English rude word enters German language

[bananas]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by REP (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: BBC

Germany's standard dictionary has included a vulgar English term, used by Chancellor Angela Merkel among others, as an acceptable German word.

Duden, the equivalent of the Oxford English Dictionary in the UK, said it was reflecting the common use of the word "shitstorm" among Germans.

The word, which is used in German to denote a public outcry, seems to have caught on during the eurozone crisis.

German language experts voted it "Anglicism of the year" in 2012.

One of them, Michael Mann, explained in a report by the Local newspaper, that the English word conveyed a "new kind of protest... clearly different in kind and degree from what could be expected in the past in response to a statement or action".

<snip>

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23142660

[Warpy]

1. Dunno about the rest of you

but they can have it with my blessing. It's a perfect word to describe what happens when everything goes bad at the same time.

You know, like all 8 years that last pResident was in office.

[MADem]

4. Merkel probably learned it from Porgie... nt

[FailureToCommunicate]

12. Yup, he was such a smoothie...

[Judi Lynn]

5. Absolutely. It was that way every damned day of his stolen terms. n/t

[bananas]

2. 'Shitstorm' becomes official German word

http://www.thelocal.de/national/20130703-50655.html


Photo: DPA

'Shitstorm' becomes official German word

Published: 3 Jul 13 09:10 CET

Facebook, Flashmob, and Shitstorm - the new edition of the official German dictionary Duden, to appear Thursday, contains a number of new words that probably sound familiar to Anglo ears.

Apart from new internet and computer-related words, including App, Social Media, and "Compi" (slang for computer), the dictionary also contains a number of new words related to the euro crisis, including Eurobond, and Finanztransaktionssteuer (financial transaction tax).

"The vocabulary changes so much every three or four years that it makes sense to re-vamp the standard work," said Duden editor-in-chief Werner Scholze-Stubenrecht.

Another new word is Vorständin to denote a female executive board member. Other words from the last edition, which came out in 2009, have been taken out, because they are barely in use anymore.

The 26th edition of the dictionary - considered the standardized version of all the words in the German language - contains around 5,000 neologisms. It is also the first edition of the dictionary to be published in Berlin, rather than Mannheim in western Germany.

<snip>

[Beartracks]

3. Cool. "Sturm und scheisse" just seemed to heavy. n/t

[Democracyinkind]

6. Scheisssturm.

Three s's just don't do it.

[BadgerKid]

14. Technically, Scheißsturm,

so no triple "s" proper. But I hear you...I recall having seen compound noun with three s's before.

I'm not the grammar police, just a lover of language.

[Democracyinkind]

17. Technically... In Germany yes. BUT...

...Not in Switzerland... As long as we're being overly technical The Swiss would write "Scheisssturm" as they have no special character for a double s.

I did not take your post the wrong way... I wouldn't want to accuse you of being a Korinthenkacker

[Call Me Wesley]

39. I guess that's the first time I see

'Korinthenkacker' posted here. Stärneföifi!

[christx30]

28. Glad you said

'grammar police' instead of the more common 'Grammar Nazi' in a thread about Germany.

[reorg]

16. no, that's a different word

with another meaning, the prefix "scheiss" denotes emphasis or amplification, like "fucking" or "damn": "fucking storm".

The pendant for Shitstorm would be "Scheißesturm" and doesn't make any sense at all in German.

[Democracyinkind]

18. I speak German as a first language. I think I know.

F.e. - Scheisshaus - does not denote epmhasis or amplification. Does not mean "fucking" house. It literally means shithouse.

[reorg]

20. me too, I also majored in German :-)

You are correct about Scheisshaus, it's a compound of a verb and a noun: the house where you shit. I don't think shitstorm means: the storm where you shit.

"Scheißsturm" is actually a German word that people use, with a distinct meaning quite different from the new Anglicism, as I explained.

[Democracyinkind]

21. I also have a degree in Germanistik ;)

As far as Switzerland is concerned, the to-the-letter-correct spelling is "Scheiss-Sturm". It could be different for Germany, though. But you made me question myself enough that I actually looked it up.

[reorg]

24. I wouldn't worry too much about the spelling

thanks to our various Rechtschreibreformen nobody knows any "correct" spellings anymore, anyway. Especially when it comes to compounds. Just searched it: people seem to (also) spell it "scheiß Sturm", which is fine with me.

Shitstorm is a compound of two nouns, agreed? If you translate them both, you get "Scheiße" plus "Sturm". Not the adjective "scheiß" plus "Sturm", or the Verbstamm "scheiß(en)" plus "Sturm". That's all.

[Democracyinkind]

25. I agree, of course. nt

[Kolesar]

8. The French would have forced a translation: merde tempête

Google translate is fun

[Rain Mcloud]

7. They missed a golden oppurtunity to include Shit ton

too much of a good thing maybe?
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Shit%20Ton&defid=3427531

[ReRe]

9. The King's English catches on... ;-) n/t

[starroute]

32. Hardly the King's English -- the BBC story sniffs at it as an Americanism

"The new word has crept into the language, imported by people who heard its use primarily in American English, he says."

As though the Brits would never think of being so uncouth ...

(Besides, I think it's the Queen's English as long as Elizabeth is on the throne. As least that's the phrase I see most often.)

[ReRe]

37. I'm sure you are correct....

.... I was making a lame joke of it... and it WAS lame.

[CBHagman]

10. Trust the Germans to embrace this term, if that's the right expression.

When in doubt, go with the scatological, eh?

Still, it's a shock to hear it had turned up in Duden and is therefore official.

[dipsydoodle]

11. herauf Scheißenebenfluß ohne ein Paddel

is up shit creek without a paddle.

Maybe they could add that too.

[Myrina]

19. Wirklich toll!

[Jackpine Radical]

13. So now we can say "shitstorm" wherever we like,

and if rebuked for it by some prude, can explain that we were merely using a proper German expression.

Ein was für wunderbares Ergebnis. Ich liebe es.

[kentauros]

15. We can say it,

just don't expect any American news outlet to report on it (other than your local free weeklies.)

I wonder if it's made it to etymonline.com yet. He has a great entry for 'fuck'

[RC]

22. That got bookedmarked!

[dipsydoodle]

27. I prefer the word which seems to go back to the time of King Canute

also known as Knud in Denmark and Knut in Norway. The Saxons would say "don't treat me like Knut"

[kentauros]

30. That's funny!

I wonder if Eddie Izzard discovered any of that in his quest for the roots of English...

[htuttle]

23. Just a bit of Anglo-Saxon returning to it's roots

Seems like a lot of curse words in English have Anglo-Saxon origins.

[Smarmie Doofus]

26. Say it out loud: sounds like it's making a round trip.

Say it soft and it's almost like praying.

[Kelvin Mace]

29. What is the German obsession with

fecally themed words and phrases?

[HolyMoley]

35. Have you seen any of their porn?

If not, trust me, you don't want to.

[AngryAmish]

38. The overall German obsession with poo is very, very weird

[Paladin]

31. Very useful term, glad to share it. (nt)

[Iggo]

33. Sweet.

[L0oniX]

34. They even have an emoticon for that...

[caseymoz]

36. ? I thought it was a German word.

[REP]

40. Scheiße, I have to lock this

As much as I think linguistic news is the only news that matters, it doesn't fit the SoP of LBN. Please repost in GD and other Groups that will find this interesting. Danke!