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The Awful German Language (1880)

(faculty.georgetown.edu)
187 points nalinidash | 6 comments | | HN request time: 1.265s | source | bottom
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rawbert ◴[] No.44002326[source]
As a developer working in a German company the question of translating some domain language items into English comes up here and there. Mostly we fail because the German compound words are so f*** precise that we are unable to find short matching English translations...unfortunately our non-native devs have to learn complex words they can't barely pronounce :D

Most of the time we try to use English for technical identifiers and German for business langugage, leading to lets say "interesting" code, but it works for us.

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oytis ◴[] No.44003276[source]
I don't know where the idea about the preciseness of German language comes from, especially in anything computer-related. For one, German language famously fails to distinguish between safety and security as well as between an error, a fault and a mistake. Whenever Germans discuss any software matters, they seem to be "code-switching" to English terms themselves.

Compounds have to be translated using multiple words, yes - that's just a few extra white space, it doesn't result in loss of precision.

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1. ljlolel ◴[] No.44003606[source]
Also between painting and drawing. And between pumpkin and squash lol
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2. ahartmetz ◴[] No.44003733[source]
Painting - Gemälde

Drawing - Zeichnung

Picture - Bild

You were thinking of Bild, I guess?

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3. ljlolel ◴[] No.44006482[source]
Mahlen
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4. VonGallifrey ◴[] No.44008291{3}[source]
painting = Malen

a painting = Gemälde

drawing = Zeichnen

a drawing = Zeichnung

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5. mr_mitm ◴[] No.44008410{4}[source]
Mahlen is grinding, you mean Malen
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6. VonGallifrey ◴[] No.44008478{5}[source]
Fixed. I should have gotten a clue when I spelled Gemälde without the extra h.