German linguistic question

JJohnson

Banned
I have a quick question that I cannot find an answer for elsewhere online.

German has a few unique features that I cannot find an origin or timeframe for:

1. present perfect rather than simple past as the conversational past tense.
ex: ich bin gekommen, rather than ich kam; ich habe verstanden, rather than ich verstand

2. periphrastic subjunctive
ex: ich würde gehen rather than ich ginge

3. strong genitive adjective ending in 'en' rather than 'es
ex: das Auto guten Mannes rather than das Auto gutes Mannes

Does anyone know when/why these features developed?
 
1. present perfect rather than simple past as the conversational past tense.
ex: ich bin gekommen, rather than ich kam; ich habe verstanden, rather than ich verstand
There's regional differences here, in northern Germany you can still find the simple past as the conversational past tense. But I think Perfekt began to edge it out in the time of the Frühneuhochdeutsch, so from roughly 1350 onwards.
The reason for that, these are purely guesses on my part btw, is it's versatility. You can use the Perfekt to make observations about the past, just like the Präteritum, but you can also use it to say something about the past which still has an effect on today, like "Es hat geregnet. (Und die Straßen sind noch nass)". Plus you can say things about the future as well: "Danach haben Sie Ihr Ziel erreicht".
2. periphrastic subjunctive
ex: ich würde gehen rather than ich ginge
Using the normal subjunctive is still entirely correct and, in formal writing, preferred (it shows you know the language well). Generally "würde" is used if the indicative simple past is identical to the subjunctive. And then I guess it was used more and more because it's generally easier to remember. Just throw a "würde" on there if you're unsure of the word, done.
3. strong genitive adjective ending in 'en' rather than 'es
ex: das Auto guten Mannes rather than das Auto gutes Mannes
I... genuinely don't know.
 
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