New endangered words discovered, quickly forgotten again
The German vocabulary keeps growing at an alarming rate. Strange new exotic terms like Ich-AG (me incorporated), Fanmeile (fan mile) or even Blog (blog) are forcefully breaking and entering their way into the language on a daily basis. Over 8000 new words have snuck into German (Germany?) during the past eight years alone, word scientists say. And as you can see, not all of these words are necessarily these new fangled “new German” (English) words, either, though it helps.
But where do the old words go to die? No one knows for sure because they’re so damned hard to remember. And if you can’t remember them, you can’t trace down their past anymore. Much less notify their next of kin. That’s why Spiegel online is going to get a little proactive here and start collecting these no-longer-all-that-valuable collector’s items before the next batch disappears again without us noticing or much less caring.
Starting in January, they will be bringing out their Wort zum Montag (word for Monday, a playful reference to the religious program Wort zum Sonntag or word for Sunday) post in which words that are about to be forgotten get forgotten properly and buried outright.
You know, like the German equivalent to “test pattern”. Stuff like that. That sounds like a good first victim, too. I’d completely forgotten about them. Or do you remember test patterns? Amen.
I’ve got your endangered word for you right here, buddy.
PS: Another endangered word (I hope) might be Kinderspiel, at least the way they mean it here.
But where do the old words go to die? No one knows for sure because they’re so damned hard to remember. And if you can’t remember them, you can’t trace down their past anymore. Much less notify their next of kin. That’s why Spiegel online is going to get a little proactive here and start collecting these no-longer-all-that-valuable collector’s items before the next batch disappears again without us noticing or much less caring.
Starting in January, they will be bringing out their Wort zum Montag (word for Monday, a playful reference to the religious program Wort zum Sonntag or word for Sunday) post in which words that are about to be forgotten get forgotten properly and buried outright.
You know, like the German equivalent to “test pattern”. Stuff like that. That sounds like a good first victim, too. I’d completely forgotten about them. Or do you remember test patterns? Amen.
I’ve got your endangered word for you right here, buddy.
Kommentare auf Deutsch? Her damit!
PS: Another endangered word (I hope) might be Kinderspiel, at least the way they mean it here.
Schnick-Schnack
Halli-Galli
Schadenfreude
lastbutnotleasttakeadeepbreath:
Eigentumswohnungshaftpflichtversicherung
Favourite German expression:
Sie ist für mich gestorben.
(Comment this)
Landeanflugvorbereitungsgeschwindigkeitsverringerungskurve.
English: The Break.
My favourite term (also from aviation):
Organizierte elektronische Störungen gegen den Entfernungsmeßkanal des Funkmeßzielkomplexes.
English: RGS. (Comment this)
Thanks for the translation! I would have guessed "Landing approach turn" had you not given the English equivalent, but then again I only know planes from behind the cockpit and the departure lounge.
As for the Radio thingy - what does RGS stand for? (Comment this)
Merry Christmas! (Comment this)