Mark twains proposals for a reform of the german language home languages german reform. The awful german languagemark twainfree downloadpdf. The awful german languagemark twainfree downloadpdf epub. Mark twains the awful german language for your kindle, tablet, ipad, pc or mobile. Mark twains notebook never knew before what eternity was made for. Look up the german to portuguese translation of autobiography of mark twain in the pons online dictionary. Avery, editor number three mark twain and the german language louisiana state university studies. Visitors to heidelberg can enjoy a tour of the places twain frequented to revisit his impressions of the town. Mark twain on german and english musings from the chiefio. The awful german language by mark twain viaggio in germania. Home languages articles links downloads about contact. In the german it is true that by some over sight of the inventor of the language, a woman is a female. The horrors of the german language a humorous text about the german languag eand its grammar by mark twain.
Nevertheless, if you can imbed a sense of humor into your language learning, like mark twain did, it will turn out fine. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Download mark twains the awful german language for your kindle, tablet, ipad, pc or mobile. The book is accredited as a compliment to germany by the german people, even though twain has been recorded calling german that awful language. Read by rainer for further information, including links to online text, reader information, rss feeds, cd cover or other formats if available, please go to the librivox catalog page for this recording.
He tried to learn german and reports in this texts about many difficulties he encountered. Mark twain the awful german language the shackman press. It has also and probably more accurately been attributed to one m. Avery, editor number three mark twain and the german language. Yilz, in a letter he wrote to the journal the economist. Jan, 2016 the awful german language is mark twains humorous account of his frustrations with the german language. If you ever have studied languages you should enjoy this 7,000word essay available online on the german tongue. Harris and i had been hard at work on our german during several weeks at that time, and although we had made good progress, it had been accomplished under great difficulty and annoyance, for three of our teachers had died in the mean time. Mark twains proposals for a reform of the german language. The awful german language seing that german is my third language, i thoroughly enjoyed this. The essays, speeches and reports included in this collection were independently selected by the readers, and the topics. Autobiography of mark twain translation from german into.
You will be connected to in just a moment learn about project shield. Remember, german is a very logically structured language, with many fewer exceptions than english. Learn the top german quotes about language learning. Jul 07, 2009 some adults are under pressure to study german to obtain the necessary german proficiency certificate for their professional career, others just get frustrated with their pace of learning german. Includes free vocabulary trainer, verb tables and pronunciation function. Anyone whos tried to learn german knows how frustrating it can be.
In 1880, mark twain famously dubbed it the awful german language, protesting surely there is not another language that is so slipshod and systemless, and so slippery and elusive to the grasp mark twain, the awful german language, the tramp. As stupid as some rules are, there are no exceptions. While not an easy language in which to become fluent quickly the basics are not difficult to assimilate, nevertheless mark twains a tramp abroad, covering his travels with his friend harris, might be over 100 years old but its, the awful german language, a hilarious circa. The awful german language, by mark twain 1880 as read by luke amadeus ranieri german was my first foreign language, which i learned in high school and i have loved it ever since. Harris and i had been hard at work on our german during several weeks at that time, and although we. Surely there is not another language that is so slipshod and systemless, and so slippery and elusive to the grasp. The author of the adventures of tom sawyer 1876 and the adventures of huckleberry finn was in fact one of the greatest writers and humorists of united states literature. Mark twain on the german language english forum switzerland. A person who has not studied german can form no idea of what a perplexing language it is. This page is intended as a humorous plea on behalf of the german language. It is a mustread book for students of the often baffling german language. The essay is a humorous exploration of the frustrations a native speaker of english has with learning german as a second language. A tramp abroad, following the equator, other travels library of america no.
After the author visited germany in 1878 heidelberg, badenbaden, the black forest, he wrote the book, a tramp abroad, with the nowfamous appendix, the awful german language. Mark twain this long essay is a work of mock philology, one of several appendices to twains travel novel, a tramp abroad. I went often to look at the collection of curiosities in heidelberg castle,and one day i surprised the keeper of it with my german. Mark twain, whose real name was samuel langhorne clemens, is certainly not remembered as a translator. The awful german language, by mark twain oh god, my wife is. I assume that most germans would understand twains sentiments and smile encouragingly over his efforts to learn the intricacies of the language. Dec 25, 2016 what a wonderful essay, and thanks for the tip. I went often to look at the collection of curiosities in heidelberg castle, and one day i surprised the keeper of it with my german. Mark twain simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Mark twain, the witty american writer, visited the german city of heidelberg for a few weeks towards the end of his life. Jan 17, 2014 mark twains lovehate relationship with the german language is wellknown, but often misunderstood. But good old mark twain is correct about the good parts of the german language. An average sentence, in a german newspaper, is a sublime and impressive curi osity. Instead, twains lovehate relationship with the awful german language meant that he was in for the long haul, as he stated in his.
Mark twain the awful german language shackman press. Mark twain is an exemplary american in germany the. A fourth of july oration in the german tongue, delivered at a banquet of the anglo american club of students by. For more free audiobooks, or to become a volunteer reader, please visit. There are some exceedingly useful words in this language. Mark twains essay on german the awful german language. Get the translations, sample sentences, and audio lessons inside. Mark twain s view of german vocabulary home languages german vocabulary. A plan for the improvement of english spelling by mark. Surely there is not another language that is so slipshod and.
A tramp abroad by mark twain appendix d the awful german language. In it, twain explains, complains about, and shows how one might improve upon various aspects of the awful german language. One is washed about in it, hither and thither, in the most helpless way. Seminar paper from the year 2007 in the subject american studies literature, grade. From colleagues out of my own profession, in this from my own home so far distant land. Nouns can be either masculine, feminie or neuter, words can be strung together to stretch on forever and there are about 90 different ways to say the. He is most noted for his novels, the adventures of to.
German has 16 definite articles some of them repeated, but each for a different gender and case, while finnish had 25. Twain wrote this speech in excellent german, and is said to have delivered it without reading contrary to. The awful german language by mark twain language realm. This allows for an analysis in linguistic weight assigned to various typological and stylistic aspects of language which revolve around the difference between an analytic language like english with a language like german that is a synthetic language with some analytic characteristics. The awful german language is an 1880 essay by mark twain published as appendix d in a tramp abroad. The tour is offered in many languages, but the german translation is the most requested. The awful german language, by mark twain oh god, my wife. The awful german language, much maligned by mark twain, is spoken by almost 200 million people worldwide and is, according to wikipedia, the 3rd most learned language worldwide. He is, as the subject suggests, focusing on german as a language, but twain is also dealing with english to compare the two languages. Mark twain ebooks epub and pdf downloads ebookmall. For instance, the same sound, sie, means you, and it means she, and it means her, and it means it, and it means they, and it means them. Humor in mark twains the awful german language ebook by.
The awful german language by mark twain home languages german mark twain. Address to the vienna press club, november 21, 1897. Top 10 german quotes about language learning germanpod101. From my autobiography, the awful german language is a brilliantly funny essay. Therein, twain uses humor as an instrument to criticize the german language. Dec 01, 2009 from my autobiography, the awful german language is a brilliantly funny essay. The awful german language is an essay by the american author mark twain in which he humorously outlines the complexity of the language and the difficulties he encountered while learning it. Oct 29, 2012 a collection of fifteen short nonfiction works in the public domain.
A line at the beginning of the awful german language suggests that twain did, in fact, learn the language. Full text of mark twain and the german language see other formats mark twain and the german language by john t. After all, if it was as offputting as he seems to suggest, he would simply have given up when confronted with his first german sentence. Read humor in mark twains the awful german language by andreas nauhardt available from rakuten kobo. The following peculiarities of the german language should not discourage you from studying german, but simply prepare you for what you will encounter. Nov 20, 2017 the awful german language is an essay by the american author mark twain in which he humorously outlines the complexity of the language and the difficulties he encountered while learning it. The awful german language a little learning makes the whole world kin. Librivox recording of the awful german language, by mark twain. The awful german language is an essay by mark twain published as appendix d in his 1880 book a tramp abroad. Without its witty and diversified character the essay would be a provocative and mean accusation. The other day, while we were on the azores for our summer holiday, i ran across a funny quote by mark twain and i am sure it will lighten up some german learners hearts.
If you are interested in how german works, mark twains attempt to rationalize grammatical patterns in german is an entertaining read. However, a little experiment that he carried out with his short story the celebrated jumping frog of calaveras county. Mark twains lovehate relationship with the german language is wellknown, but often misunderstood. But language is a treacherous thing, a most unsure vehicle, and it can seldom arrange descriptive words in such a way that they will not inflate the facts by help of the readers imagination, which is always ready to take a hand and work for nothing, and do the bulk of it at that. Concerning the american languagebeing part of a chapter which was crowded out of a tramp abroad. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The awful german language by mark twain free at loyal books.
The awful german language is mark twains humorous account of his frustrations with the german language. Mark twain s notebook never knew before what eternity was made for. He also wrote the amusingly literal translation that you see below. Although many people have attributed the plan for the improvement of english spelling to mark twain, most twain scholars doubt that this attribution is accurate. Mark twain in berlin, and why he loved the german language. Mark twain on the german language im still stunned and truly amazed when i got to luzern as a native southern californian,and movedlived first in weggis and saw mark twain stayed there. Instead, twain s lovehate relationship with the awful german language meant that he was in for the long haul, as he stated in his notebooks. Download mark twains the awful german language for your kindle. Whats german peoples view on the essay the awful german. One is washed about in it, hither and thither,read more.
Look up the english to german translation of twain in the pons online dictionary. There are threequarters of a column of schlags in the dictionary, and a column and a half of zugs. The awful german language now at pdf if youre only looking for the text of his speech, please. There was as englishman in our compartment, and he complimented me on on what. When i was learning german as an adult, i felt an ini. Mark twains essay on german the awful german language is a scream. Samuel langhorne clemens november 30, 1835 april 21, 1910, more widely known as mark twain, was a well known american writer born in florida, missouri. I will support my thesis with the help of additional information about the authors biography and his first experiences with the german language.
Think of the ragged poverty of a language which has to make one word do the work of six,and a poor little weak thing of only three letters at that. I went often to look at the collection of curiosities in. Samuel langhorne clemens november 30, 1835 april 21, 1910, better known by his pen name mark twain, was an american author and humorist. A plan for the improvement of english spelling, by either mark twain samuel clemens or m. There are people in the world who will take a great deal of trouble to point out the faults in a religion or a language, and then go blandly about their business without suggesting any remedy. Jun 19, 2004 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. I assume that most germans would understand twain s sentiments and smile encouragingly over his efforts to learn the intricacies of the language. Humor in mark twains the awful german language rakuten kobo. Address to the vienna press club, november 21, 1897, delivered in german here in literal translation it has me deeply touched, my gentlemen, here so hospitably received to be. He said americans in general did not speak the english language as correctly as i did. Mark twain, a connecticut yankee in king arthurs court. A collection of fifteen short nonfiction works in the public domain.
700 796 455 717 166 1415 1299 893 731 176 429 1248 897 1028 942 268 568 1000 739 1108 796 505 1036 28 1332 342 1095 1508 1100 620 1368 222 272 536 294 534 27 444 971 1273 1316 1229 510 894 274 956