Declining and conjugating English words in German/Behandlung englischer Wörter in deutschen Texten

Zwiebelfisch in Spiegel Online (Bastian Sick; thanks to Josip Korbar of the pt mailing list for reminding me) writes about how English words are handled in German text.

How often I wonder something like downgeloadet? gedownloadet? downgeloaded? I recall the alternative gesaugt, but I have a feeling there must be a better one. Yes, heruntergeladen.

In principle, says the article, treat the words just as the English language treats words from the German: bratwurst, bratwursts, abseil, abseiling (but I write Land, Länder in English texts and can’t bring myself to write Amtsgerichts – or bratwursts for that matter).

Sometimes you can avoid the problem by using a German word: not forgewardet or geforwardet, but weitergeleitet; not gevotet, but abgestimmt; not upgedated, but aktualisiert; not gebackupt, but gesichert.

But sometimes the English word is simpler than the German: gestylt, gepixelt, gescannt, simsen (to send SMSs), chatten.

3 thoughts on “Declining and conjugating English words in German/Behandlung englischer Wörter in deutschen Texten

  1. Margaret Marks of Transblawg ponders the question (Spiegel link, in German) of how to handle English loanwords caught in the clutches of German grammar:In principle, says the article, treat the words just as the English language treats words from the…

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