[Lexicog] The influence of Shakespeare on the English language and of Luther on German

[Margaret Marks]

Hi Fritz,


On 5/20/07, Fritz Goerling <Fritz_Goerling at sil.org> wrote:
>
>  Margaret,
>
>
>
> Luther's influence in enriching the German language should not be
> overestimated but not underestimated either.
>
> As you know German, here are a just a few examples from Luther's coinages
> of new words and reinterpetations of words:
>
>
>
> *Wortsch�pfungen* Luthers: Gnadenbild, -lehre, Gottesbild, - liebe,
> Glaubenskampf, Glaubenssache, S�ndenbock, Feuereifer, Linsengericht,
> Hochmut, Wohlgefallen, Bubest�ck, Machtwort, nacheifern, geistreich; Stein
> des Ansto�es, ein Dorn im Auge, durch die Finger sehen, Wer anderen eine
> Grube ....
>
> *Neubedeutungen*: Beruf, Bu�e, fromm, gerecht, entr�stet, anfahren
> ("heftig ansprechen)"
>


I must admit that I was not thinking of Luther's effect on Christian and
Biblical language, but on the German language in general. I am sure you are
right about these terms. The fact that Luther created the German versions of
Biblical sayings, such as einem anderen eine Grube graben does go without
saying. But did he really create 'Linsengericht'? Surely as long as there
are Linsen and Gerichte, someone else would have done it?


Regards
Margaret
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