The Present Participle, in Old High German and Middle High German (Classic Reprint)

Explore the evolution of the present participle in Old High German and Middle High German. This scholarly study traces how a single verb form carried adjectival and verbal meanings across centuries, shaping German syntax and literary style.

The work surveys the origins, development, and varied uses of the present participle, from early Old High German through the Middle High German period. It compares its functions with Latin and other languages, and it documents how translators and writers used participial constructions in different genres and texts.

• Defines the key functions of the present participle, including attributive, nominal, and appositive uses.


• Analyzes how German writers employed the participle in dative absolutes, after verbs of perception, and in periphrastic constructions with sin and werden.


• Offers a detailed look at the data from major Old High German and Middle High German authors and works.


• Gives a historical perspective on the shift from a broader Old High German use to its later forms.

Ideal for students and readers of historical linguistics and German philology who want a rigorous, data-driven view of a foundational grammatical feature.