, sic thin willa sue is in Heofnas and in 

 Eortho. Uren hlaf ofer irirthe selus to dseg, and forgef us scylda 

 urna sue ive forgefan scyldgum urum, and no inlead urith in cus- 

 tnung, al gefrig urich from ifle. Jlmen. 



The German language, is called by the Germans, die Deutsche 

 Sprache ; the name being derived from Tuisco, son of Theut or the 

 earth, from whom the Germans claim descent. It is stated that 

 Ulphilas, bishop of the Mcesogoths, invented a Gothic alphabet, as 

 early as A. D. 360; when he translated the New Testament into the 

 Gothic language. With this version, the modern German so nearly 

 agrees, as to show that its changes, since that time, have been com- 

 paratively slight. Charlemagne began a German Grammar ; and 

 made great efforts to improve the language. Luther's translation of 

 the Bible, made in 1530, is still nearly as correct a model of the 

 German, as our own Bible is of the English. The chief dialects of 

 this language, are the Low German, in the North ; the Franconian, 

 in the centre, particularly along the River Maine ; the Jllemannic, 

 which was the dialect of the Minnesingers of the middle ages, in 

 Suabia and Bavaria; and the Upper German, in the southern or 

 mountainous parts. The High German, which is spoken the purest 

 in some parts of Hanover, is the standard of the language ; according 

 to the best speakers and authors. It is a rich language, and, like the 

 Greek, admits of compounding words with great facility. 



Most German books are printed in the character called German 

 text; the small letters of which closely resemble the old English, 

 or black letter character ; but the capitals are more rounded ; as in 

 the German alphabet here given. \ 



2C a 

 23 b 

 < c 



3) t) 

 e 

 5 f 

 9 



.c. 

 .d. 



^ yi'.'.'.k. 

 2 ( ....I. 

 5Q2 m. . . -m. 

 &l n n. 



D 0. 



g) p . 



rV 



S t 



It u 



as t) 



2B n> 

 r 

 9) ? 

 3 3 



-u. 



.V. 



.w. 

 ,x. 



y- 



.z. 



The Germans pronounce a nearly as in our word fall ; ae or a, (a) 

 nearly like a in fat; c nearly like a in fate, or like our short e ; 

 i and n like the French i in pique, or like our short i in pin; c as in 

 English; cc or c, (o) like the French eu, between our ew in few, 

 and u in fur; u like oo in moon, or in soon ; and uc or u, (u) like 

 the French u, composed of our short i and long u. They give 



