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Grammar
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OriginThere is very little definite evidence of the when and where the Germanic peoples began. Many anthropologists have attempted to reconstruct the origin and migration of these people. The earliest ancestors of the Germanic people are believed to begin with the Stone age (4500-2000 BC) Around 2500 BC the Indogermanics are believed to have become their own people. It is estimated that by 2000 BC, the Bronze Age, the Germanic people had settled in Central Europe. During 1400 BC the Germanic people mixed with the "Großsteingräberleuten" and slowly increased their geographical location. Between 1000 BC and 500 BC the Germanic people split into three larger groups; North, East and West-Germanic. Archeological evidence suggests the North Germanic people had spread through Scandinavia and along the North sea. The East Germanic people are believed to have located themselves between the middle Oder and the Vistula rivers, while the West Germanic people could be found along the middle Rhine and Weser through to the Elbe. Back to top Kimbern and Teuton: two west Germanic stemsTwo west Germanic stems have been identified as Kimbern and Teutonen. Around 120 BC they left their home in Jutland and moved south. These stems had the first Roman contacts, defeating Noreia and Mallis Maximus. However, during the time between 102-100 BC both the Teutonen and Kimbern were defeated and destroyed. Around 75 BC the west Germanic king Ariovist drove his people up along the Rhine, conquering more land. Julius Caesar eventually defeated Ariovist in the Elsaß and restricted him to the left side of the Rhine. Back to top Land MigrationLand During the next 100 years the land possession would
change hands frequently as new leaders came to power. It
wasn't until 350 AD that the Germanic people had a Emperor
on the Roman throne. It was then, towards the end of the 4th
century that the great Germanic tribal migrations began. It
was perhaps at this time, that linguistic divisions begin to
provide more information than pure archeological evidence.
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