
The aim of this article is to indicate the motives for combating foreign words in German in the 19th century using the example of the language of gymnastics. The creator of the gymnastics movement in Germany was the patriot Friedrich Ludwig Jahn. Along with the creation of gymnastics, he created the language of gymnastics. Jahn with his purist attitude sought to eliminate terms, terms of foreign origin, from the German language. In his opinion, they were a threat to the nation and citizens. National aspects were the main motive of Jahn's purist activity and the language of gymnastics became for him an important tool for combating foreign influences and achieving national unity. He gave him a key role. Language was the unifying bond of the fragmented Germany and it was therefore important to pay close attention to the language: language purity was part of the national heritage.
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