Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

5000 New Words Introduced Into German Language

Options
  • 22-07-2009 10:03pm
    #1
    jumpguy
    Registered Users Posts: 7,962 ✭✭✭


    Apparently the dominance of English on the internet and in commerce (especially the recession) is having a huge effect on languages all over the place. Now all German speakers and learners can enjoy using words such as "Twittern", "Kreditklemme (credit crunch)", "Abwrackpraemie (car scrappage bonus)".
    German has 5,000 new words - many inspired by English

    Around 5,000 new words have been officially added to the German language - many of them from the English-speaking world.

    The newcomers appear in the latest edition of the respected German dictionary, Duden.

    Germans can now go to "eine After-Show-Party", as long as it is not "eine No-Go Area", and meet "das It Girl" - if she does not have "der Babyblues".

    Fans of social networking can also "twittern", which means to Twitter.

    The financial crisis has inspired many of the new entries in the 135,000-word dictionary.

    'Kreditklemme'

    Appearing for the first time are "Kreditklemme" (credit crunch), "Konjunkturpaket" (stimulus package) and "Abwrackpraemie" (car scrappage bonus).

    The word "Ehrenmord" (honour killing) also makes it into the dictionary, which was published on Wednesday.

    The German language is known for its extremely long compound nouns.

    And the new edition includes a 23-letter example: "Vorratsdatenspeicherung", which means the saving of data relating to supplies.

    The first Duden dictionary was produced in 1880 and consisted of just 27,000 words.
    Source.


Advertisement