Dozens of words in the German language, from "degenerate" to "final solution," have become taboo because of their use by the Nazis. A new dictionary of Third Reich terms provides a guide through the linguistic minefield.
The Nazis carried out a hate campaign against 'degenerate' music -- now the word itself has become taboo.
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The Nazis carried out a hate campaign against 'degenerate' music -- now the word itself has become taboo.
As if German weren't hard enough. Three genders, endlessly long words, verbs coming at the end of impossibly rambling sentences.
But there is another, more subtle, linguistic trap which both Germans and non-Germans can easily fall into -- and which is far worse a faux pas than a mere slip of the article. Mention that you've found the "Endl�sung" ("final solution") to a problem you've been grappling with, or that you've made a "Selektion" ("selection") from a number of possible alternatives, and you will quickly find yourself the target of disapproving stares.
The Nazi's would make a dictionary just like this. Will the Germans never learn?
