The first history of the German language to bridge the gap between the introductory handbook level and the more specialized journal articles, this volume offers students and teachers a treatment of the subject that is up to date, comprehensive, and stimulating. After outlining problems of language change and reviewing various theoretical approaches—including structuralist, generative, and sociolinguistic theories—Wells integrates internal and external linguistic history through the novel technique of perspective shift, using a different level of language to illustrate each period up to the 17th century. The author also discusses sociolinguistic developments in later medieval German, and provides a synthesis of recent material of the modern period that is not easily available.