'Das ist uncool' – Germans fight back against English invasion

The Telegraph ^ | 10/8/06 | Gethin Chamberlain

[bruinbirdman]

The deliberate mangling of the German language by generations of comedians has kept the British laughing since the end of the Second World War. Now the Germans are desperately trying to defend their tongue against a modern English invasion.

While the French have been fighting a losing battle against Franglais for years, the Germans are only now beginning to take seriously the threat to their language from the rise of Denglish – the bastard child of Deutsch and English.

Angered by the emergence of such phrases as "Das ist cool" (that is cool) and "Eine tolle latte to go" (one large milky coffee to take away), German politicians and academics are demanding that their language be enshrined in the country's constitution to save it from extinction.

"Trendy pseudo-English produced daily by apparently brainless advertising agencies, marketing experts and computer salesmen is pouring forth like a poisonous porridge of magma which is burying a whole cultural landscape beneath it," warned the writer Matthias Schreiber in Germany's Der Spiegel magazine.

In the brave new world of Denglish, Germans can "chatten" on the internet, "brainstormen" in business meetings and visit the "Job-Center" if the brainstormen proves unsuccessful.

The rise of Denglish persuaded state authorities in Bavaria, concerned about drinking in schools, to coin the slogan, "Be Hard, Drink Soft!" Meanwhile Lufthansa claims "There's no better way to fly".

Such developments have promp-ted Norbert Lammert, Germany's conservative parliamentary president, to launch an initiative that aims to win constitutional protection for the German language.

"Many countries, not only France, have done this," he said. "Last May, the American Senate declared English to be the country's official language to prevent Spanish assuming this role."

[BIGLOOK]

Das ist wirklich furchtbar. Es suks!

[HiTech RedNeck]

"Many countries, not only France, have done this," he said. "Last May, the American Senate declared English to be the country's official language to prevent Spanish assuming this role."

missing the point. spanglish isn't the problem here.

[Savage Beast]

Oh f'cryin' out loud! Years ago, in Germany, my secretaries were saying: "Hast du shon gefiled?" (Have you already done the filing?). On TV MCs announced: "Live, von Berlin..." (Live, from Berlin...) That was way back when my wife and I had to get "ein Babysitter" (a baby sitter) (our son's grown and married now).

Relaxt! Getten Sie einen Grip!

[Pro-Bush]

Don't we get "grande" latte's from Starbucks?

Same diff

[weegee]

"Trendy pseudo-English produced daily by apparently brainless advertising agencies, marketing experts and computer salesmen is pouring forth like a poisonous porridge of magma which is burying a whole cultural landscape beneath it," warned the writer Matthias Schreiber in Germany's Der Spiegel magazine.

Never Mind The Islamic Supremacist Hordes, Here's The American "Threat"

[weegee]

As Michael Savage says when he discusses immigration and assimilation: borders, language, culture.

[starbase]

missing the point. spanglish isn't the problem here.

Many foreigners almost always correlate everything back to us, that's how dependent they are on us now. I call it The Concession, they always want us to grant them some referential concession to some criticism of our country, otherwise they seem unable to make it through the day.

I see this constantly from the many Europeans here in Thailand, and I go out of my way not to talk to them, they seek me out and in short order toss The Concession at me! I'm thinking of writing a vanity cataloging all the ways and times that I've seen exactly what you noted, an unprovoked and out of place reference to the US.

[Brit_Guy]

Posting this article is just schadenfreude!

[wouldntbprudent]

HIalrious.

I was at a festival a while ago and heard a German dad say to his son, "Gibt mir funf!"

[wouldntbprudent]

Remember "Tommy's Top Hits"?

[fireman43]

Please go to the following website to see how the German media whips up anti-American and anti-Semitic hatred among the populace:

www.medienkritik.typepad.com

Of course, Germany is turning into North Turkey, but they're worried about an American invasion.

The Germans deserve whatever Islamist hell awaits them.

[nathanbedford]

You all are right. There's no objection to enriching the English language with Spanish, German or any other foreign language. We English-speaking peoples have been equal opportunity language thieves for centuries and we are all the richer for it-and I might add that no one else is the poorer for it. Here's an example where stealing is a win win.

As someone who lives here in Germany, I observe many English words coming into the German language and also have seen how much of my English has been shaped by German.

In this we should all be free traders.

[Republicain]

Don't we get "grande" latte's from Starbucks?

And isn't "latte" an italian word ? As "grande" ?

[Glenn]

is pouring forth like a poisonous porridge of magma

I am so grateful that Hemmingway wasn't German.

[martin_fierro]

"Rückzugserscheinung" = "Retreat Feature".

'Nuff said.

[starbase]

Yes, I agree. And we could spend forever talking about the histories of many popular words today. Like did you know "pundit" is a Hindi word? And words like "taboo" that originated in the South Pacific.

Since everyone is adopting my language, I suppose it's easy for me to be sanguine about it, but on the other hand English is so full of other languages that saying they're adopting my language is a little bit of a trick, because you see, we've already done it with so many languages ourselves!!

[martin_fierro]

[Mr Ramsbotham]

Dass ist nicht so cool, mein man!

[Jeff Chandler]

Gotz von, Gotz von, Berlich..., Von Berlich..., now what was that name?

[Pro-Bush]

Excellent point.

[GoLightly]

Far as I know, they didn't complain when one of our Presidents called himself a donut (berliner).

[Republicain]

Since everyone is adopting my language, I suppose it's easy for me to be sanguine about it, but on the other hand English is so full of other languages that saying they're adopting my language is a little bit of a trick, because you see, we've already done it with so many languages ourselves!!

The problem is not the adoption of foreign words when they introduce a new concept or new thing, like "taboo", "internet", "scenario", "blitzkrieg" or "bossa-nova". The problem is when a native word is replaced by a foreign word, generally an english word, or a pseudo-english word. Then it's not an enrichment, but a contrario an impoverishment.

[Rastus]

"Was is das, mein freund?"

[GoLightly]

I'm like 4th generation & some badly butchered German is included in my everyday vocabulary. When my mom asked me, "duforsthay?", I knew she making sure I "got it?". When I married, I added some corrupted Polish.

[jerryem]

You missed the whole point, if an English speaker with no knowledge of the German language, filled his mouth with stones and then spoke English (like reading a book from a mirror, upside down and back to front) 99.9% of the German public would think you were German, but definitely from not around here.

[Rastus]

Before we laugh too loudly at the Germans, may I submit this photo montage?

[Republicain]

Thanks for the montage. Now I'm a lot more enthusiastic to go to Germany next week, as scheduled.

[San Franistan]

Wenn ist das Nunstück git und Slotermeyer? Ja! ... Beiherhund das Oder die Flipperwaldt gersput.

[Paladin2]

Isn't "latte" French?

[Pro-Bush]

Isn't "latte" French?

I believe it is Italian for Milk.

[jerryem]

No Sir, Latte is Italian ( but with the help from Starbucks it is taking over the word milk)
Lait is French for milk (the French have problems with the spelling )

[edpc]

Effects of the Zeitgeist?

[Paladin2]

Thanks.

So how is using the Italian word "latte" a good example of the invasion of English into Deutsch? English, as we know, will incorporate any good and useful word from most any language.

[SIDENET]

Beer and cleavage.

Now we're talkin!

[Wilhelm Tell]

Do you collect articles about David Hasslehoff? Um, you need to get out more or something, LOL.

[Larry Lucido]

Say, anyone know when Oktoberfest, um, I mean, that drinking thing, is this year? I could go for some beer and bratwurst, I mean, those meat thingies. I hear they also have hamburgers, I mean, meat patty things. They are real popular here in the hinterland, I mean, rural areas.

This year I'm gonna take my Rottwieler, Dachsund and Schnauzer, I mean my big dog and two little dogs. It's right up the road, just past the kindergarden, I mean, little folks school.

[Larry Lucido]

In French it's cafe au lait (which I at first understood as cafe ole, and wondered why they used a Spanish word for a French coffee).

[elcid1970]

Goetz von Berlichingen, the guy with the manually operated bionic arm.

[Uncle Vlad]

Jawohl!

[jerryem]

Like I said, the word latte is taking over the English word milk. Plus Germany has so many problems right now I doubt that they have one politician that understands the difference

[Republicain]

Isn't "latte" French?

"Latte" in french means "lathe"

[Spktyr]

Dear Germany;

All your language are belong to us. You have no chance to survive, make your time.

- The English Speakers of Earth

[Rastus]

I only wish I was going with you.

[Rastus]

Now we're talkin!

I'm sorry. What were we talking about? My brain kind of shut down for a moment there. <Homer>"Beer and cleavage."</Homer>

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

I was at a festival a while ago and heard a German dad say to his son, "Gibt mir funf!"

Shouldn't that be more like, "Gimir funf!"?

Sorry, but for some reason I can't forget, "Schlachthof Funf! Schlachthof Funf!"
Want some porcelain?

[jerryem]

As Germany's biggest export is now not VW or Mercedes Benz but Germans, I would think that this is an feeble attempt by the politicians/tax collectors to stop the exodus, lets face it if you want to immigrate is not going to be so easy if you don't speak English

[andyandval]

Kommen sie hier!

:^)

[Pro-Bush]

OK, I am a sucker, what does "lathe" mean in English, please?

[Proud_USA_Republican]

Is there anything better in life?

I THINK NOT!