tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post112476354712535027..comments2023-08-25T09:44:42.886-04:00Comments on The Lyceum: Why German Sounds FunnyDanielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10190478379984737926noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-52331240062703573222013-09-08T21:22:35.700-04:002013-09-08T21:22:35.700-04:00Here is an interesting song in German, about engli...Here is an interesting song in German, about english words!<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ0ExkIP4JoAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01628958571336715815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-36245736946773490212013-09-08T21:12:04.471-04:002013-09-08T21:12:04.471-04:00I am just trying to learn German as an English spe...I am just trying to learn German as an English speaker. And I speak Spanish already as a 2nd language. I try and lsiten to a bunch of tanzchlager and other German music (yes even Falco) to improve my German. It always strikes me as funny when they sing about Farten auf playa in Mallorca.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-27137234941646913122012-09-14T19:47:13.563-04:002012-09-14T19:47:13.563-04:00I really liked to read that article, too. I am Ger...I really liked to read that article, too. I am German and I never thought of the way we tend to create our "higher level words" out of "lower level" ones. <br /><br />But with the word Wasserstoff you got something wrong. It isn't translated into "water stuff" but into "water compound", thus the "compound of water". As hydrogen is a main part of the water molecule and is found in this bond the most I think the name is rather fitting. <br /><br />As for "Unbefleckte"... well... in German, you wouldn't use that in a casual conversation, its quite a square word, but I can see why you thinks its funny. <br /><br />Another reason why especially the Anglophones may laugh about these German ways (when the French and Spanish also have their fancy Greek and Latin words) might be that German and English have a lot of similarities and you can understand our words better or rather are used to another meaning.miyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08118106181236529373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-77784632211510369702012-05-02T16:23:27.518-04:002012-05-02T16:23:27.518-04:00That's a really excellent article, very intere...That's a really excellent article, very interesting. I'm English and speak German, albeit badly. I love German, it's a beautiful language but equally, it can be laugh out loud funny too, for the same reasons.<br />It's not denigrating the language as some of the more illiterate comments above suggest (I think so anyway, I'm not good at text speak) nor showing a lack of understanding of my own language. It's precisely as you explained. What is new to me is an appreciation of why Germans find it so unamusing when I occasionally snigger at a sensible and logical German word.<br />The joy of English is usually being able to say one thing, five different ways so perhaps German just reflects one of the funnier variations of English. Not in a laugh at kind of way but in a warm and fuzzy Gemuetlichkeit kind of way!Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09510768056740421391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-17840584244732370972012-02-01T00:00:57.249-05:002012-02-01T00:00:57.249-05:00You forgot "Lastwagen" (truck) which if ...You forgot "Lastwagen" (truck) which if pronounciated in German sounds like "lust wagen" (lust wagon).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-27553486720686451142011-02-22T01:50:25.736-05:002011-02-22T01:50:25.736-05:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-65419596700610667292011-02-08T21:59:07.751-05:002011-02-08T21:59:07.751-05:00One point I have to add is:
Germans sound funny, ...One point I have to add is:<br /><br />Germans sound funny, if they pronounce the "th" like "se". Or the intonation like "necxt stattion..."<br /><br />Anglophonic people in contrast should avoid french borrowings/words, as if they were English. I have guffaw, if someone goes "GOW-TIAAAEEYYY" instead of "Gaultier".Alex MSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-87725470406263840222011-02-08T21:44:39.488-05:002011-02-08T21:44:39.488-05:00As a native speaker it's very exciting to get ...As a native speaker it's very exciting to get to know another point of view. Although your article precisely demonstrates the great influence of Latin for the English language and is very informative, I'm afraid to disappoint you in some ways (I don't feel offended, it's just entertaining). <br /><br />Words like "Wasserstoff" in contrast to other languages (en.: hydrogen, fr.:hydrogène, es: hidrogéneo) are special and unique. In other languages it's always the same boring latin derivate... ;) By the way: the chemical term is "Hydrogenium", so German perhaps is more complex than other languages. Nearly everytime there are two words, but not everyone knows the special latin term <br /><br />en: eloquent<br />de: beredsam/eloquent<br /><br />en: photo <br />de: Lichtbild/Foto <br /><br />The German words might sound simple, as if they were taken from a low register, but mostly there are latin/french synonyms.<br /><br />A point I love about German is the amazing variety of possibilities to articulate ourselves. To us there is a difference between the movement away from a speaker or towards a speaker: <br />"hineingehen/hinausgehen/hereingehen/herausgehen"<br />To me it was cute and simple just to say "to go" (in or out).Alex MSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-28162876326883525332010-12-14T17:47:56.200-05:002010-12-14T17:47:56.200-05:00Nice article and thoughts. It makes me think about...Nice article and thoughts. It makes me think about the funny (but very charming!) effect of e.g. Dutch to Germans, which is also a West Germanic language.<br /><br />I would not absolutely agree with the general statement that the German language stayed pure. Of course it absorbed many loanwords from French, Ancient Greek or Latin - although these will not always be recognizable for English speakers and you might discuss which developments are more "strange"(e.g., while nearly all Germanic languages adopted the Latin word "fenestra", the English "window" is quite unique).<br /><br />I personally love the possibility of creating `authentic´ and inventive compounding words in German. "Christi Himmelfahrt" is a good example, "Zeitgeist" or "Kindergarten" are other popular ones.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-60612052554276679282010-09-18T00:33:06.108-04:002010-09-18T00:33:06.108-04:00I`ve nearly wetted my pants, reading about the &qu...I`ve nearly wetted my pants, reading about the "Waterstuff" and that even though german is my mothertounge. Hilarious and well explaained article, keep up the good work and thanks for the laughter =)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-3981481141769249312010-06-14T04:53:43.527-04:002010-06-14T04:53:43.527-04:00I really liked this article. I happen to really li...I really liked this article. I happen to really like the German language but that doesn't stop me from being oddly amused by words at times (though I don't always know why exactly).<br />I feel like sometimes the laughter is misinterpretted as disrespect towards a language even when no disrespect is intended. I remember that one of my favorite French phrases was "J'en ai" because to me it sounds like a (silly) pronunciation of the name Johnny (John-aay) that I've heard in English and that just makes it more fun for me.<br />I think that growing up learning English has also laid a strong foundation for some words that I continually associate with more foul-sounding speech. When I find some humor in the word Fahrten, I don't think it says as much about the language I'm learning as it does about the language I've grown up learning because it's the English word it sounds similar to that I'm reminded of. Also, to be fair, there are times that I find ENGLISH words funny as well so it's hardly just an attempt to put down another language as somehow inferior.Allisonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-9733919369252208652010-02-05T04:53:24.027-05:002010-02-05T04:53:24.027-05:00By the way: “die Geldzuruckgebensknopf” in proper ...By the way: “die Geldzuruckgebensknopf” in proper German is “der Geldrückgabeknopf” … might be still funny, I don’t know since I hear this word quite often in my Mothertongue.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-91479150383106743062009-09-18T05:41:44.796-04:002009-09-18T05:41:44.796-04:00Hi!
Danke für den Artikel. Ich habe mich schon oft...Hi!<br />Danke für den Artikel. Ich habe mich schon oft gefragt, wie unsere Sprache wohl in fremden Ohren klingt. Ich hatte gefürchtet, sie klingt hart und abweisend. Schön, dass sie eher lustig klingt. Und den Grund dafür finde ich auch gut analysiert! <br />Übrigens habe ich absolut nichts dagegen, wenn man über meine Sprache lacht. Ich finde es natürlich über manche Wörter zu lachen und nicht kindisch! Das geht uns Deutschen doch umgekehrt mit dem Englischen genauso!<br />FraukeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-21330278079127848872009-02-06T10:41:00.000-05:002009-02-06T10:41:00.000-05:00Very nice article. I'm from Spain and have learned...Very nice article. I'm from Spain and have learned German for many years too. I also find words like "Wasserstoff" or "Unbefleckte" funny. The Spanish word for hydrogen is "hidrógeno" and for Inmaculate "Inmaculado/a".<BR/><BR/>I agree with "TootsNYC":"Just because something is amusing doesn't mean you scorn it or think ill of it." I as well find Spanish sometimes amusing, the way we translate many foreign words into Spanish, e.g. New York is Nueva York or Jules Verne is Julio Verne.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-62819428232787466922009-02-06T04:29:00.000-05:002009-02-06T04:29:00.000-05:00Hi there,I am a German living temporarily in Chica...Hi there,<BR/><BR/>I am a German living temporarily in Chicago, IL. I must admit that I really love this article. I would subscribe to it for the most part, and it did inspire me to a new entry to my own blog. If you are interested, please read here: http://au3076.blogspot.com/2009/02/atavisms-of-acetic-acid.html<BR/><BR/>Kind regards,<BR/>AlexAlexander Uhlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16577804390414051486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-49080423428995325432008-09-21T03:09:00.000-04:002008-09-21T03:09:00.000-04:00Hi,thank you for this interesting article. That is...Hi,<BR/>thank you for this interesting article. That is exactly the same story with Ukranian and Russian. While high-register(and low-register btw) Russian language has borrowed many words from other languages, mainly with French, German, Latin and Greek roots, Ukrainian stayed relatively pure from borrowings.<BR/>That is the reason why Ukranian sounds a lot funny to Russians - many words are derived from the roots belonging to low-register.<BR/>Also often high-registed Ukranian words are formed using suffices belonging to low-register in Russian. For instance, Ukranian "prime-minister", sounds like "small and ridiculous prime-minister" to Russians.Alexeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12202145247920957691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-46094124729334219512008-08-13T15:30:00.000-04:002008-08-13T15:30:00.000-04:00i wonder why u laugh about germanyea u said cause ...<I>i wonder why u laugh about german<BR/>yea u said cause its low vocabulary<BR/>do u think that german is primitiv or what?</I><BR/><BR/>He doesn't mean "high" vs. "low" as in "good" vs. "bad"--he means "formal" vs. "informal."<BR/><BR/>And laughing at the form of the verb "fahren" that comes out "fahrt" is the Beavis & Butthead humor that Dan said he and his cohort member in Germany were NOT laughing at. <BR/><BR/>Wasserstoff may mean "water material" instead of "water stuff" (but I would argue that "stoff" is too very akin to "stuff," just as "stuff" is a synomym for material: "the stuff that dreams are made on"--in fact, the first meaning for "stuff" is "materials, supplies or equipment used in various activities")<BR/><BR/> but it's still funnier than "hydrogen."<BR/><BR/>And I'm sorry, i've always chuckled at "die Geldzuruckgebensknopf" written by the coin return on the cigarette machine's photo in my elementary German book--in the first place, it takes up the whole width of the machine!<BR/><BR/>in the second, it's funny--all those words to say "coin return"--the money back giving button. <BR/><BR/>I'm sure there are things in English that make Germans smile or chuckle or laugh.<BR/><BR/>Just because something is amusing doesn't mean you scorn it or think ill of it. In fact, it *may* make you laugh a little at your OWN language, or your own prejudices and assumptions.<BR/><BR/>That is true, the switch from "fancy talk" to "nuts-and-bolts language."TootsNYChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08250160403913606481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-62867840467517471282008-02-05T20:02:00.000-05:002008-02-05T20:02:00.000-05:00I agree, this is a really interesting article. In...I agree, this is a really interesting article. In learning German I've often found it amusing how literal some expressions are, or how obvious their meanings. A favorite is the Ascension of Christ: Christi Himmelfahrt, which is doubly funny. For one, fahrt always makes people snicker. And two, it's so literal, like "trip to the sky".<BR/><BR/>To "oll" I would have to say doch. Stoff can most definitely mean stuff in this sense. I understand Zeug to mean "thing," ie something more concrete or countable.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-50446468489607803342007-11-03T09:35:00.000-04:002007-11-03T09:35:00.000-04:00English uses the word 'diarrhoea', but German uses...English uses the word 'diarrhoea', but German uses the much more logical - yet mildly comical - 'Durchfall', which literally means 'through-fall'.<BR/><BR/>I like the way German forms neologisms. It makes it easier to learn - and even make up - more complex words, while retaining its Germanic roots.<BR/><BR/>It's hard to believe that English is still a Germanic language sometimes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-41518131887641110692007-09-08T16:03:00.000-04:002007-09-08T16:03:00.000-04:00Wasserstoff doesnt mean water stuffWasserzeug mean...Wasserstoff doesnt mean water stuff<BR/>Wasserzeug means water stuff<BR/>stoff can be translated with:cloth ,drapery ,fabric ,material,matter,rag,stock,stuff,substance,tissue ,subject matter<BR/>what u understand from the word stuff is mainly Zeug<BR/><BR/><BR/>i wonder why u laugh about german<BR/>yea u said cause its low vocabulary<BR/>do u think that german is primitiv or what?<BR/>or why is it so funny?Ollhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02708372069220998138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-1143238023505977632006-03-24T17:07:00.000-05:002006-03-24T17:07:00.000-05:00Das ist einen güten Artiklen! :-)Ferry intrißtink!...Das ist einen güten Artiklen! :-)<BR/>Ferry intrißtink!MeisenKaiserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02741537594445471153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-1125346039081679052005-08-29T16:07:00.000-04:002005-08-29T16:07:00.000-04:00I'm glad most of you enjoyed this post. It's real...I'm glad most of you enjoyed this post. It's really fun to write about experiences learning other languages.Danielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10190478379984737926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-1125255788465364982005-08-28T15:03:00.000-04:002005-08-28T15:03:00.000-04:00What a smart dissolution.What a smart dissolution.Matt McGrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06076825151483605719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-1124838561723836602005-08-23T19:09:00.000-04:002005-08-23T19:09:00.000-04:00That's intriguing.One of the things that always am...That's intriguing.<BR/><BR/>One of the things that always amuses me about German is the number of words that appear to be stolen directly from English (e.g. Das Rollerblading).Garyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07705363793626035992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14574087.post-1124829246581583402005-08-23T16:34:00.000-04:002005-08-23T16:34:00.000-04:00That was a very interesting article. Makes a lot o...That was a very interesting article. Makes a lot of sense, really. I think it applies to many other languages besides German, too. But I have often wondered why German is so literal, now I know.Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11885664013951353367noreply@blogger.com