OCR Text |
Show AMscellany Verbal Germanization. In their rejection of French, English, Italian words, the Germans have now cut out of their language French and Enelish greetings. It is said that "adieu," once so common throughout Germany, and curiously pronounced according ac-cording to the section of the country, is rigorously prohibited, and there is a universal return to the greeting "niahl-zeit1' "niahl-zeit1' (mealtime). But this rejection of foreipn terms was proposed and urged by the kaiser and others in authority long before the present war, just as tho kaiser once insisted in-sisted that every loyal German should drink German champagne, if champagne were to be served, and not the wine of Vrance. A society was formed. Lit-tlo Lit-tlo dictionaries were' published containing contain-ing the German words that should be used instead of foreign ones in the vo- cnhularies of arts, trades and employments. employ-ments. Thus a cignr should no longer be a "rigarro," but a " gliinmstengel " (a glimmer stick), or "rauchrollo" (snioko roll), ''Knickerbocker should be ''sporthoso" and ''sweater'' " sportswomms. " Unfortunately, in restaurants few know the dishes by their now names. If a loin piece of beef was prepared in the ''Nieder-sohlossborg ''Nieder-sohlossborg way" tho waiter was questioned: ques-tioned: at last the bill of fare was printed in German on one side and French on the other; and so the doubt-fill doubt-fill guest was reassured, finding his particular par-ticular piece of beef was the familiar "filet bearnaise." In the vocabulary of motoring the German language niav appear to disadvantage. disad-vantage. "Throttle" is not easily pro-nounccd pro-nounccd bv Germnns, and they may prefer pre-fer " drosselklnpponreguliorung, ' but "silencer" Is earier than ' ' gerauschver-minderer," gerauschver-minderer," and "change-speed lever" than 4 ' geschwiudigkcitsauschaltutigs-hebel." geschwiudigkcitsauschaltutigs-hebel." What would Frederick tho Great, idolized by William and the military, j say to the present inconceivable uar-rowncssl uar-rowncssl For Frederick had tho highest high-est regard for the French language witness his intercourse with Voltaire and his admiration for everything French, llo despised his own language. His library consisted of French books. Only French was spoken at his table. And it was Frederick who said of his opera house in Herliu that ho would rather hear his horse neigh in Italian than tho best singer sing in German. Philadelphia Hecord. |