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Germans
Germans great ethnic complex of ancient Europe, a basic stock in the composition of the modern peoples of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, N Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, N and central France, Lowland Scotland, and England. From archaeology it is clear...
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German language
German language member of the West Germanic group of the Germanic subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages (see Germanic languages ). It is the official language of Germany and Austria and is one of the official languages of Switzerland. Altogether nearly 100 million people speak German ...
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German measles
German measles (rubella) Viral disease usually contracted in childhood. Symptoms include a sore throat, slight fever and pinkish rash. Women developing rubella during the first three months of pregnancy risk damage to the fetus. Immunization is recommended for girls who have not had the disease....
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Germanic languages
Germanic languages subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages, spoken by about 470 million people in many parts of the world, but chiefly in Europe and the Western Hemisphere. All the modern Germanic languages are closely related; moreover, they become progressively closer grammatically and...
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German silver
German silver name for various alloys of copper, zinc, and nickel, sometimes also containing lead and tin. They were originally named for their silver-white color, but use of the term silver is now prohibited for alloys not containing that metal. German silver varies in composition, the percentag...
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German literature
German literature works in the German language by German, Austrian, Austro-Hungarian, and Swiss authors, as well as by writers of German in other countries.
Old and Middle High German: From Early to Medieval Literature
Heroic legends, among them the Lay of Hildebrand, date from the turn...
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German shepherd
German shepherd breed of large, muscular working dog perfected in Germany at the turn of the 20th cent. It stands about 25 in. (64 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 60 to 85 lb (27.2-38.5 kg). Its double coat is composed of dense, woolly underhair and a medium-length, harsh, straight or sl...
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German Catholics
German Catholics religious groups founded in 1844 by dissidents from the Roman Catholic Church. They were led by two excommunicated priests, Johann Czerski of Schneidemühl, Posen, and Johann Ronge of Breslau. The church, organized by a council in Leipzig in 1845 under the name of Deutsche-kath...
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German Confederation
German Confederation 1815-66, union of German states provided for at the Congress of Vienna to replace the old Holy Roman Empire, which had been destroyed during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. It comprised 39 states in all, 35 monarchies and 4 free cities. Its purpose was to guarante...
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German East Africa
German East Africa former German colony, c.370,000 sq mi (958,300 sq km), E Africa. Dar es Salaam was the capital. German influence emerged in the area in 1884 when Carl Peters, the German explorer, obtained treaties over parts of the territory. The German government declared a protectorate over th...
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