Categories: linguistics, wibsite
Date: 22 July 2009 20:57:16
I am sure Kerensa is out buying the latest Duden, a German dictionary first published in 1880. The BBC reports [I heard it on the World Service last night] of almost 5,000 words added to the German language in the latest Duden; Deutch Welle's report adds that Wahrig, another "Deutsches Wörterbuch" [German Dictionary: please indulge me while I write a few words in my ever-decreasing knowledge of German], has published a new edition also.
A quick review of some of the new words is rather instructive, particularly in terms of current culture / thinking: from the BBC we have "eine After-Show-Party"; "eine No-Go Area"; "das It Girl" and "der Babyblues". Jack the Lass, given her recent foray, could heave in the verb "twittern" should she feel so inclined. I find it rather fascinating English words like this have been taken on wholesale. I recall on my visits to Germany being rather taken aback by seeing billboard advertisements with prominent English taglines. Then there was the German version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" and me watching the host and contestant slip into English for two sentences in a conversation then switch back to German. Simply fascinating: to me.
Of course many non-English additions such as "Kreditklemme" [credit crunch] and "Konjunkturpaket" [stimulus package] also appear. Deutsche Welle adds "Komasaufen" ["saufen" -- "to drink"; "Koma" -- "coma": "Komasaufen" = "binge-drinking"]. And adding to the wonderful German compound words that put forth new ideas from existing words, German now has "Herdprämie" ["Herd" -- "hearth"; "Prämie" -- "prize": referring to the government payments made to German parents if they decide to stay at home and look after their children] and "Kuschelkurs" ["kuscheln" -- "cuddle"; "Kurs" meaning "course": a policy of not being too tough with someone].
Of course, as words come, others go: will anyone miss "Portechaise" [French loan-word for "sedan chair"] or "Apostilb" [which means "apostilb" in English - I did have to look it up!]? I was curious as to the loss of Apostlib [once I found out what it meant!]: did scientists suddenly decide that measurement was no longer useful? But Wiktionary has a link to "stlilb" which has the same meaning -- I assume it is being used now, myself not having much to do with luminance on a day-to-day basis.
Langauage: constantly changing; and, to me, endlessly fascinating.