German Professors Declare War on English Terms

Yahoo! News ^ | Wed Apr 9, 8:55 AM ET | By Erik Kirschbaum and Dave Graham

[vannrox]

German Professors Declare War on English Terms
Wed Apr 9, 8:55 AM ET
By Erik Kirschbaum and Dave Graham

BERLIN (Reuters) - A group of German university professors, angered by the U.S.-British war against Iraq (news - web sites), have launched a campaign to replace many popular English-language words used in Germany with French terms.

Saying they are appalled by the way the United States and Britain defied the will of the United Nations (news - web sites) and attacked Iraq, the four professors declared war on borrowed English terms in German such as "okay," "T-shirt" and "party."

They have devised French-language alternatives: "d'accord," "tricot" and "fete."

"We won't accept the United States as a role model as long as it is violating international law so this seemed to be an appropriate way to protest peacefully," Armin Burkhardt, a professor of German at Magdeburg University, told Reuters.

"We aren't trying to purify the language, we're trying send a political signal to show we're against this war which has no legal foundation," said Burkhardt, who is chairman of the group "Language in Politics" (www.sprache-in-der-politik.de).

Burkhardt rejected the notion the German professors have resorted to the same tactics as super-patriots in the United States who renamed "French Fries" as "Freedom Fries" to protest France's resistance to war in the U.N. Security Council.

He said there could also be no talk of a "language war" drawn up along the lines of patriotic Americans in World War One who rechristened "sauerkraut" as "liberty cabbage," "dachshund" as "liberty pups" and "hamburger" as "liberty steak."

"That's not our aim," Burkhardt said. "We are not trying to permanently ban English terms...We are urging French alternatives because of our solidarity with France."

English as well as French terms have long been part of the German language, but the infiltration of English has risen steadily in the decades since World War II, with the dominant influence of the United States in German business and culture.

German language purists have long fought a losing battle to keep the English words out and saw their efforts overwhelmed in recent years with the surge of the English-dominated Internet and pop culture. Even most German pop groups sing in English.

Germans go "joggen" in the morning and use "Shampoo," "Bodylotion" or "Aftershave" before going to their "Job." Before "Lunch" they send "Faxes" or "Mails" to each other. They go to "Afterworkpartys" in "Clubs" and "Bars," drink "Cocktails" or "Milkshakes" before watching "Gameshows" and "Talkshows."

The German linguists have so far come up with 33 French substitutes for the thousands of English terms used by Germans and have called for further French replacements.

They want to replace English terms in use with the French words "mannequin" (Model), "ordinateur" (Computer), "Equipe" (Team) and "Adieu" (Byebye).

Norbert Dittmar, a German language professor at Berlin's Free University who is not part of the protest, said the drive to oust English words was a noble idea and worthy of support.

"The idea of provoking an ideological debate on what language is used for by suggesting these changes is good given there is no doubt language is exploited for political ends, as we saw with the 'freedom fries' affair," he said

[vannrox]

LOL.

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[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

Sounds pretty stupid, doesn't it...

[Windcatcher]

and "Adieu" (Byebye).

Why not simply use "auf wiedersehen"? Don't they already have German words for many of those things?

[saluki_in_ohio]

ACHTUNG! Alles touristen und non-technischen peepers!

Das machine control is nicht fur gerfinger-poken und
mittengrabben. Oderwise is easy schnappen der springenwerk,
blowen fuse, und poppencorken mit spitzensparken.
Der machine is diggen by experten only. Is nicht fur
geverken by das dummkopfen. Das rubbernecken sightseenen
keepen das cotten picken hands in das pockets,
so relaxen und watchen das blinkenlights.

[formercalifornian]

Always wanted to be a supermannequin.

[FreedomCalls]

[Dog Gone]

A group of German university professors

Possibly the only demographic group to the left of our own.

I'll not stay up late worrying about this.

[gueroloco]

Message to German professors: Eat Shit.

[FreedomCalls]

English is a Germanic language. In fact, it is simply German with a lot -- a lot -- of borrowings from other languages.

[Sally II]

I guess when you realize how useless your ideology is in the real world, you have enough time for little nationalistic efforts like this. In terms of the international community playground that the Left likes to use so much, the Germans and the French are the losers that started their own treehouse club that excludes everyone but the occassional visit by the Islamic bully. While the good guys are winning the game against the bad boys, the French and Germans are devising secret club codes to make themselves feel special.

Carefull with that B-B gun boys. You might shoot your eyes out.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

Boy are they screwed when they try to land an airplane in another country.

......... I wonder how they say "Nuts!"

[kellynla]

Educated fools. I hope the Nazis can find a market in France for their MB's and BMW's to replace the American boycott. I personally canceled my order and informed the MB dealer that he better start selling American made vehicles or he would go broke. Semper Fi

[DannyTN]

Why don't they replace the American terms with that French thing where they spit at you if you talk to slow? That's a really enduring feature!

[arasina]

I haff some vurds fer das Churmunz: "Leck mich am Arsch"

[Paleo Conservative]

Saying they are appalled by the way the United States and Britain defied the will of the United Nations (news - web sites) and attacked Iraq, the four professors declared war on borrowed English terms in German such as "okay," "T-shirt" and "party."

Ein Reich, ein Volk, ein Führer

[remitrom]

It's "Leck MIR am Arsch."

[bdeaner]

Losers.

[Savage Beast]

patriotic Americans in World War One who rechristened "sauerkraut" as "liberty cabbage," "dachshund" as "liberty pups" and "hamburger" as "liberty steak."

That's funny--I've never heard of liberty cabbage, liberty pups, or liberty steak, but I'm certainly familiar with sauerkraut, dachshunds, and hamburgers.

If the French can't keep their language pure--and God knows they've tried--nobody can.

[Deathmonger]

borrowed English terms in German such as "okay," "T-shirt" and "party."

The Germans didn't already have a word for party? That figures.