German language question.
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vikingBerserker
Lieutenant General
My favorite "language" joke:
Three guys are debating about which of their languages is the most pleasing to the ear.
The Spaniard says, "Consider the word for 'butterfly'. In Spanish, it is pronounced 'Mariposa', a beautiful sounding word.
"The French man says, "True, but Papillion, the French word for butterfly, is even more beautiful."
"What's wrong with Schmetterlink," asks the German?
Three guys are debating about which of their languages is the most pleasing to the ear.
The Spaniard says, "Consider the word for 'butterfly'. In Spanish, it is pronounced 'Mariposa', a beautiful sounding word.
"The French man says, "True, but Papillion, the French word for butterfly, is even more beautiful."
"What's wrong with Schmetterlink," asks the German?
diddyriddick
Staff Sergeant
Now that is funny!
So a british lady is delighted because she gets to hear Bismark speak while she is in Berlin. But speaking no German, she hires an interpreter. They meet, and find their seats.
Bismark starts speaking...
And continues...
And continues...
Finally, the lady can't stand it any more and asks the interpreter, "What is he saying?"
To which the Berliner replies, "Patience, Madam. I'm waiting for the verb."
seesul
Senior Master Sergeant
Yep, that´s funny but true. The main verb in the sentence in past tense goes to the end of sentence. So if the sentence icludes more than 10 words, it´s not easy to translate it simultaneously...
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
It's been a long time since I've been in school, but I recall hearing that Dutch was very close to Old English.
Very true, you can not translate German word for word.
vikingBerserker
Lieutenant General
I'm having flashbacks of the Canterbury Tales,
Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote...
So in fact everybody speaks Dutch
Actually the oldest form of Dutch ever found seems to be very similar to the oldest form of English. But modern Dutch is nowhere near Old English.
Yeah I remember having to do Chaucer's tales as well as read Beowulf in the original Old English. I can still recite the prologue here. Doesn't look like English does it?
Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum,
þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon,
hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.
Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum,
5
monegum mægþum, meodosetla ofteah,
egsode eorlas. Syððan ærest wearð
feasceaft funden, he þæs frofre gebad,
weox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þah,
oðþæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra
10
ofer hronrade hyran scolde,
gomban gyldan. þæt wæs god cyning!
Ðæm eafera wæs æfter cenned,
geong in geardum, þone god sende
folce to frofre; fyrenðearfe ongeat
15
þe hie ær drugon aldorlease
lange hwile. Him þæs liffrea,
wuldres wealdend, woroldare forgeaf;
Beowulf wæs breme (blæd wide sprang),
Scyldes eafera Scedelandum in.
20
Swa sceal geong guma gode gewyrcean,
fromum feohgiftum on fæder bearme,
þæt hine on ylde eft gewunigen
wilgesiþas, þonne wig cume,
leode gelæsten; lofdædum sceal
25
in mægþa gehwære man geþeon.
Him ða Scyld gewat to gescæphwile
felahror feran on frean wære.
Hi hyne þa ætbæron to brimes faroðe,
swæse gesiþas, swa he selfa bæd,
30
þenden wordum weold wine Scyldinga;
leof landfruma lange ahte.
þær æt hyðe stod hringedstefna,
isig ond utfus, æþelinges fær.
Aledon þa leofne þeoden,
35
beaga bryttan, on bearm scipes,
mærne be mæste. þær wæs madma fela
of feorwegum, frætwa, gelæded;
ne hyrde ic cymlicor ceol gegyrwan
hildewæpnum ond heaðowædum,
40
billum ond byrnum; him on bearme læg
madma mænigo, þa him mid scoldon
on flodes æht feor gewitan.
Nalæs hi hine læssan lacum teodan,
þeodgestreonum, þon þa dydon
45
þe hine æt frumsceafte forð onsendon
ænne ofer yðe umborwesende.
þa gyt hie him asetton segen geldenne
heah ofer heafod, leton holm beran,
geafon on garsecg; him wæs geomor sefa,
50
murnende mod. Men ne cunnon
secgan to soðe, selerædende,
hæleð under heofenum, hwa þæm hlæste onfeng.
So in fact everybody speaks Dutch
Actually the oldest form of Dutch ever found seems to be very similar to the oldest form of English. But modern Dutch is nowhere near Old English.
Same with German. Old German and Old English are very very similar.
Last edited:
That;'s because the German learned it from the Dutch
That;'s because the German learned it from the Dutch
Well considering it is a West Language language.
Dutch language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
We could go on and on about this...
Dutch language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
We could go on and on about this...
Well considering it is a West Language language.
Dutch language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
We could go on and on about this...
Oh that's not fair, you're using facts.....
vikingBerserker
Lieutenant General
Ok, I'm impressed as hell. It was a struggle just to remember my one line!
Loiner
Senior Airman
I have a question for any North Europeans; is English or German widely spoken as second language in Denmark?
My grandparents were from Denmark and I would like to do a trip there one day (to see what I missed out on when they moved to England), but don't speak a single word of Danish. If English is a widely spoken second language, then no problem, if German, I can speak a bit (up to GCSE level) to get by. I learnt German at school and a course at my workplace then actually got to use it on various business trips to the Dusseldorf area (and a holiday in Bavaria).
My grandparents were from Denmark and I would like to do a trip there one day (to see what I missed out on when they moved to England), but don't speak a single word of Danish. If English is a widely spoken second language, then no problem, if German, I can speak a bit (up to GCSE level) to get by. I learnt German at school and a course at my workplace then actually got to use it on various business trips to the Dusseldorf area (and a holiday in Bavaria).
- Thread starter
- #57
B-17engineer
Colonel
I have just finalized my classes for high school and German is the language of my choice...
Well yes, most of the people will understand at least English, maybe apart form some elderly people.
