# German words used in English language? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 6, 2003, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-words-used-in-english-language/193304 "2003-08-06T11:25:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_Holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a5b964/32.png) [@Mycroft\_Holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_Holmes)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-words-used-in-english-language/193304/41 "2003-08-07T13:21:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qwfwq \* > \*\*And what’s the one from the VW ads? Farfignugen, or something \*\* That’s “Fahrvergnuegen”, whch basically means “a pleasurable ride”. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by pulykamell_\*\* > zaftig (but this may also be via Yiddish)\*\* Yeah, I think this is probably via Yiddish, because in German it just means “full of juice”, and not at all in the metaphorical way it is used in English. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-words-used-in-english-language/193304/42 "2003-08-07T13:44:03Z")
We’ve forgotten three huge words, people! On the obvious side, there’s “hamburger” and “frankfurter.” [Cecil says](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_268b.html) that fuck comes from the German _ficken_. I think I’ve heard others say it comes from Latin, however. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-words-used-in-english-language/193304/43 "2003-08-07T14:00:09Z")
Fuck’s an Anglo-Saxon word, I don’t think a definite relationship between fuck and ficken has been established. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-words-used-in-english-language/193304/44 "2003-08-07T14:02:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Marley23 \* > \*\*We’ve forgotten three huge words, people! > > On the obvious side, there’s “hamburger” and “frankfurter.” > \*\* _Ahem_ > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by jovan_ > \*\*Wurst > Wiener > Frankfurter > Pretzel (from bretzel) > Lager > Pilsener > > … but most of all: > Hamburger > \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-words-used-in-english-language/193304/45 "2003-08-07T14:57:21Z")
And here I thought triple-checking before I posted was good enough. Scheisse! ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-words-used-in-english-language/193304/46 "2003-08-07T15:01:38Z")
Don’t forget **kaput**. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-words-used-in-english-language/193304/47 "2003-08-07T15:34:47Z")
Good morning. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-words-used-in-english-language/193304/48 "2003-08-07T15:57:01Z")
**Thank** you, and **good night** ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-words-used-in-english-language/193304/49 "2003-08-07T16:04:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gest \* > \*_Arm, Finger, Hand, Ball, and Gift_. \*\* Not quite. Translated to German, we get: Arm, Finger, Hand, Kugel und Geschenk. Be very careful with “gift” - in German, it’s poison. As in “Giftgas” which was used in the concentration camps. When in doubt, [translate it](http://world.altavista.com/). And, whatever you do, don’t ask for extra pickles on your hamburger. A friend of mine got a very strange look from the counter-person as a word that sounds like our “pickle” means “pimple” or acne. The dilly delights are called Essiggurke in German. Same guy got blank stares elsewhere asking for Affesaft when he really wanted Apfelsaft. The first is the nonsensical monkey juice, and what he wanted was apple juice. ---
**Author:** ![vd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b19c9b/32.png) [@vd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vd)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-words-used-in-english-language/193304/50 "2003-08-07T16:36:16Z")
> [@](#): > > a bad “improvement”, i.e. a change that was supposed to make something better but made it worse instead The American English term is “Windows Service Pack”😃 All the German I know is from “Hogan’s Heroes” ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-words-used-in-english-language/193304/51 "2003-08-07T17:22:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qwfwq \* > **I’m not sure about this “wit of the staircase” word–I studied French lit, not German, but “l’esprit de l’escalier” was used in the 18th century, maybe earlier.** Hmmm… Now that you mention it, I think you may be right. The German word is shorter, and perhaps more useful for being succinct, but I do recall hearing the French term first. _(Snopes misled me! Waaaah!)_ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Gest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Gest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gest)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-words-used-in-english-language/193304/52 "2003-08-09T05:50:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gotpasswords \* > **Not quite. Translated to German, we get: Arm, Finger, Hand, Kugel und Geschenk.** Well actually, _Ball_ and _Kugel_ can be synonymous auf Deutsch. Additionally, _Ball_ can also be a formal dance as it in English. As for _Gift/Geschenk_; well, I suppose you really _do_ learn something surprising every day. And… now I know it isn’t spelt with an asterisk as I previously thought it was. :smack: Thanks for that altavista link though. It’s certainly where I’ll turn next time I translate something into English. ---
**Author:** ![Azi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Azi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azi)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-words-used-in-english-language/193304/53 "2003-08-09T06:41:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > \*\*There are more English words of German origin than any other language. > … > English is a Germanic language, after all. \*\* Yes, but the Norman invasion made the language very French. According to Oxford the percentages are almost equal between German and French influences, but slightly (~2%) in favour of French. But it’s close. I tried to find the Oxford page that had the figure, but with no luck. It wasn’t the OED as I recall. Finally, a word everyone seems to have missed: Gesundheit ---
**Author:** ![Gest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Gest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gest)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-words-used-in-english-language/193304/54 "2003-08-09T06:50:02Z")
Ethnologue gives English a 60% lexical similarity to German but only 27% to French. ---
**Author:** ![biqu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@biqu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biqu)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-words-used-in-english-language/193304/55 "2003-08-09T06:51:54Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Azi_ > Finally, a word everyone seems to have missed: > > Gesundheit Nope, **jjimm** got it on the first reply. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by jjimm_ > Off the top of my head, zeitgeist, sauerkraut, **gesundheit** , schadenfreude. Two words that really have been missed: wunderbar, Wunderkind. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-words-used-in-english-language/193304/56 "2003-08-09T06:57:04Z")
Schwarzenegger. ---
**Author:** ![Azi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Azi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azi)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-words-used-in-english-language/193304/57 "2003-08-09T07:21:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by amore ac studio \* > \*\*Nope, **jjimm** got it on the first reply. > > Two words that really have been missed: wunderbar, Wunderkind. \*\* How the … I can’t believe I missed that. Grr. I need to get to sleep. I found the Oxford article: > **[Oxford Languages | The Home of Language Data](https://languages.oup.com)** > > Explore Oxford Languages, the home of world-renowned language data. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-words-used-in-english-language/193304/58 "2003-08-09T12:43:42Z")
Doppelganger: Meeting your identical twin. The fact that the Germans even have a word for it amazes me. How common is it over there? ---
**Author:** ![twit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twit)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-words-used-in-english-language/193304/59 "2003-08-09T14:06:52Z")
Kindergarten 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2003, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-words-used-in-english-language/193304/60 "2003-08-09T15:37:29Z")
Mentioned in the op. Ha! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-words-used-in-english-language/193304.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-words-used-in-english-language/193304.md?page=4)