(Photo: Zan @https://unsplash.com/)
My first encounters with Americans as an adult usually started with them trying out the few German words they knew on me. All of these guys were military, and to run into them when going out was a given, as my native town, Stuttgart, Germany, stationed over 20,000 members of the U.S. Forces back then. What bewildered me, though, was that one of their first German terms they used on me often was “Jawohl”(pronounce: yah-‘vohl) or “Jawoll” (pronounce: yah-‘voll). Mind, I never had a military rank of any kind. So, why did they reply in a way as if I were outranking them in a military hierarchy? The answer is simple – watch any older movie about Third Reich Germany (I don’t think there are any about the German Empire), and at one point or another you’ll find the caricature of a German soldier saluting his commander with “Jawoll” or “Jawohl”. Just as in this clip:
Which basically means “Yes, Sir”.
I never thought this was a Germanism in the English language. I rather always thought it a bad JOKE because the Third Reich and its militarism AREN’T a joke to Germans. Being answered “Jawohl” or “Jawoll” feels a little like being needled about a nation’s past that is more than shameful. I’m not sure whether the German military still uses this word as a reply to the order of another military member. It is more of a passive term in the civilians’ vocabulary, for sure.
Is “nein” (pronounce: nine), meaning “no”, a Germanism in the English language? Though the list I’m looking at claims so, I have never encountered it. But as the word “Ja” (pronounce: yah), meaning “yes”, definitely is, I presume so is its negation. Of course, when Germans use these words, inflection adds meaning. Therefore, “nein” can also express an implicit prohibition or an exclamation of surprise whereas “ja” can be used as cheering somebody on.
There is one variant of the German “ja” that expresses a sigh – it’s “jaja”. It expresses either nostalgia when muttered more to oneself. Or boredom and irritation when replied to somebody else’s utterance. Which is why I end this article here and now before you yawn at me, “jaja”.
I enjoyed your article about Germanisms, particularly since I use occasional foreign words in conversation (or when swearing) and also since my parents met in Stuttgart during my father’s Army assignment. My father and I lived in Robinson Barracks.
The point, to keep this short: I believe that using a few Germanisms (or other isms) is a sign of an educated traveler, as well as a respectful attempt to “reach out” verbally. My few words in several languages usually brings a smile to the Lakes Food Bank customer that I am addressing.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, Robert! I am with you. Using linguisms shows versatility in thought. One doesn’t have to have travelled physically, necessarily. But it shows that one’s mind is open to other cultures. I LOVE using them, too. And when I have the opportunity to speak a foreign language, i sure will. Even if it’s just a few words. You are right – it brings smiles to faces …
Happy weekend to you! 🙂
Susan, I look forward to reading your posts in the Suburban Times. You present a rich knowledge of your German ancestry in the culture, language, and stories and find humor in the way you do that. I know I have met you at some occasion(s) in Steilacoom, my SHMA home away from home, up and down the canyon from UPlace. You start off my daily network activities in an uplifting way. Danke
Thank you, Von, big time! You have no idea how words like these uplift ME! Next time you come to the museum on a 4th Sunday, please, give me a nudge and tell me it’s you! 🙂
Have a blessed weekend!