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This is a recent discovery of mine, and one that concerns several languages. In English, Dutch and French (and perhaps even more languages), the musical instrument you can see above is known by its German name, Glockenspiel. In German, however, Glockenspiel has a second meaning that didn't survive the transfer to the other languages - "carillon".
The image is from www.kids.britannica.com.
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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. 
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 
The Knackwurst is an interesting case. It's not necessarily a highlight of German cuisine, but the fact that versions of its German name can be found in various countries shows that this sausage is apparently unique enough to find admirers everywhere. The above example is from Finland, where the Knackwurst is known as nakki (or knackkorv in Finno-Swedish). In Sweden they call it knackvurst, in Dutch knakworst and in English it's knackwurst or knockwurst. The name comes from the cracking sound these sausages make when you bite into them.
http://www.maalaistuotevataja.fi  This German term, defined by Merriam-Webster as "politics based on practical and material factors rather than on theoretical or ethical objectives," seems to have been around in English since 1914. I suspect that English isn't the only foreign language that uses it. What amuses me is that English also uses the word realpolitikers for those engaging in this kind of politics - the German plural is Realpolitiker, and the plural "-s" sounds very funny to German ears.
The image is from genesismorocco.blogspot.com. 
Don't we all wish we had a doppelgänger sometimes, someone who could take care of all the onerous chores like cleaning the fridge or clearing that pile of documents from our desk? Interestingly, the spelling of Doppelgänger (double, alter ego, dead ringer) wasn't changed when it was adopted by the English-speaking world (although it is sometimes spelled without the two dots on the a, making it look distinctly less German.)
The image is from fantasticfiction.co.uk.  This week's Word of the Week, Putsch (coup d'état, putsch, overthrow - isn't it interesting to see that there are two foreign words here in English?) has its origins in the Swiss dialect of German. It is used in French, English, Polish (pucz), Romanian (puci), Hungarian (puccs), Czech (puč), Italian (putsch) and perhaps even more languages that I am not aware of yet.
The picture is from www.charles-de-gaulle.org. 
This week's pick is used in English and Russian, among others. Wunderkind (a child prodigy or, well, a wunderkind) remains unchanged in both of those languages.
The image is from www.lakenewsonline.com.  Gesundheit is "health" in German, which is why it can also be used as the equivalent of "Bless you!" when somebody has just sneezed. In (American) English, Gesundheit is often used for that purpose, too. I still remember coming across it for the first time - I was walking up a street in Monterey, California, when I had to sneeze. A stranger on the other side of the road reacted by saying "Gesundheit!", and my initial reaction was to think: how on earth does he know I'm German?
The cartoon is from http://godheadpost.wordpress.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 [email protected]. Archives
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