Walk down a busy street on a rainy morning in Cologne, where I've been studying German politics, culture and the practice of journalism on a fellowship with the RIAS Berlin Commission and it quickly becomes clear that a handmade soap store wants to keep the German landscape just as clean as it does potential customers. Hydraulic fracturing as a contentious political issue has made the jump across the Atlantic.
Our shaky German language skills proved inadequate in eliciting little more than a pamphlet from the staff about why they have devoted so much of their storefront to the fight against fracking. But it's a fight that appears to be successful, at least so far. Last month, German government ministers agreed to oppose the process.
And the pamphlet? It's quite possibly the best smelling leaflet around about fracking, too.
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The poster reads: Fracking: poison for our drinking water.
Why is it that so many of German words are pretty easy to translate (a different vowel or consonants) but the word "gift" is almost the exact opposite?
"English" is based on many German words, hence they're easier to understand.
maphi: it is interesting that "gift" in English is something you would like to have, while "Gift" in German is most certainly not desirable! Apparently both the English and German words have the same word root--they are both related to the word "to give." But the meanings of the words diverged somewhere along the way. I doubt if anyone has an answer. An amateur historian from Pennsylvania says on his website (etymonline.com) says that the German word may be related to the Greek and Latin words for "dose," which literally mean "act of giving." The fellow from Pennsylvania also suggests that the German word might be a euphemism, which seems dubious to me. Are there any linguists out there who might have an answer?
The English 'gift' and the German 'gift' may simply be false cognates.
Dick Cheney's reply to Old Europe: "Frack you!"
Thanx for sharing your travels with us , very interesting , the german people have a very different view of corporations/ big business than american conservatives and politicians do here , most people would be shocked to learn about how they are perceived there , I'm ready to migrate back
The German word "Gift" means "poison" in English.
Ja, danke, aber wir wissen schon lange was 'Gift' bedeutet.
Mine your own fracking business! What's a few earthquakes or polluted wells? If they frack in your area they will gladly pay you a dollar a month to cover any damages.
Actually people have fought for frackers when those companies offer a stipend in return for the right to frack near or under their property. Greed kills.