List of German expressions in common English
Below is a list of German expressions used in English. Some are relatively common (such as hamburger or gestalt), but most are comparitively rare. In many cases, the German borrowing in English has assumed a substantially different meaning than its German forebear.
Many of these are used to add atmosphere to a passage by implying that the thing being expressed is German, as in Frau or Reich, although sometimes the use of German terms has no German implication, as in doppelganger or angst.
Note that since English is a Germanic language, a large number of English words are of the same common proto-Germanic origin as in modern German (e.g. Hand or Finger). The list below only includes words and expressions that are of German but not of Anglic origin (see West Germanic language family tree).
German Terms Commonly Used in English
Words in this category will generally be recognized and used by an English speaker, usually without knowledge of the word's German origin. Some are quite common (such as kindergarten and deliatessen); others somewhat less so, though words in this list are not rare.
German Terms Commonly Used In Academic Contexts In English
German terms frequently appear in several academic disciplines in English, notably in the history of World War II, psychology, philosophy, and physics. Non-specialists in a given field may or may not be familiar with a given German term.
German Terms Mostly Used for Literary Effect
These terms will be recognised by many if not most English speakers, but generally only appear in English when an author is evoking a Germanic setting.
- Achtung (usually followed by an exclamation mark) -- "attention"
- Frau
- Fräulein
- Kaput (German spelling: kaputt) -- "broken"
- Lederhosen (Singular Lederhose in German denotes one pair of trousers. The original Bavarian word is Lederhosn, which is both singular and plural.)
German Terms Rarely Used in English
This is the unsorted, original list. If a term is 'common in a particular academic discipline, and there is no more commonly used English equivalent, then please move it to the list above.
See also
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