Every year February 21 is The United Nation's (UN) 'International Mother Language Day', held to celebrate worldwide language diversity and the right to use these languages, while globalisation together with the progress of modern life is bringing about the spreading, sharing and merging of languages and their usage, and German is one of the languages still evolving.
This is generating a certain amount of panic within sections of the community because of the amount of 'foreign', mostly English, words and phrases that in a relatively short space of time have been brought into use in everyday German, with a few politicians insisting that only original German words are used in the work place and on official documents, and that all English or Denglish examples are omitted. While the advertising industry has also had to adjust their campaigns, to either include less of the language or at least use English that is understandable and not open to misinterpretation.
The influx of Denglish in main stream life and advertising has been adopted and assimilated by both the young and not so young in Germany, however amongst the older generations it can cause confusion as well as sometimes leading to a feeling of exclusion, and while many Germans speak and understand some English, with about 10 percent fluent in the language, it is also open to misinterpretation.
Here, with a partial list of words officially banned, are a few of the many Denglish words and phrases used as direct replacements for the original German, such as a Saugling or kleinkind now more commonly known as a baby, sandwich for Klappstulle, while Liebesgeschichte is a love story, together with some 'new' words formed from a mixture of German and English,
'Denglish' words and phrases, with their meanings
Babysitten
Babysitting
Downloaden
Downloading
Evergreen
Something that has been popular for a long while such as a song or a film
Filme
Films, Movies
Fitness Studio
Gym
Handy
Cell or mobile phone
Jobben
To work, to have a job
McJob
Low paying job
Mobbing
Bullying
Oldtimer
Vintage or classic aircraft or car
Partnerlook
Matching outfits
Patchwork family
Mixed family with children from different parents
Pullunder
Tanktop
Shooting
Photoshoot
Showmaster
TV Host
Smoking
A dinner or evening suit
Street worker
Social worker
Wellness Hotel
Spa Hotel
Some of the English words that are now in use and which a few politicians say must be replaced in the workplace, and on official documents, by the original German word or phrase.
Airline
Fluggesellschaft, Fluglinie
Laptop
Klapprechner
Meeting
Besprechung.
Weblog
Internettagebuch
Ticket
Fahrschein, Flugschein
Workshop
Arbeitstagung, Seminar,
Brainstorming
Ideensammlung
Backup
Sicherung, Absicherung
VIP-Lunch
Mittagessen fuer bedeutende
Personen (Ehrengaeste)
Newsletter
Info-Brief, aktuelle Mitteilung
elektronische Post, Elektropost
Know-how
Wissen
Keynote Speech
Grundsatzrede
Green Cars
gruene (umweltfreundliche) Autos
Administration
Verwaltung
Brainstorming
Ideensammlung
(elektronische) Nachricht
Download
Herunterladen
It is not likely that convenient, widely used and universally understood English words and phrases will disappear from Germany, the change has already gone too far. Major German banks and most other businesses that deal world wide complete much of their trade in English, however, although time will no doubt change their country's vocabulary in many ways, such a quick and thorough influx of new, and sometimes bizarre, terminology has also helped Germany's people to rediscover their own language.
A simple and straight forward book to start you on the journey to learning German, or help 'brush up' what you already know. An excellent and effective resource, it is well written, up to date and very easy to follow |
Advertising sign outside department store, courtesy photographer Gmhofmann, de.Wikipedia
