German dialects are usually divided into three main groups: Upper or High German, Middle German, and Low German. This division is primarily based on the consonant status of the dialects and their behavior towards the so-called second or High German consonant shift. Low German is the area where the shift has remained at the lowest level, Upper German is where it has progressed the furthest, and Middle German is the intermediate area, where it has progressed further than in Low German, but not as far as in Upper German. However, it is also common to refer to both Upper and Middle German collectively as High German. In particular, our current written language is referred to as High German, which is fundamentally based on Middle German. In our presentation, we will also consider the Middle German dialects alongside the Upper German ones.

The Verlag der Wissenschaften publishes historical literature by well-known and lesser-known scientific authors. This makes works that have long been out of print accessible again to interested readers. This book on Middle High German grammar is an unaltered, high-quality reprint of the original seventh edition from 1908, complete with a word and subject index.