Maybe no one else but Mark Twain could give such a clear and yet hilarious view about the German language.
In his famous essay “The awful German language”, the American author illustrates some of the main aspects of German grammar and tries to establish a comparison with English.
It is a very interesting and amusing text and anyone learning German will probably agree with Mark Twain about three specific characteristics of the German language: the linguistic gender rules, the incredible amount of grammar exceptions and the long (and often unpronounceable) length of the words.
In his famous essay “The awful German language”, the American author illustrates some of the main aspects of German grammar and tries to establish a comparison with English.
It is a very interesting and amusing text and anyone learning German will probably agree with Mark Twain about three specific characteristics of the German language: the linguistic gender rules, the incredible amount of grammar exceptions and the long (and often unpronounceable) length of the words.
Discussing about the linguistic gender Mark Twain wrote:
“Every noun has a gender, and there is no sense or system in distribution; so the gender of each must be learned separately and by heart. There is no other way. To do this one has to have a memory like a memorandum-book. In German, a young lady has no sex, while a turnip has”.
True. There are actually no rules to determine a German gender, and the lack of correspondence between natural or sexual gender and the linguistic one makes things quite confusing.
German grammar is another stumbling block. Although it sounds eventually perfect in all its declinations and precise word order, you really need to define perfectly every single word ending to grasp the meaning of something. Read more about Interpreting Agency.
Again Mark Twain is quite clear (and frustrated!) on the topic:
True. There are actually no rules to determine a German gender, and the lack of correspondence between natural or sexual gender and the linguistic one makes things quite confusing.
German grammar is another stumbling block. Although it sounds eventually perfect in all its declinations and precise word order, you really need to define perfectly every single word ending to grasp the meaning of something. Read more about Interpreting Agency.
Again Mark Twain is quite clear (and frustrated!) on the topic:
“Surely there is not another language that is so slipshod and systemless, and so slippery and elusive to the grasp. One is washed about in it, hither and thither, in the most helpless way; and when at last he thinks he has captured a rule which offers firm ground to take a rest on amid the general rage and turmoil of the ten parts of speech, he turns over the page and reads: "Let the pupil make careful note of the following exceptions." He runs his eye down and finds that there are more exceptions to the rule than instances of it”.
German is also exceptionally famous for forming long words: Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz.
A 63-letter long word meaning: beef labeling regulation and delegation of supervision law!
As Mark Twain quoted: "Some German words are so long that they have a perspective!"
Certainly this is a funny interpretation of the German language but in its main points I believe Twain was right.
I am sure that German translation and German interpreting services will agree with him even though they may argue that German complexity and difficulty hold the keys to the appeal of the German language.
Search about shirt drukken and custom apron.
German is also exceptionally famous for forming long words: Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz.
A 63-letter long word meaning: beef labeling regulation and delegation of supervision law!
As Mark Twain quoted: "Some German words are so long that they have a perspective!"
Certainly this is a funny interpretation of the German language but in its main points I believe Twain was right.
I am sure that German translation and German interpreting services will agree with him even though they may argue that German complexity and difficulty hold the keys to the appeal of the German language.
Search about shirt drukken and custom apron.
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