The "past" usage of a word, which may be different from the present one.
25
votes
1answer
308 views
What is the origin of the rules about the capitalization of the first letter of each noun?
To my knowledge, German is the only language which capitalize the first letter of each of its nouns. Why is there such a rule?
Meines Wissens ist Deutsch die einzige Sprache, in der der erste ...
24
votes
6answers
997 views
Does the German language have a Shakespeare?
Most English speakers cannot read for very long before stumbling onto the words of Shakespeare, one of the language's greatest playwrights, who left an indelible mark on it. A great many of his ...
15
votes
1answer
289 views
Wann und warum ging das Beugen von Namen verloren?
Beim Lesen von Literatur zu Goethe und Schiller fiel mir auf, dass deren Namen in manchen Texten mitgebeugt wurden, so wie wir das heute noch mit den Objekten machen.
Der Lautwandlungsprozess zum ...
13
votes
2answers
243 views
Is/Was there a Basic German?
There is a whole Wikipedia written in Basic English. This leads to the question if something similar exists for German. Maybe a type of controlled language for teaching aboriginals a simplified German ...
13
votes
2answers
354 views
Why are the German guillemets inverted?
I've been wondering for some time,
Why do Germans use inverted guillemets (»…«) in contrast with the original French use (« … »)?
When did such usage begin?
(They are originally French, right? ...
13
votes
1answer
352 views
Does Swabian have English influences?
Many variations of the swabian dialect contain words and pronunciations that to me always subtly sounded like influenced by modern english.
One of the more prominent examples is the pronunciation of ...
12
votes
3answers
468 views
Neuter gender for nouns referring to children
In German we say der Mann/die Frau, but then we say das Kind/das Mädchen, so I got two questions:
Are there particular historic and/or etymological reasons for this?
"Das Mädchen" refers to a ...
11
votes
2answers
817 views
Is the second verse of the German national anthem offensive? Why is it not used?
My understanding is that today's national anthem, "Einigkeit, und Recht, und Freiheit..." was the third verse of the original and that we're not supposed to sing the original first verse, ...
11
votes
6answers
698 views
Did German borrow any words from Old Prussian?
Considering the huge influence Prussia had for a time over Germany, did many words from the Old Prussian language get borrowed into German?
(Sorry I didn't originally include the word "Old" as I ...
11
votes
2answers
583 views
Are German words starting with the letter 'p' really of alien origin?
In a book I'm reading these days, the author mentions the various names of the plough in a few Indo European languages. When he comes to cite the German one (Pflug) he casually adds the far-reaching ...
10
votes
1answer
168 views
Why is indirect speech marked by modus instead of tempus in German?
If marked, most (according to Wikipedia) european languages use tempus instead of modus for indirect speech. Actually i think this is more intuitive too, as something was said by another person. Also, ...
9
votes
1answer
491 views
Origin of Separable Verbs
In what moment in the development of the German language were separable verbs introduced? Also, is there a linguistic reason behind their introduction?
Thanks!
9
votes
1answer
150 views
Wann ging der häufige Gebrauch des »th« verloren?
In alten deutschen Texten liest man häufig Wörter mit th geschrieben, die heutzutage ohne ein Solches geschrieben werden. Beispiele sind Theil, Thor. Wann wurden diese Schreibungen abgeschafft? Nach ...
9
votes
2answers
343 views
Meaning of Mann as a tribe rather than a male individual
Everybody understands the substantive Mann as designating a male human individual.
Some people might also be aware of the kinship between Mann and the verb to command, which crops up for instance in ...
8
votes
2answers
248 views
Did “zwo” exist before invention of radio?
Was "zwo" often or ever used before radio, or was it developed as a result of radio? Or has it just always been used around crowds and loud noises? And have other numbers ever had similar ...
8
votes
2answers
217 views
Warum erhalten Zahlwörter manchmal das Suffix “-e”?
Es gibt seltene Varianten, in denen Zahlwörter ein Suffix "-e" erhalten:
Sie streckten alle viere von sich.
Beim Kegeln fielen alle neune.
"Ach, du grüne Neune!"
"Wir treffen uns um Zwölfe." ...
8
votes
1answer
123 views
Warum die Buchstabenkombinationen “sch” und “ch”
Woher kommen die Buchstabenkombinationen "sch" und "ch"?
Die Herkunft der Buchstabenkombination "ch" für den stimmlosen velaren Frikativ oder den stimmlosen palatalen Frikativ ist noch ...
6
votes
3answers
248 views
Do the noun 'Reich' and the adjective 'reich' have a common origin?
The adjective rich in present-day English used to be spelled rice in Old English and its meaning was then actually broader than it is today.
For instance the adjective rice could mean "wealthy" as it ...
6
votes
1answer
266 views
Why does “fliegen” not always happen in the air?
In German "fliegen" is quite often used in a context where it has nothing to do with flying like a bird or with a flight by an airplane.
Kevin ist von der Schule geflogen.
Morgen machen wir ...
6
votes
1answer
255 views
Warum sächselt Erich Honecker, obwohl er aus dem Saarland kommt?
In all the speeches and interviews I know, Erich Honecker is speaking with what seems to me a notably east German accent (Apologies if "Sächseln" isn't entirely correct. I don't know much about east ...
6
votes
1answer
108 views
Dropped 'H' in 1901 Orthography Conference
In 1901, was the letter 'H' dropped in some words where not needed? I think "thun" was a example. What other words were affected? Was "Tür" (door) one of them?
Thanks.
6
votes
1answer
142 views
Reduplikation in der deutschen Sprache
Gemäss Wikipedia gibt es im deutschen beinahe keine Reduplikationen.
Bei uns in der Schweiz sind diese aber in der gesprochenen Sprache sehr weit verbreitet.
Beispiele dafür gibt es auch in ...
6
votes
2answers
208 views
Wo kommt “meinen” in der Bedeutung von “lieben” vor?
Im Lied "Die Freiheit, die ich meine", das hauptsächlich in Burschenschaften gesungen wird, und das auch als Titel des Buches von Jörg Haider gedient hat, kommt das Wort "meinen" im Sinne von "lieben" ...
5
votes
2answers
550 views
Did “Frohes Schaffen!” originate from Nazi propaganda?
At work I often hear the greeting:
"Frohes Schaffen!"
Some time ago I was told that I should not use "Frohes Schaffen" as it is supposed to come from Nazi propaganda.
Ever since then I feel ...
5
votes
1answer
75 views
Wie entstand aus “Sicht” die “Zuversicht”?
Schon länger frage ich mich, wie man die Etymologie von "Zuversicht" erkärt. Im Duden wird knapp aufgeführt
mittelhochdeutsch zuoversiht, althochdeutsch zuofirsiht Duden
und auch das ...
4
votes
2answers
289 views
What, exactly, is meant by “Anschluss” in politics?
In its "usual" usage in politics, it refers to the (forced) union of Germany and Austria in 1938.
And a literal translation of the word might be "closing."
Can the term be used to refer to a "merger ...
4
votes
1answer
193 views
Did the gender of “Müll” change with its meaning?
Still in the 19. Century for "Müll" we have both, a neuter and a masculine gender whereas its gender today is masculine. Interestingly it also seems to have had a different meaning than today (trash, ...
4
votes
1answer
142 views
Seit wann ist ein “Wurm” nur noch ein Wurm und kein anderes Insekt?
Heutzutage versteht man unter einem Wurm ein bein- und wirbelloses Kriechtier wie auf folgendem Bild:
Bild eines Regenwurms
Wikimedia
Das war aber möglicherweise nicht immer so. So nennt man im ...
4
votes
1answer
311 views
Where does/did word-formation in German language happen?
I am interested in a comprehensible overview, summarization where most of word-formation in German language actually happen. How are new words finally accepted to end in an official dictionary like ...
3
votes
1answer
543 views
Word list/book for political/historical terms/phrases one should avoid?
Due to german history (Nazi Germany, Stasi) there are alot of terms and phrases which can cause a very negative connotation.
A simple invented example would be
Der totale Sommer-Ausverkauf ...
3
votes
2answers
171 views
Welche Schriftsteller oder Dichter waren für die Entwicklung der deutschen Sprache ausschlaggebend?
In jeder Sprache gab es Schriftsteller und Dichter, die für zeitgenössische Sprache stehen und einen erheblichen Einfluss in der Entwicklung der Sprache haben. So war es Chaucer für die englische und ...
1
vote
2answers
315 views
English analog to “Stelzbock” or why so few sexual cusses for men?
german female version of Stelzbock someone told me would be Flittchen - Hussy (eng). Is there an appropriate translation? Imo, Macho and Gigolo doesn't match , to less animal-like and more a ...
1
vote
1answer
131 views
Hat der “Rosenmontag” etwas mit Rosen zu tun?
Im Karneval wird der Rosenmontag als Tag vor dem Faschingsdienstag in großen Teilen der Republik mit Umzügen gefeiert:
Bild vom Rosenmontagsumzug
Nach Duden und nach Grimms Wörterbuch soll sich ...
