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LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

What are the most fascinating German words that no longer exist?

Which terms can no longer be found in Germany’s Duden dictionary, and when were they removed? Author Peter Graf’s book looks not at new words, but rather at ones that no longer exist.

Published: 18 August 2020 16:27 CEST
What are the most fascinating German words that no longer exist?
Vegetables were once called Zugemüse in German. Photo: DPA

Achtsamkeitsübung (mindfulness exercise), Datingplattform (dating platform) and Insektensterben (insect population decline) are just some of the additions to the latest edition of the Duden dictionary, which was published on August 12th.

READ ALSO: From Lockdown to Influencer: Which words have been added to the German Dictionary in 2020?

Words such as Hackenporsche (a humorous term for a pull-along shopping trolley) and Vorführdame (model), on the other hand, were removed.

An updated and expanded version of the 2018 book “Was nicht mehr im Duden steht” (Words you’ll no longer find in the Duden dictionary) was released just in time for the publishing of the 28th edition of the Duden. The Duden dictionary is widely regarded as the predominant authority on the German language, setting the standard on questions of spelling and grammar.

The book outlines when terms were removed from the Duden dictionary and takes the reader on a journey through the highs and lows of the German language.

Outdated words

Many of the removed words can still be found as veraltet (outdated) entries in the online version of the Duden dictionary.

Words are removed from the physical dictionary, however, when they fall into misuse or when they are outright replaced by other words. Such was the case when Tollwut replaced Hundswut as the word for ‘rabies’ in 1991. 

According to Peter Graf, author of “Was nicht mehr im Duden steht”, some of the “nicest” words long since removed from the printed Duden dictionary include schabernackisch (removed from the West German edition in 1961, and the East German edition in 1967), fuchsschwänzeln (meaning to flatter someone, removed in 1991), and verschimpfieren (meaning to disparage, removed in 2009).

The author combs through the history of words in a series of chapters focussing on various topics. Readers also learn that the original Duden dictionary (published in 1800) already had around 27,000 entries. In the edition published this year, however, the number of entries has soared to 148,000.

Peter Graf's book, “Was nicht mehr im Duden Steht”, was first published in 2018. Photo: DPA

In the chapter on “Fashion and Textiles”, readers discover that the word Überschwupper – a half-joking German version of “pullover” – disappeared in 1941. However, the German version of “sweater”, Schwitzer, was not removed until 1957 in East Germany, and remained West German edition until 1967.

The word Agrumen, used as a collective term for citrus fruits, was removed in 1980 in West Germany and five years later in East Germany. The word Zugemüse, used to refer to vegetables, was only removed in 2000. 

There used to be remarkably compact words for terms such as alt werden (getting old) or Obst ernten (harvesting fruit) in the Duden dictionary: namely älteln (removed in 1961 in West Germany, 1985 in East Germany) and obsten (removed in 1961 in the West, 1967 in the East).

Vocabulary in Nazi times

The years of Nazi rule were also dark times for the Duden dictionary. Graf explains that a great deal of Nazi-related vocabulary could be found in the 1934 edition and that even more was added to the edition published in 1941.

The Germanist (German philologist) Otto Basler, who was in charge of editing the 11th and 12th editions and was able to continue his career as a university professor after the Second World War, put up no resistance to the regime. 

“Or, as the linguist Wolfgang Werner Sauer put it in his 1989 essay ‘The Duden in the Third Reich’: by 1933 he had already manipulated the new issue in such a way that there was no need for the Nazis to force the dictionary into conformity.” The Duden institution adapted to National Socialism “with remarkable speed”.

Many words were then swiftly removed in 1947, including, of course, Hitlergruß (Nazi salute), kriegsbereit (ready for war), Verjudung (judification), Kraft durch Freude (Strength through joy), fremdrassig (belonging to a foreign race) and Untermensch (subhuman). 

According to Wolfgang Werner Sauer’s estimates, around five percent of all dictionary entries were affected. 

The first post-war edition was published in Leipzig (in former East Germany) in 1947 and was subsequently licensed to be sold in the three western-occupied zones that would soon become the Federal Republic of Germany (or West Germany).

READ ALSO: Are these the 10 most German words you can find? 

From the 50s onward, separate editions were published at the same time for West and East Germany. 

“In West Germany, the Mannheim headquarters published six overall [editions], whilst in East Germany, the Leipzig headquarters published five. 

“Whilst there were little to no differences as far as spelling was concerned, the two published editions definitely differed in terms of vocabulary”, it says in the book. 

A unified dictionary

The era of two separate editions came to an end with the publishing of the 20th edition in 1991, otherwise known as the Einheitsduden (unified Duden dictionary).

Terms used in the GDR (German Democratic Republic, or East Germany) such as Kaderakte (personal file) and Namensweihe (a non-Christian alternative to a christening) were subsequently removed. 

Interestingly, however, it was the Federal Republic of Germany that lagged behind the GDR in terms of some social developments. 

The word Volksverräter (meaning traitor, a pejorative term for someone who betrays or deceives their own people), which made its way into the German language in the 1930s and was closely linked with fascist ideology, was removed from the East German edition in 1951, but remained in the West German edition until 1973.

READ ALSO: 10 surprising uses of English in former East Germany

The word has since been re-added to the dictionary – but only due to its reappearance in recent years. 

In 2016, it was declared as the Unwort (non-word) of the year by a jury in Darmstadt. At the very back of the Duden dictionary, you’ll find a list of every German “non-word” of the year dating back to1991.

The word “Duden” always refers to the yellow Duden, the first in the twelve-volume Duden series. This particular spell-checking dictionary does not contain every word in the German vocabulary, nor does it provide information on the origin and meaning of each word.

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LEARNING GERMAN

‘Forget about bilingual Kitas’: Key tips for raising bilingual kids in Germany

With greater numbers of international workers choosing to settle in Germany and raise a family, the question of how to best raise bilingual children is often considered. 

Published: 25 April 2024 15:01 CEST
Updated: 28 April 2024 08:35 CEST
'Forget about bilingual Kitas': Key tips for raising bilingual kids in Germany

The Local asked its readers who have raised bilingual children in Germany to tell us how they managed to raise children who speak German in addition to their parent’s mother tongue. 

Trust the (school) system. 

One piece of advice was echoed by several readers: Trust the German education system to take care of teaching German through immersion. 

Siniša, 44, from Hesse, who speaks Croatian and English at home, told The Local: “Speak your native language at home. The school will ‘cover’ German and other languages.”

Steve, 55, who lives in Munich and speaks English and Spanish with his daughter agrees.

“Be consistent and raise your child in your native tongue. At a local school, they will learn German quickly,” he said.

Chris, 44, from Hamburg, who speaks English with his children, backed the idea of leaving kids’ schools to take charge of teaching them German.

“Get the kids into the German education system as early as possible and let them learn themselves from native speakers. As a bonus, they’ll pick it up quickly and not pick up a ‘non-German’ accent either,” he said.

Read more: ‘Multilingualism is an enrichment’ – The challenges of raisin bilingual kids in Germany

Readers also noted that even in the preschool stage, children can handle multiple languages. 

Julie, 41, who lives in Hamburg and speaks English and Italian at home, said: “Relax and go with the flow. Don’t get hung up on finding bilingual Kitas for toddlers if they already get significant exposure to the non-German language at home. Languages seem to develop in different spurts at different speeds.”

However, liaising with schools in Germany was noted as an essential skill. 

Kim, 46, based in Sindelfingen, with a family speaking both English and German, said: “It’s essential for at least one parent to understand German when children attend a German school. They can help explain language and cultural differences. They can also help with administrative matters and even homework.”

Maintain the mother tongue.

While readers were keen to encourage parents to trust the immersion process that German schools provide, they were also quick to advise a concerted effort to maintain speaking the mother tongue in and around the home. 

“For international parents, I think it’s very important that their children do not lose touch with their mother tongue, as it is a very special part of their identity,” said Prashanth, 42, who lives in Munich.

Anne-Marie, 52, from Frankfurt, who speaks ‘Singlish’ (Singaporean English) with her children, stated that it’s essential to be firm.

“Speak in your mother tongue to your kids from the day they are born. Be consequent about it, even in front of other people who do not speak your mother tongue,” she said.

Karl, 44, who lives in Celle and who speaks English and the indigenous American Ute language with his children, said getting family on board is important. 

“Communicate with all family members your decision, intentionally speak all of the languages, when possible provide translations so family members present are not excluded from conversations,” he said.

Charles, 40, from Berlin, even stated that speaking German at home may prove detrimental: “Don’t speak your own mediocre German with them. It may be hard to see them speaking another language as their more comfortable primary language than your own.”

Charles, who speaks English at home, added: “Find books and shows to share with them in your native language to continue the shared experience.”

Read More: What foreign parents should know about German schools

Just let it happen with the kids…

Sometimes, it seems, becoming bilingual takes care of itself. 

Paul, 40, from Munich, married to a German, said: “Our oldest just started speaking English one day around age 3. She had heard so much she could understand and just started talking. 

“The twins are starting to speak more and more English. It wasn’t a problem since she was fluent in both by age 4. I advise patience and not expecting perfection at a young age.

Crystal, 38, who lives in Nuremberg and speaks English at home, responded: “At first, my main concern was getting as much German into our lives as possible so my son would be ready for Grundschule. 

“Now I’m swinging the other way. My advice is to try to relax. There are always other things to worry about, and kids learn so much really quickly.”

…but also challenge yourself

Finally, respondents to The Locals’ survey repeated that raising bilingual children is something that requires a degree of effort – on the parent’s behalf. 

J.K, 40, who lives in Hanau and speaks English and Telugu at home, told The Local: “Language is very important for the kids to grow in a culture. 

“Parents should facilitate situations around the kid to better integrate locally. Parents (at least one) should be able to speak German at a level better than B1. 

“If not, supporting kids in their education is difficult, and this will hamper their chances of reaching a higher education level.”

Read More: Six surprising facts about Germany’s school system

Moreno, 40, who lives in Munich and speaks Portuguese with his children, was firm in his advice: “Don’t choose the easy way for you, parents. Don’t hide in your language community bubble. 

“If you intend to live in Germany for a long time, put your kids in German schools and get them in touch with the German community.

“If you don’t speak German like me, deal with it. But don’t transfer your problem to your kids.”

Have we missed any crucial advice for raising bilingual children in Germany? Tell us in the comments section below.

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