multilingua.info - German/Dutch/Swedish This weblog introduces vocabulary and basic grammar concepts in three major Germanic languages, one item at a time. Follow the posts and become a polyglot. tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254169 2005-10-02T18:55:22Z Blogger
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 true gbarto 2005-04-17T13:26:00-07:00 2005-04-17T20:39:57Z 2005-04-17T20:39:57Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254169.post-111377039735745744 German Practice

A Very Short Wittgenstein Reader

Parts of the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus are astonishingly complicated. But at its best, Wittgenstein's style is elegant in its clarity and directness. It is with little more than a handful of propositions that he lays the groundwork for his first all-encompassing philosophical system. Far from being esoteric mishmash, these statements are simple, precise and mindblowingly general. Indeed, one need have hardly any German at all in order to follow section one of the Tractatus. It's easier than "The House that Jack Built"!

Below is the original German, with literal and idiomatic translation and a short glossary. In ten minutes, you'll be able to casually remark upon having a go at Wittgenstein in the original. Won't your friends be impressed!

A note on the glossary: Parentheses () and slashes / indicate different forms of the same word that occur in the reading. Words only given in the first line in which they are used. Notice how much the vocabulary repeats.

1 Die Welt ist alles, was der Fall ist.

1 The World is all, what the Case is.
1 The world is all that is the case.

1 die, der the, of the ... Welt world ... ist/sind is/are ... alle(s) all ... was what ... Fall fall, case, what befalls or comes about

1.1 Die Welt ist die Gesamtheit der Tatsachen, nicht der Dinge.

1.1 The World is the Totality of the Facts, not of the Things.
1.1 The world is the totality of facts, not things.

1.1 Gesamtheit totality (gesamt = entire) ... Tatsache fact (Tat = deed, Sache = matter, fact) ... nicht not ... Dinge thing

1.1 1 Die Welt ist durch die Tatsachen bestimmt und dadurch dass es alle Tatsachen sind.

1.1 1 The World is through the Facts determined and therethrough that it all Facts are.
1.1 1 The world is determined by the facts and by it being all the facts.

1.1 1 durch through, by ... bestimmt determine(d) ... dadurch therethrough, thereby ... dass that (dadurch dass = by) ... es it

1.1 2 Denn, die Gesamtheit der Tatsachen bestimmt, was der Fall ist und auch, was alles nicht der Fall ist.

1.1 2 Then, the Totality of the Facts determines, what the Case is and also, what all not the Case is.
1.1 2 So the totality of the facts determines what is the case and also everything that is not the case.

1.1 2 denn then ... und and ... auch also

1.1 3 Die Tatsachen im logicshen Raum sind die Welt.

1.1 3 The Facts in logical Space are the World.
1.1 3 The facts in logical space are the world.

1.1 3 logisch(en) logical (Logik = logic) ... Raum room, space

1.2 Die Welt zerfällt in Tatsachen.

1.2 The World falls apart into Facts.
1.2 The world is divided into facts.>

1.2 zerfallen/zerfällt to fall apart, break down into (zer- = apart, fallen = fall, befall)

1.2 1 Eines kann der Fall sein oder nicht der Fall sein und alles übrige gleich bleiben.

1.2 1 A thing can the Case be or not the Case be and all left over alike remains.
1.2 1 A thing can be the case or not be the case and everything left remain the same.

1.2 1 ein(es) one, a (thing) ... kann can ... sein (to) be ... oder or ... übrige left over, overage ... glech alike, the same ... bleiben (to) stay or remain

 false gbarto 2004-07-29T02:55:36-07:00 2004-07-29T09:57:36Z 2004-07-29T09:57:36Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254169.post-109109505684634012 Body of evidence… the torso and internal organs
English / German / Dutch / Swedish
neck / Hals / nek / nacke
heart / Herz / hart / hjärta
lung / Lungenflügel / long / lunga
stomach / Magen / maag / mage
skin / Haut / huid / hud

What you put in your mug, winds up in your Magen/maag/mage.
Haut/huid/hud is like “hide”
false gbarto 2004-07-29T02:54:29-07:00 2004-07-29T09:55:29Z 2004-07-29T09:55:29Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254169.post-109109492999893422 Going out on a limb… arms, hands, etc. <b>English / German / Dutch / Swedish</b> <br />arm / Arm / arm / arm <br />hand / Hand / hand / hand <br />finger / Finger / vinger / finger <br />leg / Bein / been / ben <br />foot / Fuss / voet / fot <br />toe / Zehe / teen / tå <br /> <br />Bein/been/ben is like “bone” <br />German “ss” (or “ß”) often corresponds to “t” in English, so Wasser=water and Fuss = foot <br />German “z” is pronounced “ts” and sometimes correspondes to English “t” at the beginning of a word:&nbsp; Zehe=toe, zahlen=count (or recount, like tell, tale), zu=to, Ziet=time (like tide, as in “eventide”), zwischen=between (like “twixt”) <br /> false gbarto 2004-07-29T02:46:14-07:00 2004-07-29T09:54:14Z 2004-07-29T09:54:14Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254169.post-109109485499389243 Getting ahead of yourself… parts of the head &nbsp;In the body parts sections, we’re just going to get very basic vocabulary.&nbsp; We’re doing it five or six words at a time.&nbsp; When you’re done, you won’t know everything, but you’ll have a good idea of some of the essentials.&nbsp; Tips follow for those words that aren’t obvious. <br /> <br /><b>English / German / Dutch / Swedish</b> <br />head / Kopf / hoofd / huvud <br />eye / Auge / oog / öga <br />ear / Ohr / oor / öra <br />nose / Nase / neus / näsa <br />mouth / Mund / mond / mun <br /> <br />Germ. Dummkopf=stupid head <br />The other terms should make sense in their own ways. <br /> false gbarto 2004-07-12T18:15:48-07:00 2004-07-13T01:15:48Z 2004-07-13T01:15:48Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254169.post-108968134841374043 How are you feeling?
German
Mir ist heiss - I'm feeling hot (To me it's hot)
Mir ist kalt - I'm feeling cold
Ich bin schläfrig - I am sleepy (schlaf- = sleep)
Ich bin müde - I am tired (think moody)
Ich habe Hunger - I am hungry (have hunger)
Ich habe Durst - I am thirsty (have thirst)

Dutch
Ik heb het warm - I'm warm (I have the warm)
Ik heb het koud - I'm cold (think kalt/cold/koud)
Ik ben slaperig - I'm sleepy (like Ger. schläfrig)
Ik ben moe - I'm tired (like Ger. müde)
Ik heb honger - I'm hungry (have hunger)
Ik heb dorst - I'm thirsty (have thirst)

Swedish
Jag är varm - I am warm
Det är kallt - It is cold
Jag är sömnig - I am sleepy (like somnifer)
Jag är trött - I am tired
Jag är hungrig - I am hungry
Jag är törstig - I am thirsty
 false gbarto 2004-07-12T18:14:00-07:00 2005-10-02T18:55:22Z 2004-07-13T01:15:13Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254169.post-108968131312323609 Feelings
German Ich bin... - I am... glücklich - happy (lucky) traurig - sad einsam - lonely (one-ish) böse - angry dankbar - thankful Es tut mir leid - I'm sorry (It causes me pain) Dutch Ik ben... - I am... blij - happy treurig - sad (like German) eenzaam - lonely (one-ish) boos - angry (like German) dankbaar - thankful Het spejt mir - I'm sorry (It spites me) Swedish Jag är... - I am... glad -
 false gbarto 2004-07-12T18:12:15-07:00 2004-07-13T01:13:15Z 2004-07-13T01:13:15Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254169.post-108968119579834705 Name calling - Introductions in Germanic In the Germanic languages, you're less likely to say "My name is..." than "I am called..." <br /> <br />German <br />heissen - to be called <br />ich heisse - I am called <br />Sie heissen - you are called <br />wie - how <br /> <br />Wie heissen Sie? - What's your name? <br />Ich heisse John. - I am John. <br /> <br />Dutch <br />heten - to be called <br />ik heet - I am called <br />u heet - you are called <br />hoe - how <br /> <br />Hoe heet u? - What's your name? <br />Ik heet John. - I am John. <br /> <br />Swedish <br />att heta - to be called <br />jag heter - I am called <br />du heter - you are called <br />vad - what <br /> <br />Vad heter du? - What's your name? <br />Jag heter John. - I am John. <br /> <br />Having come this far, it would be a shame to lapse into impoliteness. So next, say: <br /> <br />German: Angenehm. <br />Dutch: Aangenaam. <br />Swedish: Angenämt. <br /> <br />All three responses could be translated, "A pleasure." <br /> <br />Now to make sure you got it all, fill in the table below, mentally or by printing it out and writing in responses. Look above to confirm your answers. <br /><table><tr><th>English</th><th>German</th><th>Dutch</th><th>Swedish</th></tr> <br /><tr><td>- Hi, I'm John.</td><td>- Tag. Ich heisse John.</td><td>- Dag. Ik heet John.<td>- Hej, - </td></tr> <br /><tr><td>What's your name?</td><td> - </td><td> - </td><td>Vad heter du?</td></tr> <br /><tr><td>- I'm Frank.</td><td> - </td><td> - </td><td>Jag heter Frank.</td></tr> <br /><tr><td>- A pleasure.</td><td>- Angenehm.</td><td> - </td><td>Angenämt.</td></tr> <br /></table> false gbarto 2004-07-06T01:33:17-07:00 2004-07-06T08:54:17Z 2004-07-06T08:36:02Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254169.post-108910296243971776 Beginning numbers Though they look a little funny, on close inspection you'll notice that the Germanic numbers look pretty familiar. Here are the first ten: <br /> <br /><i>English : German : Dutch : Swedish</i> <br />zero : null (nool): nul (nool) : noll (noll) <br />one : eins (ine-ss): een (ayn) : ett (ett) <br />two : zwei (ts-vie) : twee (tvay) : tv&aring; (tvaw) <br />three : drei (dry) : drie (dree) : tre (tray) <br />four : vier (fear) : vier (fear) : fyra (foora) <br />five : fünf (foonf) : vijf (fayf) : fem (fem) <br />six : sechs (zex) : zes (zess) : sex (sex) <br />seven : sieben (zee-ben) : zeven (zayveh) : sju (shoe) <br />eight : acht (akht) : acht (akht) : &aring;tta (awt-ta) <br />nine : neun (noyn) : negen (nay-kheh) : nio (nee-o) <br />ten : zehn (tsayn) : tien (teen) : tio (tee-o) <br /> <br />Very approximate pronunciations are in parentheses. To say these properly you should consult a native speaker or a decent cassette pack. I've given pronunciations that should be understandable but have deliberately avoided some finer distinctions that are evident to those who have learned these languages' phonetic systems and would only confuse things for those who haven't. false gbarto 2004-07-02T23:42:00-07:00 2005-10-02T18:50:03Z 2004-07-03T06:44:03Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254169.post-108883704356284628 Ordering a drink
Feeling thirsty? Time to get a drink. Here's how: German ich = I trinke = drink ich trinke = I (will) drink gern = gladly iche trinke gern = I'd gladly (have a) drink bitte = please ein Bier = a beer Ich trinke gern ein Bier, bitte. = I'll have a beer, please. Dutch* ik = I drink = drink ik drink = I (will) drink graag = gladly ik drink graag... = I'll drink ... een bier = a beer Ik drink
 false gbarto 2004-06-30T23:14:00-07:00 2005-10-02T18:32:43Z 2004-07-01T06:14:30Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254169.post-108866247066425300 Family
Terms are given in the order of the first entry. Memory clues are marked by an *.

family
German: Familie
Dutch: familie
Swedish: familj

man and woman
Mann und Frau / man en vrouw / man och kvinna
*kvinna is like queen

husband and wife
Mann und Frau / man en vrouw / man och fru

Parents
Eltern / ouders / föräldrar
*think elders

father and mother
Vater und Mutter / vader en moeder / far och mor
*far, mar lose middle "t" sound, just like Fr. père, mère

boy and girl
Knabe und Mädchen / jongen en meisje / pojke und flicka
*knave and maiden / young'n and missy / ?

son and daughter
Sohn und Tochter / zoon en dochter / son och dottor
*out loud, they all sort of work

children
Kinder / kinderen / barn
*kindergarten / the "born"

brother and sister
Bruder und Schwester / broer en zus / bror och syster
*broer and bror as Fr. frère, lost the middle "t" sound



BABY EINSTEIN, LANGUAGE NURSERY
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