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The Week in Germany: Culture May 2, 2008 A Tollpatsch is a Tollpatsch is a Tollpatsch: Goethe Institut Annoints Best “Immigrant Words” in German
Tollpatsch, Currywurst and Engel are the best “immigrant words” in the German language, former Goethe Institut president Jutta Limbach announced on Friday April 25, 2008 at the Bode Museum in Berlin. An expert jury selected the winning words from over 3,500 entries in a contest sponsored by the Goethe Institut and the German Language Council to identify the best words with foreign roots. Barbara Eulberg from Berlin suggested the first-place word Tollpatsch, a noun with roots in Hungary that means “klutz”. Barbara Eulberg alluded to the word's original Hungarian meaning (Talp = “foot”) in making a case for the word. “This word has traveled many kilometers and overcome frontiers. It put one foot in front of the other, wearing down its shoe soles on the long journey from Hungary to Germany.” “Talpas” is what Hungarian foot soldiers were called in the 17th century. The meaning of this nickname was ‘broad-footed, clumsy’ (Hungarian Talp = sole, foot). Mark Mühlhauser from Bad Suderode in Saxony-Anhalt appealed to the jury's stomachs by selecting Currywurst, which took second place. He called the name for the Berlin delicacy consisting of pork sausage sprinkled with curry powder and doused in spicy tomato ketchup a “a dream couple.” “The thoroughly German ‘Wurst’ lives in happy marriage with [the Tamil word] ‘curry’”, Mühlhauser explained. Third place went to Klaus Göldner from Maxhütte-Haidhof in Bavaria for his favorite word Engel, which means “Angel”. “It has passed through borders, cultures and ages with a smile. It was and is welcomed everywhere by open worlds and hearts. It lost its foreignness long ago for us.” Links:
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