# Literal translation of German element names (e.g. Sauerstoff)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-translation-of-german-element-names-e-g-sauerstoff/109241>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 15, 2002, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-translation-of-german-element-names-e-g-sauerstoff/109241 "2002-05-15T18:59:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-translation-of-german-element-names-e-g-sauerstoff/109241/1 "2002-05-15T18:59:45Z")

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```auto

ENGLISH GERMAN
---------- ------------
Hydrogen = Wasserstoff

Oxygen = Sauerstoff

Carbon = Kohlenstoff

Nitrogen = Stickstoff

```

“Wasserstoff” seems to mean, straightforwardly, “water stuff”. But what about the other three examples above?

Especially interesting is “Kohlenstoff”. Makes me think of English “coal”, but also of German “Kohl” (English “cabbage”).

So, what do Sauerstoff and Stickstoff mean?

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**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-translation-of-german-element-names-e-g-sauerstoff/109241/2 "2002-05-15T19:19:00Z")

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“Sauern” (with an umlaut in there) mean to be acidified or oxidated (which I suppose chemically are related, often, and cognate with English “sour”). So it’s oxygenating- or acidifying-matter.  
Kohle is just carbon (Kohlenstoff and Kohl are about the same thing-- one is less technical).  
FYI Kohlensauere is carbonic acid, and Kohlenwasserstoff is hydrocarbon.

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**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-translation-of-german-element-names-e-g-sauerstoff/109241/3 "2002-05-15T19:21:47Z")

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Oh, of course note difference in Kohle (charcoal, carbon) versus Kohl (yes, cabbage).

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-translation-of-german-element-names-e-g-sauerstoff/109241/4 "2002-05-15T19:23:33Z")

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“Stickstoff” means “choking matter”; early experimenters noticed right away that critters asphyxiate in pure Nitrogen.

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**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-translation-of-german-element-names-e-g-sauerstoff/109241/5 "2002-05-15T19:23:51Z")

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Here’s a good explanation

for[Nitrogen (Stickstoff)](http://www.dsdelft.nl/~tneleme/elem/n.html) and [Oxygen (Sauerstoff)](http://www.dsdelft.nl/~tneleme/elem/o.html).

Basically, _sauer_ = acidic; Oxygen is involved in reactions that produce acids. Nitrogen comes from the discovery that there was some part of air that didn’t burn (_ersticken_ = to suffocate); that portion is mostly Nitrogen,so it keeps the name.

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**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\
**Post date:** [May 15, 2002, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literal-translation-of-german-element-names-e-g-sauerstoff/109241/6 "2002-05-15T19:27:36Z")

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Oh, and with Stickstoff it’s related to (or suggests) stickig, or stuffy/ suffocating, which I suppose suggests something that is a gas but is not oxygen-- something that would asphyxiate (spelling there?). A real German might have to explain this one.