German word exports rising

[Skybird]

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...460012,00.html

That particular example highlights an advantage of German over other languages -- its ability to arrive at accurate descriptions by combining words to form a noun.

Zeitgeist, loosely translated as 'spirit of the age' and used by people trying to sound intelligent in English, is another example of this word-combining. So is the well-established Schadenfreude, which describes that intense pleasure one derives from the misfortune of others, a common sentiment for which the world lacked an adequate description until the Germans, with characteristic precision, constructed one.

"Our list reveals the wealth of the German language and its ability to combine words. You can't do that in other languages," said Peter, doing his PR job.
While some English words used in German are superfluous, such as the "Service Point" signs put up at major train stations around Germany, others are useful because they have no adequate German equivalent, such as 'fairness', said Peter.

We have been export world champions for industrial goods since years - we now set course to become world champions in exporting language, too!

"Kaffeepaussi"...? No offense of the Fins meant, but this word sounds funny for German ears, because the ending is a "Verniedlichungsform" (no English translation possible, something like a "playing down in order to make it appear as more cute"). Sounds almost like "Kaffepaussilein"... :rotfl:

[ASWnut101]

Did you export "uber" (Isn't it really something like 'and/or?', not 'super?') too?:hmm: I know you didn't. It makes me laugh when people put 'uber' infront of words thinking it means 'super.'

[fatty]

Originally Posted by ASWnut101

Did you export "uber" (Isn't it really something like 'and/or?', not 'super?') too?:hmm: I know you didn't. It makes me laugh when people put 'uber' infront of words thinking it means 'super.'

The latter definition sounds right. Remember Nietzsche's Übermensch?

Zeitgeist I am familiar with from Hegel, and I think I heard Schadenfreude on a VW commercial :p

[ASWnut101]

Originally Posted by fatty

Remember Nietzsche's Übermensch?

No... Just that I heard someone who was German say that "uber" means "and/or" Whatever.

[fatty]

Originally Posted by ASWnut101

No... Just that I heard someone who was German say that "uber" means "and/or" Whatever.

Weird.

[Skybird]

"Über" could mean something like super, but super is more... hm, profane, less subtle, somehow. Difficult to explain.

Referring to Nietzsche, "Übermensch" does not simply mean "superman" like that word is usually used in American/British English. It is more a "beyond a lower level or former mark".

"Über" could also have a meaning more like "over" in "overpowered".

Über could also be a dimensional relation: it means something is sorted/ranked/positioned "higher" or "above" something else. "Across" also is possible

And lastly it could be having a meaning like "over" (both in time- and space-related meanings).

Understood?

[fatty]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Understood?

No :p But thankfully we have a friendly neighbourhood German at arm's reach in case we ever need to decipher any usage of the word über

Is this an example of the German language's 'ability to arrive at accurate descriptions'?

Funny stuff Skybird:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Thank you for the laugh!!

[The Avon Lady]

I saw the title of Skybird's thread and I was sure it was about Skybird publishing a whole slew of 4MB DOC files. :hmm:

EDIT: One of my favorite old-time jokes, appropriate for this thread:

The European Commission have just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the EU rather than German, which was the other possibility. As part of the negotiations, Her Majesty's Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5 year phase in plan that would be known as "EuroEnglish": --

In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c".. Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favor of the "k". This should klear up konfusion and keyboards kan have 1 less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year, when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with the "f". This will make words like "fotograf" 20% shorter.

In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Governments will enkorage the removal of double letters, which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of the silent "e"'s in the languag is disgrasful, and they should go away.

By the 4th yer, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v". During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and similar changes vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters.

After zis fifz yer, ve vil hav a reli sensibl riten styl. Zer vil be no mor trubls or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech ozer.

ZE DREM VIL FINALI KUM TRU!!

[Skybird]

OMG, that is hilarious! Good one, AL. Printed it out, will keep it and show it around.