Birte Priebe
Congrestolk     -     Konferenzdolmetscherin     -     Conference Interpreter
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Word of the Week: BITE SHA

25/2/2013

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This week's pick comes all the way from Africa, courtesy of my colleague Joseph Rurangwa. One of the legacies of German colonial rule in Rwanda and Burundi is that
Bitteschön (you are welcome) lives on in the form of bite sha in the local languages Kinyarwanda (Ruanda) and Kirundi (Burundi). Its meaning has changed, however - nowadays, bite sha is the equivalent of How are you, my dear?, says Joseph.

The picture is from http://ewbrwanda.webs.com/apps/blog/
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Word of the Week: POLTERABEND

18/2/2013

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The traditional German pre-wedding Polterabend, a party that involves the smashing of crockery for good luck (to be cleaned up by the newlyweds-to-be), has migrated northwards. The Danes use the same word, and just like modern Germans they have devised many more fun ways to celebrate the day than just smashing old plates or toilet bowls. As a matter of fact, toilet bowl races seem to be all the rage, as witnessed by this picture!

The image is from www.superevent.dk.
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Word of the Week - AUSPUH

11/2/2013

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A Croatian car repair shop advertises its "exhaust service." Auspuff is one example of a German technical term that was adopted abroad, in this case with a slight change in spelling. The Croatian version is pronounced auspukh.
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Welcome to the A to Z of German words in other languages

11/2/2013

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German words can be found in many languages. They range from technical terms from the realms of philosophy and music (consider zeitgeist and leitmotif in English) to everyday words like überhaupt in the Netherlands.

With this blog, I aim to explore the reach of German in the world in a playful way, bringing you a new find every week: the Word of the Week! Since my own range of languages is limited - see here - I would love to hear from you. Let me know at [email protected] or in a comment what German terms are used in your language(s). Your contribution will be duly acknowledged.
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    About

    This is a blog about the traces German (my mother tongue) has left in other languages. Contributions from your language(s) are more than welcome! Mail me at [email protected].
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