Questions tagged [reference-request]

For questions requesting a supporting document or citation for a specific query. Do not use for questions on general resources such as dictionaries – use [resource] instead.

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1 vote
1 answer
178 views

What are some online practice exams to assess one’s level?

I’d like to do a full practice exam in preparation for a TELC exam, B2 level. I’d prefer an online format I could do on my phone. Is there any website with a decent digital format German exam? (I.e., ...
17 votes
2 answers
1k views

Vorschläge für männliche Movierung

Der linguistische Feminismus kritisiert seit mehr als 35 Jahren die deutsche Sprache für ihre scheinbar unsystematische und unfaire Geschlechtsmorphologie. Fast alle belebten Substantive können durch ...
0 votes
1 answer
139 views

Hat "hau" als Begrüßung einen bestimmten Hintergrund?

Ich hab grad keine Quelle, aber glaube es ist allgemein bekannt, dass "Hau!" im Kinderspiel als Indianergruß gilt. Im Duden steht es nicht. Wo kommt das her? Grimm kennt immerhin eine ...
4 votes
2 answers
495 views

Fugen-s in Gefechtsstärke

I'm wondering why you use an "s" to join "Gefecht" and "Stärke" in Gefechtsstärke as opposed to using no interfix? Is there an acceptable rule according to which this spelling can be explained? Is ...
10 votes
4 answers
21k views

How to know Nominative, Accusative, Dative, Genitive Verbs in German?

I am learning German, perhaps I am A1 level but I really wish to raise my level to B1 and as far as my experience goes, the verbs are quite important to know and for not only verb but for grammatical ...
2 votes
2 answers
553 views

Reference Request: Dummbatz

Can anybody confirm that Dummbatz is Saxon dialect (or perhaps low Saxon)? I heard it from a friend repeatedly, whose father was from around Dresden, said Pfenge, ei verbibbsch and so on. I parsed ...
3 votes
1 answer
127 views

Is there any complete grammatical description of German in a modern theory of syntax?

The Duden offers the most complete grammar of German currently. However, has anyone tried to use a modern framework like Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar or the Minimalist Program to as ...
8 votes
4 answers
674 views

Is "Mass" a Germanic word for "great gross" (1,728 or 12³)?

The Wikipedia page for the number 1,728 (twelve cubed, or twelve times a gross) says it is called "one great gross (or grand gross, or, in Germanic, Mass[citation needed])". I want to find a ...
3 votes
1 answer
279 views

Carl von Clausewitz in original German

Though I'm sure this is simpler than I'm making it I've been unable to find the German original of the Carl von Clausewitz quote Next to victory, the act of pursuit is most important in war. I don't ...
0 votes
2 answers
328 views

Pop quiz activities for German

Is there a place like google word couch or any quiz place for German? I have recently started learning German from Youtube (Lingoni german) and a mobile app Duolingo. Now, while going through a few ...
1 vote
1 answer
488 views

"In Folge kommt es zu …" – oder "infolge", oder ausschließlich "infolgedessen"?

Folgende Passage schien mir nicht falsch: […] wird eine solche Politik gewählt; in Folge kommt es zu einer Umverteilung von Steuergeldern […] Eine andere mir zugetragene muttersprachliche Meinung ...
5 votes
1 answer
187 views

What does *her* add to the meaning of this sentence?

(NB: If this question starts out looking very familiar to you, this is because it is in fact my second question about the same snippet of text. The first one is this one: "andern" vs "...
0 votes
1 answer
679 views

"andern" vs "anderen"

The citation below is the Duden's definition of vorausfahren (my emphasis): schon vorher, früher als ein anderer oder vor [einem] andern her irgendwohin fahren When I search online for the usage of ...
2 votes
2 answers
351 views

Looking for graded vocabulary lists

When I was learning English, I was greatly helped by a series of vocabulary lists, graded from 1st to 12th grade, and consisting of words that students in those grades were supposed to master1. After ...
9 votes
4 answers
1k views

What is the original German version of Bismarck's phrase about intentions and capabilities?

UPDATE: It turns out that even Russia's president Vladimir Putin himself quoted Bismarck as saying that phrase! (Source1, Source2). It thus seems unlikely to be a made-up quotation, because it is ...
1 vote
1 answer
95 views

Searching for a specific poem

I'm looking for the author (and proper wording) of a modern poem which could perhaps be considered a "Spaßgedicht"; it must be from the late 1960s or from the 1970s because it contains a ...
1 vote
1 answer
88 views

Verbreitung des Selbst-Reflexiven Pronomens

Stimmt es, dass in südlichen Dialekten die Verwendung des Pronomens sich nach einigen Verben, die im Hochdeutsch bzw. in meinem Idiolekt nicht selbst-reflexiv sind, zumindest in festen Wendungen ...
7 votes
2 answers
465 views

Looking for extensive discussion of German modal particles

One example of such a modal particle is mal in Schau mal. Another example is denn in Was soll denn das? Spoken German is awash in such modal particles. My question about them is always the ...
6 votes
2 answers
336 views

Looking for reference work discussing fine differences among German synonyms

I will describe the ideal version of what I'm looking for, knowing that this ideal probably does not exist. Nevertheless, the description would at least give a clear target to aim for, and I hope it ...
4 votes
1 answer
643 views

Linux English German Dictionary

Is there any offline dictionary with the following qualities out there? Required Features: pronunciation of the words multiple examples of the word usage with pronunciation as well thesaurus word ...
4 votes
1 answer
229 views

Brief, To the point, no-nonsense German grammar book written in English [duplicate]

EDIT NEWBIE ALERT: PLEASE SUGGEST ONLY ENGLISH WRITTEN BOOKS I think the title said it all, but for the sake of completeness, i rephrase it again. I want a non-repetitive(have you seen those books ...
-1 votes
2 answers
109 views

So beginner with german [closed]

I have began learning German recently, I am using YouTube videos and the Duolingo app, but I feel that this is not so effective so I would like to ask you if there are any free materials well ...
6 votes
4 answers
304 views

Druckerfarbe vs Druckfarbe

Consider the sentence: Die Aufgabe des Technikers ist es, die Fahrkartenautomaten mit Geld, geeignetem Papier und Druckerfarbe zu versorgen. My spellchecker did not know Druckerfarbe and offered ...
1 vote
2 answers
114 views

Kann man Hauptwörter in Zusammensetzungen als Eigenschaft bezeichnen?

Bezugnehmend auf diese Frage Heißt es Schinken-Käse- oder Käse-Schinken-Croissant? ... welche Eigenschaft bei derartig zusammengesetzten Wörtern zuerst genannt wird? Kann man in diesem Zusammenhang ...
9 votes
2 answers
804 views

Looking for a trauerspruch

I am looking for a phrase/saying/quote in German that has a special meaning to a relative who is terminally ill. I don't have much to go on, here is what I know: My relative thinks he (most probably) ...
2 votes
1 answer
121 views

Stil ist es erst dann, wenn man selbst keinen mehr hat

Lang ist’s her, aber ich schwöre Stein und Bein: Irgendjemand in der Kunstgeschichte sagte zu mir: Stil ist es erst dann, wenn man selbst keinen mehr hat. In der Bedeutung: Einen ...
13 votes
2 answers
2k views

Looking for a German quote about politics and opinions

I am searching for a German quote I read some time time ago. Here is what I remember: It is about politics The general meaning was something like this: Don't adopt the opinion/beliefs of the public....
4 votes
1 answer
100 views

(Modernes) Buch über die Syntax des Deutschen

Ich bin auf der Suche nach einem Buch über die deutsche Syntax. Dank meiner universitären Studien kenne ich mich mit den Grundlagen der generativen Grammatik gut aus und hatte schon mit ...
3 votes
2 answers
408 views

Wortfamilien, die immer noch im Deutschen produktiv sind, aber nicht im Englischen?

Mir ist neulich aufgefallen, dass die Wörter "forlorn" (von Englisch) und "verloren" nicht nur ähnlich klingen, sondern wahrscheinlich auch gemeinsame Wurzeln besitzen. Hierfür habe ich auch Belege ...
0 votes
1 answer
52 views

Any Reference Literature on Aspect Construction of the German Language?

I'd like to read some textbooks which introduce the German way of aspect construction. I can't read German literature so far, so those written in English will be preferred. Would anyone offer any ...
0 votes
1 answer
123 views

Grouping vocabulary by common etymology

Many English words have their roots in German/Germanic languages, and as such there is a certain amount of commonality between the two (similarly there exists commonality between romance languages ...
13 votes
4 answers
814 views

Regionale Verteilung der Helligkeit von Schwarzbrot

In meinem Zivildienst wurde mir eines Tages aufgetragen, Schwarzbrot zu besorgen. Was ich kaufte, sah in etwa so aus: Da ich das Brot direkt einräumte, wurde ich nicht direkt kritisiert, sondern es ...
6 votes
2 answers
284 views

War der Fortbestand des Konjunktivs in der deutschen Sprache je bedroht?

Daniel Scholten von Belles Lettres schreibt dieses: Vor dreißig Jahren schienen die Tage des Konjunktivs in der deutschen Sprache gezählt. Nun ist er wieder da – stärker denn je. Ich kann mich ...
1 vote
1 answer
1k views

Gibt es Vorschläge zur Ersetzung/Abschaffung von Dame/Herr(in)/Frau/Mann/Weib?

Eine Frage zu Mädchen und Fräulein bzw. eine Antwort darauf brachte mich (ähnlich wie bei einer vorherigen Frage zur feministischen Sprachkritik) zum Grübeln. In der mir bekannten feministisch-...
2 votes
0 answers
52 views

German language and grammar books in German for non-natives [duplicate]

I have a book called Bonniers Tyska Grammatik (Bonniers German Grammar) and Lust auf Deutsch series, these books are not half bad but the authors are obsessed with comparing German and Swedish, and I ...