Comments on: My Favorite German Words / Meine deutschen Lieblingswörter http://lindenamueller.com/blog/2009/09/my-favorite-german-words/ silvery strands of thought Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:45:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: xgravity23 http://lindenamueller.com/blog/2009/09/my-favorite-german-words/comment-page-1/#comment-3259 xgravity23 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:42:50 +0000 http://lindenamueller.com/blog/?p=1392#comment-3259 @Fips: Ha ha, what a great story! That happened to me so many times... I'd ask my husband what the word was, offer the compound I thought up, and often it'd be right! I love it. (I'm get less spam, so now that you've figured it out, hopefully you won't have any more trouble. :) ) @Fips: Ha ha, what a great story! That happened to me so many times… I’d ask my husband what the word was, offer the compound I thought up, and often it’d be right! I love it. (I’m get less spam, so now that you’ve figured it out, hopefully you won’t have any more trouble. :) )

]]> By: xgravity23 http://lindenamueller.com/blog/2009/09/my-favorite-german-words/comment-page-1/#comment-3258 xgravity23 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:40:53 +0000 http://lindenamueller.com/blog/?p=1392#comment-3258 @Andreas: I learned Absacke from a German who... grew up in America and Canada but has lived in Gießen for a while now. I think both "Mutterseelenallein" and "Verschlimmbesserung" both came from student essays. The etymology of "Mutterseelenallein" is very interesting! @Andreas: I learned Absacke from a German who… grew up in America and Canada but has lived in Gießen for a while now. I think both “Mutterseelenallein” and “Verschlimmbesserung” both came from student essays. The etymology of “Mutterseelenallein” is very interesting!

]]> By: xgravity23 http://lindenamueller.com/blog/2009/09/my-favorite-german-words/comment-page-1/#comment-3257 xgravity23 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:38:30 +0000 http://lindenamueller.com/blog/?p=1392#comment-3257 @Lorraine: Ah, yes, speed limits! That's a great one! I should add to favorite city names "Dudeldorf." We happened to drive through it the first time I visited Germany in 1997 and so it has been a long-standing family joke. :) I also like "Knödel." And I like eating them as well! :D @Lorraine: Ah, yes, speed limits! That’s a great one! I should add to favorite city names “Dudeldorf.” We happened to drive through it the first time I visited Germany in 1997 and so it has been a long-standing family joke. :) I also like “Knödel.” And I like eating them as well! :D

]]> By: xgravity23 http://lindenamueller.com/blog/2009/09/my-favorite-german-words/comment-page-1/#comment-3256 xgravity23 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:35:14 +0000 http://lindenamueller.com/blog/?p=1392#comment-3256 @Khenan: I don't know how many of my readers know that, but I did know that. The umlaut that I have the most trouble with is "ü" followed by "r," as in "Geschäftsführung" or "für." I can say it fine in words like "Müller." @Khenan: I don’t know how many of my readers know that, but I did know that. The umlaut that I have the most trouble with is “ü” followed by “r,” as in “Geschäftsführung” or “für.” I can say it fine in words like “Müller.”

]]> By: Khenan http://lindenamueller.com/blog/2009/09/my-favorite-german-words/comment-page-1/#comment-3255 Khenan Wed, 06 Jan 2010 01:09:42 +0000 http://lindenamueller.com/blog/?p=1392#comment-3255 Do we all realize that English comes from German (many mistake English to be from Latin since there are quite numerous amounts of Latin BORROWED words). This is why German words are easier for us English speakers to say. We even umlaut, but do not use the two dots to show this. Instead, oo like in ''Good" is an umlaut, "Foot" even. Those are the umlauted o words that English has. Mad, glad, hat, fat, and such have a sound nearly identical to umlauted a. Do we all realize that English comes from German (many mistake English to be from Latin since there are quite numerous amounts of Latin BORROWED words). This is why German words are easier for us English speakers to say. We even umlaut, but do not use the two dots to show this. Instead, oo like in ”Good” is an umlaut, “Foot” even. Those are the umlauted o words that English has. Mad, glad, hat, fat, and such have a sound nearly identical to umlauted a.

]]> By: Lorraine http://lindenamueller.com/blog/2009/09/my-favorite-german-words/comment-page-1/#comment-3229 Lorraine Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:04:56 +0000 http://lindenamueller.com/blog/?p=1392#comment-3229 Love it! I really like Höchstgeschwindigkeitsbegrenzungen (speed limits)...just because it is ridiculously long. I also love most anything with an ü or ö, especially Düsseldorf (a city), Löffel (spoon), and knödel (dumpling). :D Love it! I really like Höchstgeschwindigkeitsbegrenzungen (speed limits)…just because it is ridiculously long. I also love most anything with an ü or ö, especially Düsseldorf (a city), Löffel (spoon), and knödel (dumpling). :D

]]> By: Andreas G. http://lindenamueller.com/blog/2009/09/my-favorite-german-words/comment-page-1/#comment-3228 Andreas G. Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:19:25 +0000 http://lindenamueller.com/blog/?p=1392#comment-3228 Wow, I didn't know Absacke. I just know Absacker. That's the shot of alcohol you can drink after a meal that is supposed to help your stomack digest :) Maybe there's regional difference. There's one "e" too much in your "übernachten" :) Verschlimmbesserung... I didn't know this word at all. Do people really use it? "Mutterseelenallein" is indeed cool. I think it originates from the times, when sons (and husbands) had to go to war. Another logical word would be "Kühlschrank" where you have refrigerator. A cooling closet :D Wow, I didn’t know Absacke. I just know Absacker. That’s the shot of alcohol you can drink after a meal that is supposed to help your stomack digest :) Maybe there’s regional difference.
There’s one “e” too much in your “übernachten” :)
Verschlimmbesserung… I didn’t know this word at all. Do people really use it?
“Mutterseelenallein” is indeed cool. I think it originates from the times, when sons (and husbands) had to go to war.
Another logical word would be “Kühlschrank” where you have refrigerator. A cooling closet :D

]]> By: Fips http://lindenamueller.com/blog/2009/09/my-favorite-german-words/comment-page-1/#comment-3227 Fips Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:52:02 +0000 http://lindenamueller.com/blog/?p=1392#comment-3227 I must admit, the logical side of German certainly appeals to me, at least as far as having to make up words on the spot. Once in town meeting up with some friends, I remember trying to describe where we were to another person on the phone, and as none of us knew the word for 'fountain' just had a stab at 'Wasserspiel', which turned out to be right. Just say what you see, as Roy Walker might've said! Of course, for every one of those moments there are probably a hundred which go horribly astray, but I don't envy people having to try to invent English words on the spot. And these days it's often more tempting just to make up new Anglizismen to add to the millions that are already floating around the German language, rather than struggle to come up with the real words. Finally, damn that spam protection! It asks for a sum in words but wants the answer in numbers. Apparently I'm just as dumb as a bot. ;-) Cute list though! I must admit, the logical side of German certainly appeals to me, at least as far as having to make up words on the spot. Once in town meeting up with some friends, I remember trying to describe where we were to another person on the phone, and as none of us knew the word for ‘fountain’ just had a stab at ‘Wasserspiel’, which turned out to be right. Just say what you see, as Roy Walker might’ve said!

Of course, for every one of those moments there are probably a hundred which go horribly astray, but I don’t envy people having to try to invent English words on the spot. And these days it’s often more tempting just to make up new Anglizismen to add to the millions that are already floating around the German language, rather than struggle to come up with the real words.

Finally, damn that spam protection! It asks for a sum in words but wants the answer in numbers. Apparently I’m just as dumb as a bot. ;-) Cute list though!

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