What does "noch" mean in "hatte noch bei ihm gelernt"?

Question

I have been looking at Duden's entry for noch, but I can't ascertain what it means in the following subheading:

Fritz Liebsch hatte noch bei August Horch gelernt – nach dem Krieg baute er Traktoren statt edler Karossen.

Can it be translated into English in this case, or can it not be conveyed?

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Janka · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-31 22:27:52Z

6

Noch in this sentence means the action done was not possible anymore a while later.

Fritz Liebsch hatte (noch) bei August Horch gelernt.

Fritz Liebsch had learned from August Horch (when he was still taking apprentices).

answered May 31, 2017 at 22:27

Janka

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Incognito · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-31 21:39:06Z

1

I would say that the meaning of the word “noch” in your sentence is 1.a.. I would translate it as “still” in this case.

answered May 31, 2017 at 21:39

Incognito

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2

I wouldn't. I would vote for 3c: "drückt aus, dass ein bestimmtes Geschehen, ein Umstand einige Zeit später nicht mehr möglich [gewesen] wäre" (because currently, you can't be taught by August Horch anymore). There is no direct English equivalent.
– Rudy Velthuis
May 31, 2017 at 22:07

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