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What Language Did Martin Luther Speak?

October 15, 2022 by Kevin Grubbs Leave a Comment

Luther’s translation of the Bible was based on a popular German dialect. His translation was made in the middle German dialect, which is a form of Saxon Court’s dialect.

Luther used this dialect to ensure that his translations would be understood by educated people who spoke various regional varieties of German. His translations have been influential and are still used today in some Protestant denominations across Europe and North America.

Martin Luther

What Language Did Martin Luther Speak?

Luther’s translation of the Bible was based on a popular German dialect known as Middle German. His translation was made in the Saxon Court’s dialect, which is known for its purity and clarity.

Luther used a form of this dialect to make his translations more accessible to everyday people. He also avoided translating difficult words or phrases into the vernacular, instead opting for simpler terms that everyone could understand.

This approach helped make his translations one of the most influential works in history

Luther’s Translation Was Based On A Popular German Dialect

Luther’s translation of the Bible was based on a popular German dialect. His original translation is still used today, more than 500 years after it was created.

The language in which Luther translated the Bible has been called “the vernacular of the people.” His work has had a significant impact on Protestant Christianity and European culture as a whole.

Martin Luther’s translating skills are now being studied by scholars to help improve their own translations of ancient texts.

His Translation Was Made In The Middle German Dialect

Martin Luther’s translation of the Bible into Middle German was made in the dialect spoken by people living in southern Germany at that time. This dialect is known as Low Saxon, and it’s one of the few languages that survived from medieval times.

The original manuscript of Luther’s translation was lost, but scholars have been able to reconstruct it based on notes he took while working on it. It wasn’t until 1861 that a new version of Luther’s translation was published which used modern printing techniques.

Today, Low Saxon is still spoken in some parts of northern Germany and can be heard in music recordings and poems written in this language.

Luther Used A Form Of The Saxon Court’s dialect To Do So

Martin Luther spoke a form of the Saxon Court’s dialect when he translated the Bible into German in 1517. This dialect was used by many people at that time and is similar to Dutch, English and other languages spoken in Europe at the time.

It’s interesting to note that Luther never changed or standardized his language use, which helped him appeal to a wider audience than if he had used an official court dialect. Today, some people still speak this dialect as their first language because it has certain linguistic features that are unique to it.

If you’re curious about how this dialect sounds, there are recordings of speeches made in this style available online for free.

To Recap

Martin Luther spoke German, which is the predominant language spoken in Germany. He also wrote some works in Latin, a dead language that was used by educated people of his time.

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