| Birte Priebe |
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I believe that this week's choice is one of those words that spread to other languages because they fill a gap - they provide a name for something that is nameless in those languages. Kitsch is used in English, French, Dutch and Danish, to name just a few.
The image is from www.theworldofkitsch.com.
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This week's Word of the Week is one of my Russian favorites. My impression is that it is a recent addition to the Russian vocabulary, reflecting the type of car many Russians have been coveting since the end of the USSR. Geländewagen (all-terrain vehicle) became гелендваген (gelendvagen). This term was probably only used for the Mercedes Benz G-Class at the beginning, but seems to have become a generic term for off-road vehicles, giving rise to some typically Russian nicknames such as Гелик (Gelik), Гелен (Gelen) and Гелендос (Gelendos). The German pronunciation poses some challenges for Russian speakers, resulting in the loss of the "e" at the end of Gelände and a shift of stress from "ä" to the "a" in "vagen".
The image is from www.gelandewagen.org.  Admittedly, this week's pick isn't a very good fit for the peace-loving pre-Christmas season. Hetze (in the sense of agitation against somebody/something; hunt) is used in Dutch with the same meaning. As a German I can't help thinking of the Nazi's hate campaign against the Jews, the Judenhetze, whenever I see this word.
Nonetheless, I wish you all a happy time in the run-up to Christmas! The image is from www.stichtingmilieunet.nl. 
No surprises this week - kindergarten is a real classic and I'm sure you already knew it. No explanations required, except to say that I chose the term to celebrate the birth of my little daughter this Sunday.
The image is from www.svwp.svusd.org.  Yes, don't wait for summer to get your wanderlust on - are you among those who are dreaming of escaping to warmer climes for a while in this dreary season? In German, Wanderlust is not an especially evocative word. It simply means "the joy of hiking." The English wanderlust, however, is a far more powerful sentiment - a strong urge or desire to travel. Judging by how often it is used as a movie or song title or as the motto of an event, it seems to have a very suggestive ring.
The image is from www.yoganonymous.com |
AboutThis 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 b.priebe@aiic.net. Archives
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