2

Lately, I’ve come across a never-seen-nor-heard-before word in a German article (https://kritischeperspektive.com/kp/2019-02-facebook-des-mullmanns-bester-freund/):

So gilt für Facebook beispielsweise die gezielte Beleidigung „Bitch“ (Schlampe) als unproblematisch, doch das Wort „Dyke“ als absolut unzumutbar. Im Englischen bezeichnet dieses Wort eine Lesbe, wobei der Begriff unserorts auch mit „Kampflesbe“ übersetzt werden könnte, also die gemeinhin als unangenehm wahrgenommene Frau, die Frauen liebt.

I looked this word up (unserorts) in Duden and online as well, but Google showed its ’no result’ message. Though I understood what it meant contextually, I’m wondering if words like this could be made up as ’Neologismen’ (here are only a few of my ideas for new words in German):

Gebrauchs (G) eines Handys können wir unsere Freunde anrufen. = Using a mobile phone, we can call our friends up.

Es wird nutzens (G) dieser Firma, wenn dieses Produkt in größeren Zahlen verkauft wird. = This company will make a bigger profit if this product is sold in bigger quantities.

That these may sound outlandish and totally ungrammatical for a native speaker, I know. If there's anything better, could you list up some of them? I would like to know if there are some neologies that reset the rules for German grammaticality.

Improve this question
3
  • 2
    Unserorts sounds analogous to existing words such as allerorts, ander((e)n)orts, außerorts, geeignetenorts, hierorts, innerorts, manchenorts, vielerorts, or zuständigenorts, maybe formed as a contamination with unsererseits. – user9551 Jan 27 '19 at 16:32
  • I don't know what you googled, but "unserorts" gives me 211 hits. Not many, but certainly not 'no result'. May be due to your language settings. – Rudy Velthuis Jan 27 '19 at 20:47
  • Yout second examples makes no sense. Your first one is understandable how you get there, but how would you form the second one in english? – miep Feb 1 '19 at 14:59
1

You aren't inventing new words here, but new grammar. That's beyond what you should do if people should be able to understand you.

Using a mobile phone, we can call our friends up.

That's a present participle. German has those, too:

Ein Handy gebrauchend können wir unsere Freunde anrufen.

The meaning is very similar to the English structure but no one talks like this in German. Instead, people just say:

Mit einem Handy können wir unsere Freunde anrufen.

Where's the verb? It's gone. German speakers don't hesitate leaving out filler verbs as to use.

Your second example is just overcomplicated. What makes you hesitate saying:

Es wird dieser Firma nutzen, wenn dieses Produkt in größeren Zahlen verkauft wird.

Because that's a perfectly valid German sentence.

I think you are barking up the wrong tree. Unserorts is an adverb made from a a noun and a counter or adjective as a modifier prefix, not from a verb. The building rule for these is very straightforward:

alle + Ding → allerdings

viele + Seite → vielerseits

nötig + Fall → nötigenfalls

anders + Fall → andernfalls

Improve this answer
2
  • Your example "Ein Handy gebrauchend..." could be part of a manual or from a telltale. There this form is used more often. – Arktik Jan 27 '19 at 20:48
  • FWIW, in English, you can also say "with a mobile phone we can call our friends (up)". There the using is also replaced by with – Rudy Velthuis Jan 27 '19 at 20:51

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.