Here's a breakdown of the lineage:
* Proto-Indo-European: The ultimate ancestor of German, as well as many other European and Asian languages.
* Proto-Germanic: A daughter language of Proto-Indo-European that emerged around 500 BCE.
* Old High German: The earliest attested stage of the German language, spoken roughly from the 8th to the 12th centuries.
* Middle High German: From the 12th to the 15th centuries, evolving from Old High German.
* Early New High German: A period of standardization leading to the modern German language.
* Modern German: The language spoken today, with various dialects and regional variations.
So, while German is not directly descended from any surviving language, it's ultimately rooted in Proto-Germanic, which itself is descended from Proto-Indo-European.