A practical guidebook for students of German

Elements of German fills a gap in advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate levels of German language study by presenting more advanced concepts of the language in a light intended for practical use rather than theoretical discourse. This text provides a means to improve knowledge and command of grammatically correct German as it is spoken and written. It also introduces methods and tools of linguistic analysis in the areas of phonology and morphology. Unlike books that treat phonology in a cursory way, this text delves into the problems of word formation and the intricacies of inflection and derivation. Exercises are included throughout to help better absorb the rules for real-world language use. This volume provides an in-depth look at the German language from the ground up. Its detailed approach makes this book an excellent complement to the work of less specific grammar textbooks and reviews.

Elmer H. Antonsen is Professor Emeritus of Linguistics and of Germanic Languages at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Former editor of the journal Studies in the Linguistic Sciences, he is author or editor of six books, including Runes and Germanic Linguistics, Grimm Brothers and the Germanic Past, and A Concise Grammar of the Older Runic Inscriptions.

“Elements of German is obviously the result of the long experience of the author, one of the world’s greatest experts in the area. Both college teachers of German and students will benefit from this book. It requires no previous knowledge of linguistic theory, introduces the basic concepts of phonology and morphology, and applies them consistently and lucidly to the facts of Modern German.”