Here are some words you may already be using, but you may not know that we
originally got them from the German language! McKinnon Secondary College
Page © D Nutting
German is the native language of about 100 million people, chiefly in the countries Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein. It is also the mother tongue of a considerable number of people in small neighbouring areas of Belgium, France and the north of Italy. German is spoken as a second language in many countries in Eastern Europe where German culture and language have been an important common bond through the centuries.
This makes German by far the most widely spoken native language in Europe. It is also spoken by many people in scattered areas around the world, for example in various parts of South America.
More info on where German is spoken is at About German.
The language’s current importance is due partly to Germany’s economic status. Germany has the leading and most influential economy in the European Union (EU). In the EU the importance of German as a language of communication is growing, especially since Austria joined the EU in 1995. There is a lot of potential for Australian companies to increase their exports to Germany, Europe’s largest market. Germany is Australia’s third largest supplier of imports and has been increasing its involvement in Australia, seeing our country as an ideal base for expanding its economic activity in the Asia-Pacific area.
"But the significance of German extends well beyond economic considerations. A review of Nobel Prizes shows that scientists from the three major German-speaking countries have won 21 in Physics, 30 in Chemistry, and 25 in Medicine, while many laureates from other countries received their training in German universities. Nine Nobel Prizes in Literature have been awarded to German and Swiss writers, and seven Germans and Austrians have received the Peace Prize.
Even in the world of sport, German-speakers figure prominently. Germany accumulated the second-highest total number of medals in the 1996 Olympics, while also winning the European Cup in soccer for the third time. In the history of World Cup soccer, Germany has reached the finals more often than any other country, and only Brazil has won the title more often. Tennis is of course another sport at which Germans excel, and athletes from the German-speaking countries traditionally dominate alpine skiing to the extent that German is the sport's primary language.
A knowledge of German gives access not only to rich literary, philosophical, artistic and scientific traditions but also to many kinds of current economic, political, and cultural developments." (with thanks to Dartmouth College, USA)
Speakers of English find many words in German that sound and/or look the same as the equivalent English words. This is because they are part of the same language family.
| Some German nouns:
Haus = house Buch = book Band = band Land = land, country Sand = sand Sturm = storm Wurm = worm Hand = hand Arm = arm Finger = finger Ring = ring Knie = knee |
Some German verbs:
singen = to sing schwimmen = to swim trinken = to drink waschen = to wash sitzen = to sit kommen = to come warnen = to warn helfen = to help organisieren = to organise |
Some German adjectives:
warm = warm kalt = cold jung = young alt = old braun = brown blau = blue grün = green dumm = stupid windig = windy |
Here are some words you may already be using, but you may not know that we
originally got them from the German language!
| kitsch
glockenspiel gesundheit hinterland rucksack angst wanderlust torte leitmotiv pretzel yodel fest (talkfest etc) kindergarten |
misch-masch
zig-zag poltergeist kaputt iceberg blitz flak concertmaster waltz wunderbar cookbook diesel dummkopf |
beergarden
Kriss Kringle paraffin noodle sauerkraut frankfurter hamburger bratwurst liverwurst lager (beer) wienerschnitzel delikatessen quartz |
Do you like dogs? Germans are fond of dogs; here are the names of some German breeds - Schnauzer, Dachshund, German Shepherd, Doberman, Poodle, Pincher, Rottweiler, Weimaraner, German Shorthair.
See also:
Large numbers of immigrants have come to Australia from the German-speaking countries and have played an important part in the development of modern Australia. South Australia has a particularly strong German heritage. Between 1839 (when the first groups of German settlers arrived in S.A.) and 1900 over 18,000 Germans came to South Australia, making up 10% of that state's population. Many South Australians have German ancestors.
The German influence was very strong in Adelaide before 1900. Until World War One, it wasn’t even necessary for a German to speak English in S.A.! Adelaide had two German hotels, coffee shops and businesses of all kinds run by German-Australians. People who wished to, could buy everything they needed from different businesses where German was spoken. The German Club was founded in 1854. Just how important a part the German Club played in Adelaide social life can be seen in the fact that its 50th anniversary celebrations were attended by the S.A. governor, the S.A. Chief Justice, the S.A. premier, and the Lord Mayors of Adelaide and Melbourne.
Adelaide is a German name! Prinzessin Adelheid Amalie Luise Therese Carolin was born in the castle of Meiningen, Germany, in 1792. In July 1818 she was married to the heir to the British throne, and she changed her name from Adelheid to Adelaide. In 1830 William was crowned King William IV of Great Britain, and Adelaide was crowned Queen of Great Britain and Hanover. When the Colony of South Australia was officially proclaimed in 1836, its new capital city was named after Queen Adelaide. Find out more about Australia's German heritage!
Elsewhere in Australia, particularly in Queensland and Victoria, German immigrants played an important role. By 1890 they were the largest non-British part of the population. Some made important scientific and cultural contributions to the development of modern Australia. For example:
Friedrich Krichauff - Forestry
Martin Basedow - Education
Ludwig Leichhardt - Exploration of northern Australia. Several towns/suburbs are named after him.
Georg Neumayer - Astronomy, Science. Established the observatory in Melbourne. He planned the ill-fated exploration journey of Burke und Wills. With Burke und Wills on the journey were the Germans Wilhelm Brahe, Ludwig Becker [official artist] und Hermann Beckler [doctor].
Johann Menge - Mineralogy ("Father of mineralogy in South Australia")
Hans Heysen - Landscape painting
Bernhard Holtermann (Sydney) and J.W. Lindt (Melbourne) - Pioneering photography
Dr Eugen Hirschfeld - Imperial German Consul in Brisbane 1906-1914. He played a part in the establishment of the University of Queensland.
Carl Linger - Composer/conductor. Director of the Liedertafel (choral group) in Adelaide. Composer of the "Song of Australia"; it was considered an unofficial national anthem in South Australia.
Johann Eugen Guerard - Landscape painting in Victoria. He was the first director of the National Gallery in Melbourne.
Carl F.T. Strehlow - Expert on the ethnology and languages of the aborigines. Leader of the Hermannsburg Mission in the Northern Territory 1894-1922.
In the 19th century most Germans settled in the country and worked small farms. There are several German place names in Australia, and some placenames which used to be German before being changed in World War One. Just a few examples:
Victoria - Altona, Carlsruhe, Heidelberg, Breslau (later Waldau, now Doncaster; a primary school in Doncaster now has the name Waldau Primary School), Hochkirch (now Tarrington, not far from Hamilton), Kirchheim (now Minyip), Plauen (now Mill Park)
Queensland - Leichhardt, Marburg, Minden, Bismarck (now Maclagan), Hessenburg (now Ingoldsby), Engelsburg (now Kalbar), German Station (early German mission station, founded 1838; it's had the name Nundah since 1885)
South Australia - Hahndorf, Lobethal, Klemzig, Grunthal (now Verdun), Oliventhal (now Olivedale), New Mecklenburg (now Gomersal)
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