Why does German have so many modal particles in comparison to other languages?

Question

Fluent spoken German is often interspersed with lots of modal particles (e.g. "eben", "halt", "wohl") while other languages seem to lack these particles entirely, thus confusing learners and challenging translators.

Even a combination of multiple particles is quite common (especially in spoken conversations):

Aber es schaut halt doch schon auch irgendwie cool aus.

(Source)

Man ist ja doch schon auch mal längere Zeit abwesend.

(Source)

[Dem ZDF mit den] aber eben halt doch auch älter gewordenen Gepflogenheiten und Denkgewohnheiten stünde eine [...] mehr auf Rationalität [...] strebende Unternehmensführung ganz gut an.

(Die Zeit 1977/12)

However, it's not easily possible to convey these nuances in English with a similar brevity.

Is there a historical reason why many other languages which are otherwise close to German (e.g. English, French) have almost no modal particles in their vocabulary?

Answer 1

The answer lies, I am afraid, in refusing the question. In linguistics it sometimes does not make much sense to ask "why". "Why does English put the definite article in front of a word and, in the written form, separates it by a blank, and why does Bulgarian put the definite article at the end of a word and, in the written form, does not use a blank to separate it? No answer; it is just so.

Of course you may have a look on how things developed historically. And you can ask what function (effects, use) they have today.

For example, one interesting function (not intended, but it is anyway functionning) of these little words everywhere is that you can pretty well decide, based on somebody's ability to use them in the "proper" (that is: common) way whether she/he has learned this language as a first language, in a predominantly "German" environment, or if she/he comes frome elsewhere.

I cannot say if this is a useful function. It is a function. However, you definitely cannot use it as an answer to your "why" question because this feature of the German language was not created on purpose to that end.

I am sure, all the nuances that Germans use in German sentences by scattering those little words around like mad can be expressed in other languages quite similarly, perhaps by other means, such as intonation, or whatever.

Answer 2

1. Aber (1) halt (2) doch (3) schon (4) auch (5)

But (1) still (4) it's looking somewhat cool, too (5), even (2) though (3).

But even though, it already (4) is looking somewhat cool, too (5). -- although, anyhow, on the other hand

I don't even really know yet what you mean though. I still have to admit, German has laxer rules about word order (than English at least). Therefore aber doch, doch schon and auch schon are easily fused to doch schon auch. Also, German is known for a tendency to form long compound words, at that, dochschonauch would be a contraction in a similar fashion. Halt is a filler word like even or like even more than the others

2. Man ist ja doch schon auch mal längere Zeit abwesend.

still, although only sometimes, one is absent, also for a longer time even -- still, one might be absent

3. dessen aber eben halt doch auch älter gewordene Gepflogenheiten

its still, just like, indeed older mannerisms, though -- nevertheless old

That's not a perfect translation, but the parallel should be obvious.