Martin Luther, Bible Translation, and the German Language
Martin Luther, Bible Translation, and the German Language
- Anja Lobenstein-ReichmannAnja Lobenstein-ReichmannAkademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen
Summary
In the history of the German language, hardly any other author’s linguistic work is as closely associated with the German language as Martin Luther’s. From the start, Luther as a linguistic event became the embodiment of German culture and was even elevated as the birth of the language itself; his style was emulated by some, scorned by others. Luther forces one to take a position, even on linguistic terms. The Bible is at the heart of the argument, being the most important work of Luther’s translation. However, it is only one particular type of text in the general work of the reformer. The role that the Bible plays both on its own and in connection with Luther’s other works, as well as the traditions Luther drew on and the way he worked with language, will be examined within the matrix of Early New High German, with all its peculiarities.
Keywords
Subjects
- Christianity
