TIL that some languages apparently have words inherently differentiating one's status as a citizen or resident of the entity versus a member of a particular ethnic or cultural group? I don't quite grasp the whole thing, although I heard the point being made. What's interesting to me is a) that there is such a thing, which seems very revealing of something about a culture that would need such concepts built into the language, and b) that there seem to be people who think it's inaccurate to interpret the word choice as meaningful. Firstly, since languages have all sorts of concepts built into them, many very specific to their primary culture of use, it seems reasonable that such a thing could exist. Not that I would have thought of it before, since I'm not from a culture where that sort of subtlety functions. Secondly, if that is, indeed, the subtlety of the word choices, where one essentially and inherently includes people, and the other excludes, then I'd kind o...
Man...I really DO know all of my German from Rammstein songs...
ReplyDeleteFahrvergnügen.
ReplyDeleteAusgezeichnet!
ReplyDelete"Schattenparker" is a word that could only be coined in a high latitude, going by the translation provided here.
ReplyDelete(IOW, no one who's never got a second degree burn off of a seat belt buckle in a hot car in the summer has standing to call someone a wimp for parking in the shade.)
"Zugzwang": I thought that was specifically a chess term.
ReplyDeleteAmy Young I don't know. I'm getting kind of a germanic macho thing implied in that term ;)
ReplyDeleteWill Frank Maybe it has generalized beyond game theory?