The Germans, well-known for making new words, have done a bang-up job with the pandemic, as demonstrated in this article from the Guardian.
Here's another one from Slate.
German COVID Words
- Slava
- Great Grand Panjandrum
- Posts: 8491
- Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:31 am
- Location: Finger Lakes, NY
German COVID Words
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.
- Dr. Goodword
- Site Admin
- Posts: 7607
- Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2005 9:28 am
- Location: Lewisburg, PA
- Contact:
Re: German COVID Words
I loved both pieces. Germans have a rather complex set of rules for connecting as many words as are called for: Kraftfahrzeughaftpflichtversicherung "motor vehicle indemnity insurance". The translation is the same thing, a single compound noun, but the separation of the words reflects one problem of the English spelling system.
English words have only one major stressed syllable (accented syllable) and "motor vehicle indemnity insurance" fits that definition.
In German it is easy to spell compounds; English hasn't matched the spelling with the pronunciation yet.
English words have only one major stressed syllable (accented syllable) and "motor vehicle indemnity insurance" fits that definition.
In German it is easy to spell compounds; English hasn't matched the spelling with the pronunciation yet.
• The Good Dr. Goodword
Return to “Languages of the World”
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests