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High German

the group of West Germanic dialects spoken in central and S Germany
the official and literary form of the German language, technically called New High German

Origin: calque of Ger hochdeutsch (see high & Deutschland): so named because orig. spoken chiefly in the higher regions of Germany

See High German in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

German as indigenously spoken and written in Austria, Switzerland, and central and southern Germany.
The standard variety of German used as the official language in Germany and Austria and as one of the official languages in Switzerland.

Origin:

Origin: Translation of German Hochdeutsch

Origin: : hoch, high (from the mountainous terrain of the area in which it originated)

Origin: + Deutsch, German

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