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"Ick sprecken deutsch" or the ... interesting use of foreign languages in Grimm

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    "Ick sprecken deutsch" or the ... interesting use of foreign languages in Grimm

    I have to say I became aware of Grimm BECAUSE I was asked about the correctness of the German they use on that show. For me it sometimes sounds strange and one or two times I still don't get what (especially Monroe) is talking about (Three coins in a Fuchsbau anyone?) but this weird use or names are a big part of the show and also a part of it's charme for me and I really won't miss it - and I fear I will not stand the German dubbing when the show will finally air over here. And, BTW, the actors are doing a great job so far with especially the German words and how to spell them - *coughs*besides the Lowen-desaster *coughs*.

    So what do you think? And what about the other languages used? I've heard about that the french is also weird. True?

    Original eBook:Der Spuk im Rosenhaus
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    #2
    yeah, in fact some German (or pseudo German) expressions are rather strange

    it still sounds strange to me when I hear the Grimm plural for Blutbad, i.e. Blutbaden. Really? how did they form the plural? Blutbad means blood bath and in German the plural for bath (Bad) would be Bäder, so Blutbäder but this might have been too difficult to say ....

    what exactly did you find strange in 'Three coins in a Fuchsbau'; I can't remember and in the Lowen episode (Lowen? should be Löwen)?

    But the best line in German was Monroe's "Alles hat ein Ende nur die Wurst hat zwei" - I have to grin each time I think of it

    I do not think the French was bad, in fact, I have the impression that Sasha Roiz can speak French and is not just repeating what has been told to him. Or did you have someone else in mind?

    and maybe someone can explain to me what the word 'Reinigen' has to do with a rat? or Skalengek with a snake?
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      #3
      Reinigen I have no idea where that was coming from but I can explain "Skalengeck" as it was also explained by one of TPTB (don't ask me who, I stumbled over that comment a while ago):
      The second part is a short-form for "Gekko", a kind of lizard. For the "Skalen" ... well, they wanted to pronounce (on German) a "Schuppenechse". Well, just figure it out, search via dictionary the English word "scale" and it turns out ... the German word "Skale". I think it didn't came to their minds that scale in German means a kind of ruler.

      Where I'm stumbling all over reading Fanfics is "Wieder" which makes no sense of being Monroe try to live a life as different as possible from his nature. That's why I use "Wider" in my fics (in hope some fanfic-writer will take a look into this thread).

      To me it makes no sense in "Three coins in a Fuchsbau" that Monroe said to Nick after showing up in the Airstream, that Nick is in need of some "deutsche Geschwindigkeit". Geschwindigkeit means speed and Nick is in need of information and not short in time. BTW, as far as I know we Germans aren't known for our speed but for our thoroughness *iz confused*.

      As I'm not speaking French ... well, not enough to really get what they are talking about without looking at the subtitles ... I have no idea, just read a comment at LJ from a French viewer who was really upset about what the show-writers were doing to her language.

      Just because it was mentioned in 2.01 ... do you have an idea what that city was in 1.19 Leave it to the Beavers? I know it SHOULD be Mannheim - unfortunately I know Mannheim and I know it wasn't Mannheim they were showing there.

      Original eBook:Der Spuk im Rosenhaus
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        #4
        I do not know Mannheim so I cannot judge, but those kind of houses can be found all around the Black Forest, I think also in Rheinland-Pfalz and in France in the Alsace region, so I have no idea. I read somewhere that it might be Heidelberg, but I do not really think so. Do you recognize something indicating that it is at least in Germany?
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          #5
          Originally posted by mi_guard View Post
          I do not know Mannheim so I cannot judge, but those kind of houses can be found all around the Black Forest, I think also in Rheinland-Pfalz and in France in the Alsace region, so I have no idea. I read somewhere that it might be Heidelberg, but I do not really think so. Do you recognize something indicating that it is at least in Germany?
          Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's taken somewhere in Germany. My first thought was: "Frauenkirche?" (Munich) but the two buildings in front doesn't match. But definetely somewhere in southern Germany. I'm living in Northrhine-Westphalia in a pretty old town but the framework doesn't match - and that differs from region to region. But I doubt it's Heidelberg *shakes head*. It's years that I was there but again, framework doesn't match from what I have in mind.

          EDIT: About the Lowen ... sorry, don't wanted to ignore that.
          They pronounced the word completely wrong. I know English speakers always have problems with the German umlauts (funny dictionary!) but for Loewe it sounded like they said "Lohe". Lohe means a small fire, like a torch, not a lion. They were completely wrong in that way - anyway the episode was awesome!
          Last edited by Hyndara71; 15 August 2012, 07:32 AM.

          Original eBook:Der Spuk im Rosenhaus
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          LJ, FanFic-Blog(the longest lasting German SG-fanfic series), Profile at ff.net, Profile at FF.de,Profile at deviantART (Sorry, fanfics mostly in German)
          I'm on Twitter and on Facebook Tumblr and AO3

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            #6
            Jagerbar - this is another strange word - it is composed of "Jager" and "Bar".

            Well, 'Jager' does not exist in German, so they probably mean 'Jäger', i.e. 'hunter'. The word Bar does exist in German, but it means the same as in English, i.e. a bar where you can buy drinks. So also here the correct word would have been "Bär" (i.e. bear in English). So the correct name for this creature should have been: Jägerbär (i.e. something like hunter bear). But probably they either considered it too difficult to pronounce and preferred to adapt it, or worse, who is doing the researches for the German words is doing a bad job (or they really wanted to use Jägerbar, standing for a bar where hunters go for a drink after the hunt - but I do not think this is the case )

            And then we come to the plural. They just put an s at the end (Jagerbars), but the correct plural for Bär would be Bären, which would make the correct plural: Jägerbären

            I really like this show, but if anyone plans to learn German using Grimm, please forget it and take regular classes to do so

            I am just wondering how they will solve all these issues when the show will be aired in German - I am not looking forward to that
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              #7
              Originally posted by mi_guard View Post
              I am just wondering how they will solve all these issues when the show will be aired in German - I am not looking forward to that
              THIS I can only double!

              Well, ahm ... Jager IS a word but it usually doesn't exist on its own but as part. It's a drink called "Jagertee" . But I think you are right about how they put this name together.

              What me myself turned down a bit was when they began to use real names and subjects in season 1. As I'd written in my LJ, what would an US-American think about it when suddenly the bold eagle is turned into something like we'd seen in "Three Coins in a Fuchsbau" - or even Fuchsbau itself. It's the place where a fox is living not the fox himself.

              Original eBook:Der Spuk im Rosenhaus
              Sig & Avi by Josi
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              LJ, FanFic-Blog(the longest lasting German SG-fanfic series), Profile at ff.net, Profile at FF.de,Profile at deviantART (Sorry, fanfics mostly in German)
              I'm on Twitter and on Facebook Tumblr and AO3

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                #8
                thanks for the feedback your comment made me check again and found that in fact in German there's the word Jager but it has nothing to do with a bear nor a hunter.

                in fact Jager is the hybrid from a male jaguar and a female tiger - well THAT would have made a really interesting creature for Grimm

                PS apparently in some German dialects they say Jager instead of Jäger (for hunter) one never stops learning
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                  #9
                  Better never stop learning. There's so much to learn out there, it's such an amazing world

                  Original eBook:Der Spuk im Rosenhaus
                  Sig & Avi by Josi
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                  LJ, FanFic-Blog(the longest lasting German SG-fanfic series), Profile at ff.net, Profile at FF.de,Profile at deviantART (Sorry, fanfics mostly in German)
                  I'm on Twitter and on Facebook Tumblr and AO3

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                    #10
                    Okay, I'm rewatching 1.18 right now - and stumbling again over what Sebastian Roche says - btw. he did a really great job speaking German!:

                    "Wenn Sie verstehen, was ich sage, dann lassen Sie mich mal wissen."

                    Not completely correct. Again one word on another place makes the correctness:

                    "Wenn Sie verstehen, was ich sage, dann lassen Sie mich das wissen." or "Wenn Sie verstehen, was ich sage, sollten Sie mich das wissen lassen."

                    Another example from 1.17:
                    "Ich warte auf ihn jetzt. Hier kommt er!"
                    Correct would be:
                    "Ich warte jetzt (better would be "gerade") auf ihn. Da kommt er (ja)!"

                    Original eBook:Der Spuk im Rosenhaus
                    Sig & Avi by Josi
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                    LJ, FanFic-Blog(the longest lasting German SG-fanfic series), Profile at ff.net, Profile at FF.de,Profile at deviantART (Sorry, fanfics mostly in German)
                    I'm on Twitter and on Facebook Tumblr and AO3

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                      #11
                      Maybe you should apply to be the one correcting the German on Grimm. I think they would need someone
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                        #12
                        Originally posted by mi_guard View Post
                        maybe you should apply to be the one correcting the german on grimm. I think they would need someone
                        this!

                        Original eBook:Der Spuk im Rosenhaus
                        Sig & Avi by Josi
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                        LJ, FanFic-Blog(the longest lasting German SG-fanfic series), Profile at ff.net, Profile at FF.de,Profile at deviantART (Sorry, fanfics mostly in German)
                        I'm on Twitter and on Facebook Tumblr and AO3

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                          #13
                          Originally posted by hyndara71 View Post
                          this!
                          it is worth a try
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                            #14
                            I already have a Greencard for the US, you know? All I need right now is the money to move and start a new life there (btw, Portland looks more and more interesting to me ... so much about Iowa ...)

                            Original eBook:Der Spuk im Rosenhaus
                            Sig & Avi by Josi
                            sigpic
                            LJ, FanFic-Blog(the longest lasting German SG-fanfic series), Profile at ff.net, Profile at FF.de,Profile at deviantART (Sorry, fanfics mostly in German)
                            I'm on Twitter and on Facebook Tumblr and AO3

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                              #15
                              Originally posted by mi_guard View Post
                              Maybe you should apply to be the one correcting the German on Grimm. I think they would need someone
                              You know what? I completely ignored that one word *shame on me!*. No, I don't think I should but I think someone should correct them sometimes, or give them advises about real existing words (Fuchsbau, Steinadler, Reinigen, etc.).

                              Original eBook:Der Spuk im Rosenhaus
                              Sig & Avi by Josi
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                              LJ, FanFic-Blog(the longest lasting German SG-fanfic series), Profile at ff.net, Profile at FF.de,Profile at deviantART (Sorry, fanfics mostly in German)
                              I'm on Twitter and on Facebook Tumblr and AO3

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