The history of the language begins with the High German consonant shift during the migration period, separating Old High German dialects from Old Saxon.

German 'began' when Old High German and Old Low German started to split off from West Germanic in the 6th century AD.

penny

The German language goes back to Old Saxon, the language spoken by the Saxon people, a group of Germanic tribes. Between the 3rd and 5th centuries AD, the High German consonant shift occurred. This change in sound set the stage for the new language, Old High German. Today, more than 100 million people speak a variation of this Old High German.

A German surname meaning 'white' from Middle High German 'Wiz' meaning white/blond. There is also an Old High German word 'wis' meaning wise or clever.