*ahem*

[lirazel]

Dear German language,

I love you and the fact that you have a word for everything. I also love that when there's not a word for something, you make one up by smooshing already-existing words together. I hope we get tons more loan-words from you (schadenfreude is one of the most useful words in the world!), but I hope we steal this one from you next:

fremdschämen: cringing embarrassment for the actions of others

What English says with seven words, you say with one.

SO. USEFUL.

It describes why I can't watch The Office or America's Funniest Home Videos and why I can't be friends with that one--very nice girl--from high school who I have a lot of common interests with but who makes me wince whenever she's around.

Thank you!

Umarmungen und Küsse,

Lauren

P.S. You are also the most fun language in the world to sing in.

Comments

[bobthemole.livejournal.com]

I have a text file on my hard drive somewhere, called "strange german words". I collect them like tchotchkes. Let me dig it up...

Weltanschauung-A German term referring to a person's worldview or philosophy.

Schlimmbesserung--the attempted improvement that actually makes things much, much worse

gedankenexperiment - thought experiment. but it sounds cooler.

Schnurrbart - moustache

Sehnsucht - longing for a place that is missing or non-existing

Saudade - nostalgia with hope that a thing will return



Got any more?

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Those are so great! I have some more somewhere, but not here at work...