We need your consent to load this rte-player content We use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Have you ever witnessed a stranger making a scene in restaurant that made you feel horribly uncomfortable and ashamed of someone that you don’t even know? Then you’ve experienced Fremdschämen ("to be externally embarrassed"), a feeling of embarrassment for someone else’s foolish behaviour. Unfortunately for German speakers, the majority of these words cannot be translated literally into English. It contains a range of beautifully strange words that aptly describe a certain situation or emotion. These examples demonstrate that the German language is much more than nightmarishly long sentences and difficult grammar. After this long pandemic year with international travel restrictions, you might be developing a severe case of wanderlust. You might enjoy a bratwurst (preferably vegan if you want to conform to the zeitgeist) at the summer barbeque. Your kids go to kindergarten carrying their unicorn rucksack. Some of these unique words have already found their way into modern-day English. While French is widely recognised as the 'language of love', German is famous for its long, convoluted compound words such as the much-loved and oft-cited Donaudampfschiffahrtsgesellschaftskapitän ("captain of the Danube Steam Shipping Company"). Analysis: the German language contains a range of beautifully strange words that aptly describe a certain situation or emotionīy Sandra Aline Wagner, Mary Immaculate College, LimerickĮvery language has its own reputation.
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