As a result of various problems that have arisen in language planning,
I Miilhausler et al. (1979) suggest that the best method would be to observe
. how communication works between various language varieties, where the L difficulties arise which need standardization, and to note what degree of
variation is tolerated without impairing communication. As an example of
tolerated variation in an otherwise very norm-conscious society, Tauli
(1968, p. 154) quotes a count published in 1936 which established that
the first 300 pages of the German Duden dictionary comprised over 1.100
substantives with variant inflectional forms, as des Aales/Aals, die Karnevale/
Karnevals, over 600 orthographic variants, e.g. Grafik/Graphik, over 100 words
with gender variants, e.g. der/die/das Klafter, hundreds of verb form variants.
e.g. du fragstlfriigst, ich angele/angle.