516: High-German and Low-German May 7, 2016

There are a few dialects of German spoken in Germany, but the most commonly known distinction with the most linguistically significant features is the split between High-German (Hochdeutsch) in the south, and Low-German (Plattdeutsch) in the north. The name has nothing to do with geographical positions, or the difference between high-society and low-society (as a Bavarian might want to say), but that High-German is spoken in the mountainous region of Germany, which has a higher elevation that that of Low (flat) German. To give you an idea of the difference, the word for 'day in High-German is 'Tag' but in Low-German which is closer to Scandinavian languages it is 'Dag'.