My 50 new German words are mostly identical in English. So stay and have a look – I bet you are learning something. Just like my shared list of English words I plan to learn 50 new German words. Most of them are originating in Latin or Greek. I have linked the Wikipedia articles if they are available. Let’s dive in and learn something new.
- Infamie – English: Infamy is the state of being widely known for something considered very bad, disgraceful, or wicked. (Word provided by Engie in this blog post )
- Moratorium – English: A moratorium is a temporary official pause, freeze, or delay of an activity, legal obligation, or payment. It acts as a formal “time-out” to let governments, businesses, or individuals handle a crisis, review a process, or restructure debt. (Word provided by the book „Das Geschenk der Wildnis“ by Elli H. Radinger)
- Dünung (Schwell) – English: A swell is a series of smooth, long-distance ocean waves generated by distant storms or winds blowing across a large area of water. (Word provided by the audiobook „Eingefroren am Nordpol“ by Markus Rex)
- Diorama – English: A diorama is a three-dimensional, miniature or life-size model that represents a scene, event, or fictional world inside an enclosed space or frame. (Word provided by the book „The Poppy Fields“ by Nikki Erlick)
- Palimpsest – English: A palimpsest is a historical manuscript—such as a piece of parchment, vellum, or papyrus—from which the original writing was scraped, washed, or erased so the surface could be reused for a new text. (Word provided by the book „The Invisible life of Addie LaRue“ by V.E. Schwab)
- Buckram (Steifleinen) – English: Buckram is a coarse, stiffened cotton, linen, or blended fabric treated with glue, starch, resin, or acrylic coating to give it structural rigidity and durability. (Word provided by the book „Songlines“ by Bruce Chatwin)
- Strohmiete – English: A straw clamp is a large, systematically stacked pile of straw bales (often found at the edge of a field) that protects the straw from moisture and the elements when stored outdoors. In German the word “Miete” originated from the latin Word von mēta which means Kegel (come) (Word provided by my emergency app )
- Persenning – English: A tarpaulin (commonly called a tarp) is a large, strong, flexible sheet made of waterproof or water-resistant material used to protect objects, people, or structures from rain, wind, and sunlight. (Word provided by my Arctic Adventure)
→ I knew the English abbreviated word but not long version or the German one. - Bitumen (Teer, Pech, Asphalt) – English: Bitumen is a thick, dark, and sticky hydrocarbon material that acts as a binder in road construction and waterproofing. (Word provided by the book „Vom Gehen und Bleiben“ by Petra Hucke)
- Vabanquespiel – English: A “Va banque” game (or playing “Va banque”) is an extremely risky venture in which you put all your eggs in one basket. You either win big or lose everything. (Word provided by the book „Mrs Mabels Letzte Liste“ by Laura Pearson)
- Promiskuität – English: Promiscuity refers to engaging in sexual relationships with frequently changing partners or multiple partners at the same time, with the focus on the physical and sexual experience rather than on a committed emotional bond. (Word provided by the book „Unorthodox“ by Deborah Feldman)
- Anachronismus – English: An anachronism is a chronological error or a literary device in which people, objects, customs, languages, or events are placed in the wrong time period. (Word provided by the book „The Ministry of Time“ by Kaliane Bradley )
- Gonaden (Keimdrüsen) – English: Gonads are the primary reproductive organs—the testes in males and the ovaries in females—that produce gametes (sperm and eggs) and secrete sex hormones. They are a core part of both the reproductive and endocrine systems. (Word provided by the book „I who have never known man“ by Jacqueline Harpman)
- Larynx (Kehlkopf) – English: The larynx (also known as the voice box) is a hollow organ located in the front of the neck (at the level of the cervical vertebrae C3 through C6) that serves as a connection between the pharynx and the trachea. (Word provided by the book „Three Apples Fell from the Sky“ by Narine Abgaryan)
- Subinzion – English: Penile subincision (Link is graphic!) is a form of genital modification in which the underside of the penis is cut lengthwise along the urethra. This permanently exposes and opens the urethra. (Word provided by the book „Songlines“ by Bruce Chatwin)
- Karbunkel – English: A carbuncle is a deep, painful cluster of connected boils (furuncles) caused by a bacterial skin infection that affects multiple hair follicles. (Word provided by the book „Gerta“ by Kateřina Tučková)
- Miasma – English: Miasma is a historical medical concept and a modern literary term that refers to toxic, foul-smelling vapors from rotting matter or a heavy, oppressive atmosphere of corruption. (Word provided by the book „Stone Witch of Florence“ by Anna Rasche)
- Pleonasmus – English: A pleonasm (from the Ancient Greek pleonasmos, meaning “excess”) is a rhetorical device in which a term is described by an additional word or part of a word. This additional word is superfluous in terms of content because its meaning is already contained in the referent. Examples: cold ice –(Word provided by the book „Songlines“ by Bruce Chatwin)
- Synkretismus (Vermischung, Verschmelzung, Synthese) – English: Syncretism is the blending of different and sometimes opposing religious, cultural, or philosophical systems into a new, combined whole. (Word provided by the book „Songlines“ by Bruce Chatwin)
- Mnemonik (Eselsbrücke, Merktechnik, Lerntechnik) – English: mnemoniac – A mnemonic (a memory aid) is a learning technique that helps the brain store information more easily and recall it later. (Word provided by the book „Alles überall auf einmal“ by Léa Steinacker, Miriam Meckel)
- Malapropismus (Wortverwechslung) – English: Malapropism is the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, usually creating a funny or nonsensical meaning.
Example: “A mute point” instead of a moot point (Word provided by the book „The Ministry of Time“ by Kaliane Bradley) - Kjökkenmödding – English: A midden is an old heap, mound, or deposit of domestic waste, food refuse, and everyday debris left behind by humans or animals. (Word provided by the book „A Tale for the Time Being“ by Ruth Ozeki)
- Flomen (Filz, Liesen, Grundprodukt für Schmalz) – English: Pork belly fat is the pure, particularly fine fatty tissue found in pigs in the abdominal cavity between the peritoneum and the abdominal muscles, as well as around the kidneys. By heating, one obtains fine lard (pork lard) or goose lard. (Word provided by the book „A Room for One’s own“ by Virginia Woolf)
- Tisane (Kräutertee, Kräuteraufguss, Kräuterinfusion) – English: A tisane (pronounced tee-zahn) is any hot or cold beverage made by steeping plants, flowers, roots, or spices in water, excluding actual tea leaves. (Word provided by the book „Three Apples Fell from the Sky“ by Narine Abgaryan)
- Posterität (Nachwelt, Nachkommen) – English: Posterity means all future generations of people. (Word provided by the book „Gerta“ by Kateřina Tučková)
It is interesting, that all my German words are substantives. Why is that? Are there more substantives than verbs and adjectives? Anyways, any words you have been familiar with? One word you want to start using in your vocabulary? Any word you already use regularly?
This is list #12 in my “Do a 50 lists blog project” from my 101 in 1001 days goal list.
