Yes. The word "Weltanschauung" is pure German. It is very easy to understand, if one already speaks German. The parts of the word are thus: Welt means "world" anschauen means "look" or "view" und -ung is simply a feminine ending, from which one makes a noun out of a verb.

There are many examples of this: German words, which have been americanized. In German, there are also many examples, in which English or American words became germanicized.

But "Gretchen" means "little pearl" in German. It's a diminutive of "Margaret." It's about the only German I know. Maybe a couple other common words. People keep asking if I'm German. I don't know what percentage, but it's ranked right up there with my English, Irish and Scottish bloodlines. Woof.

Bier = Beer (right?)

Former Fort Bend County Assistant District Attorney (now AUSA) Jim McAlister once said that the only word you need to know in foreign travels is BEER!

Don't forget "Ich bin ein Berliner" ("I am a jelly donut.") I wasn't even alive when JFK said it but it's the only German I know.

Besides "biergarten."

G

After reading all these posts, I am reminded of the wisdom of our first woman gov., Ma Ferguson. Altho she was particularly concerned with Spanish and French, her comment is equally valid for German.

"I think it's terrible," she said, "the way our schools are teaching our young ones such sinful languages as Spanish and French. I say: if English was good enough for Jesus Christ, it's good enough for Texans!"

[This message was edited by Terry Breen on 07-23-06 at .]

Zu der Zeit, wenn Ma Ferguson die Gouverneurin war, haben viele Texaner immernoch Deutsch oder deutsche Dialekte zu Hause gesprochen. Es ist Schade, dass wir deutschabstaemmige unsere Muttersprache verlernt haben.

Ich gebe zu, dass ich nur selten Deutsch mit meiner Tochter rede. Wenn ich Deutsch mit ihr rede, sagt sie mir ganz laut, "Daddy, talk!" Ihrer Meinung nach, wenn sie es nicht versteht, gilt es nicht als echtes "Reden".

Meine Frau ist auch deutscher Abstammung, aber sie spricht nur Englisch.

Hey Terry, is Ma F. a reliable person to quote from? I am recalling she was the governor who pardoned so many inmates that the law was changed to pass most of the power to the BPP.

That said, her comment is funny.

With Ma Ferguson you have to keep in mind her sole platform when running:

"A vote for me is a vote for Pa"

Obviously Ma Ferguson was more of an "Educational Governor" rather than a law and order governor. Her concern for the education of Texas' young people shines thru her much quoted statement.

Reading Trey Hill's posts reminds us all how fortunate we are to have won the last World War.

Does anyone know what he is saying?

Based on my impressive one year of German in school, I would bet that the following is a correct translation:

"Fools! Soon you shall see that my plan to take over the world will unfold with terrible Germanic efficiency! Then you will rue the day that you laughed at those of us in West Texas, as we have learned to live without luxuries you view as necessary, such as water. All knees will bow to the Order of the Tumbleweed!"

Okay, that's probably not even in the same area code as the real message, which is probably something about how Trey learned to be so fluent in German. But I like my translation better.

Using some software, I got the following translation:

At the time, if mA Ferguson were the Gouverneurin, many Texaner always
still spoke German or German dialects at home. It is unfortunate that
we unlearned deutschabstaemmige our native language.

I admit that I talk only rarely German with my daughter. If I talk
German with it, she says completely loud, "Daddy, talc to me!" After,
if she does not understand it, it is not considered to their opinion
as genuine "speeches".

My wife is also German descent, but she speaks only English.

John, I think I understood the message better before you translated it. Oh, look at the time, I'm late for my noodling lesson with Scott Brumley, the SRV of Potter County.

Okay, it's been a while since I used my college German, but I'll give it a shot...

"At the time Ma Ferguson was the Governor, many Texans spoke German or a German dialect at home. It is a shame that we have unlearned German as our mother tongue.

"I admit that I only rarely speak German with my daughter. When I do speak German with her, she says very loudly, "Daddy, talk!" After I do, if she doesn't understand, it isn't really 'speaking'.

My wife is also of German descent, but she only speaks English."

He can also post in Russian, Polish, Spanish, Portegues (or what ever they call it in Brazil) I remember listening through a voice mail introduction in five languages so I could tell him to come down to my office and speak to me in english.

He is also quite literate in West Texan, cause well it is a whole other country. Beware the Tumbleweed Revolutionary Army.

Here it is in English, as I envisioned it:

- At the time Ma Fergusion was governor, a lot of Texans still spoke German, or German dialects at home. It's a shame that we of German-heritage have forgotten our mother tongue.

I admit that I rarely speak German to my daughter. When I speak German to her, she says to me very loudly, "Daddy, talk!" As far as she is concerned, if she doesn't understand it, it doesn't count as "talking".

My wife is also of German descent, but she only speaks English. -

Pretty good job of translating up there, though, folks. Remember, Andrea, "nach" is a dative preposition, which means "after", but it can also mean "according to" when you quote, or paraphrase a statement, or opinion from another. "Ihrer Meinung nach" literally means "her opinion according to". For some reason, when "nach" is used to mean "according to", the object of the preposition preceeds the preposition, but still takes dative case.

I especially like the conspiratorial translation, where West Texas Germans will over-run Austin & impose our rule. You know, that's not such a bad idea, hmmmm........

Hoert Ihr denn unsere Stiefeln marschieren?

Trey,

Clearly I need a refresher course. It's been too long since I've actually used any German! Do you offer lessons?

I used to be a T.A. in German at good ol' Texas Tech. I actually think my command of English improved after teaching German to 1st & 2nd year students. But then I went on to law school, where I suddenly had to read, write & speak English for the first time in a long time. I mean, in grad school, my whole day was filled with German: reading, writing & conversation.

Since I doubt you're close enough geographically for any lessons to make a difference, we'll have to confine any German lessons to speaking at Padre, punctuated of course, by beer, or, Bier, wie man's sagt. (as it's said)

I forgot, that "nach" can also mean after - in the sense of physically behind. When we say, "Follow me", the German says, "Mir nach!" (Dative form of first person followed by preposition)