'Das ist uncool' – Germans fight against English invasion

'Das ist uncool' – Germans fight back against English invasion
By Gethin Chamberlain
(Filed: 08/10/2006)



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.


Germany is taking a stand against Denglish


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."

telegrapgh.co.uk

"...a poisonous porridge of magma..." Wow, what an image.

And I'm of two minds on this subject. I understand that people want to protect what's dear to them, and I myself don't like to see my local dialect eroded by outside influences. But language I think is uncontrollable. You've got to let it alone so it can develope naturally.

Adam : « 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. »


On dirait que ce sont les anglais qui ont perdu la bataille...

« On dirait que ce sont les anglais qui ont perdu la bataille... »

LOL !!!!!!

Here is a "German" sentence that I have found in a newspaper:

Ich bin nicht schlank, deshalb ist es für mich überhaupt nicht EASY, Jeans zu kaufen.

It's so uncool, isn't it?

I think German can take this, just as it has taken thousands of loans from French, Italian, Latin etc. without ending up looking like this 16th-century mockery poem:

Reverierte Dame,
Phönix meiner Ame,
gebt mir Audienz,
Eurer Gunst Meriten
machen zu Falliten
meine Patienz

<<Adam : « 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. »


On dirait que ce sont les anglais qui ont perdu la bataille... >>

Your a bit of a one trick pony aren't you Greg?

<<On dirait que ce sont les anglais qui ont perdu la bataille...>>

Hehehe. C'est vrai.

<<I think German can take this, just as it has taken thousands of loans from French, Italian, Latin etc. without ending up looking like this 16th-century mockery poem:

Reverierte Dame,
Phönix meiner Ame,
gebt mir Audienz,
Eurer Gunst Meriten
machen zu Falliten
meine Patienz>>

Cool poem. Yeah, German will be fine. Such needless worries about language change come up every generation and never pan out to the gloom and doom predictions forecast for the future. You'd think people would learn the lesson by this point.

It's funny to think of governments' prescribing language as if anyone will take notice of them (unless we're talking dictatorships).

« Guest » : « Your a bit of a one trick pony aren't you Greg? »

Tut mir leid : diesen Film (oder Song) kenne ich nicht.

« Guest » : « Your a bit of a one trick pony aren't you Greg? »

I'm sorry: I don't know this film (or song)

<<Tut mir leid : diesen Film (oder Song) kenne ich nicht.>>

A "one-trick pony" is an idiomatic phrase meaning something or someone who only does one thing or has one special trick (so "Guest" is being a bit on the rude side in stating that).

It's also the title of a Nelly Furtado song and a Paul Simon movie, so if you did a Google or Wikipedia search for the phrase that's probably what led you to that.

<<"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." >>

Really? Too bad the bill to amend the constitution didn't pass, and never does, despite the countless times it has been proposed. The article is deliberately misleading, America has no official language.

http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_lang.html

Kirk :

« <<Tut mir leid : diesen Film (oder Song) kenne ich nicht.>>

A "one-trick pony" is an idiomatic phrase meaning something or someone who only does one thing or has one special trick (so "Guest" is being a bit on the rude side in stating that).

It's also the title of a Nelly Furtado song and a Paul Simon movie, so if you did a Google or Wikipedia search for the phrase that's probably what led you to that. »


Vielen Dank Kirk. ☺

Zwar hielt ich es für möglich, daß dieses Gastes Rückantwort nicht besonders liebenswürdig war...

Tatsächlich habe ich die Redensart gegoogelt und nur den Song und den Film gefundet. In jedem Falle ist es ein sinvoller, anschaulicher Ausdruck. Und auch so echt — zumindest in diesem Fall : ich konnte Adams Albereien kaum widerstehen (genau wie im Zirkus).

Und apropos Zirkus, ungeduldig erwarte ich die nächste (vorhersehbare) Nummer vom maskierten Dolmetscher...

Soon to come, according to German ortographers:
Grislibär....
Sounds more of Switzerland than the Rockies!
:-)