LL-L 'Language varieties' 2007.02.05 (07) [E/German]

[Lowlands-L List]

L O W L A N D S - L - 04 February 2007 - Volume 07

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From: Jonny Meibohm <altkehdinger at freenet.de>
Subject: LL-L 'Grammar' 2007.02.05 (02) [E]

Dear Paul,

to Gabriele:

Karl-Heinz geht - natürlich mit seinem Dackel - in Hannover in den
Fischladen und fragt die Verkäuferin: "Haben Sie Aale?"
Verkäuferin: "Naan, ich höbe Zaat!"

you answered:

Bother! can't understand the punchline!  "No, I've got...????"

I don't understand anything, too, though my first wife is descending from
Hanover.

Just now, having written it, three minutes later:

But- now I know: „Haben Sie Eile?" „Nein- ich habe Zeit!" („Are you in a
hurry?" „No- I have got time enough!")

Isn't it a splendid „Hochdeutsch" over there????

Greutens/Regards

Jonny Meibohm
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From: Global Moose Translations <globalmoose at t-online.de>
Subject: LL-L 'Grammar' 2007.02.05 (04) [E/German]

Karl-Heinz:
>Ich finde übrigens, dass in diesem Fall der Dativ auch geschrieben
attraktiver ist, aber das ist Geschmacksache.

Und über dem Geschmack seine Fragen lässt sich bekanntlich nicht streiten...
wenn ich es auch gern tun täte!

All right, here's the joke explained:
> Karl-Heinz geht - natürlich mit seinem Dackel - in Hannover in den
> Fischladen und fragt die Verkäuferin: "Haben Sie Aale?"
> Verkäuferin: "Naan, ich höbe Zaat!"

Karl-Heinz and his faithful dachshound are trying to buy some eels - "Aale"
in Standard German. However, in Hannover, the "ei" diphthong is pronounced
as "aa". So, what the good woman hears is: "Haben Sie Eile?" ("Are you in a
hurry?" instead of "Have you got eels?"). To which she answers: "Naan, ich
höbe Zaat!" ("Nein, ich habe Zeit!" - "No, I've got time!"). Note also that
the vowel "a" is pronounced as "ö" in Hannover.

Soviel zum "Konservendeutsch". In diesem Fall eine Fischkonserve.

Gabriele Kahn

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From: Global Moose Translations <globalmoose at t-online.de>
Subject: LL-L 'Grammar' 2007.02.05 (02) [E]

Paul:

>My question was actually just as to whether the surname Hess had a
place-name element to it realting to that region, rather >than >anything to
do with Rudolf or his cronies.  I'm sure there are thousands of people
surnamed Hess, but he's the only one I know of.

Well, I wasn't terribly serious... sorry, just couldn't resist. The name may
well be derived from the region, or it may have quite different roots,
who knows. There's also the writer Hermann Hesse - same question applies, I
suppose.

>I'm not descended form any Bateses anyway, but even if my surname was
Goebels or Hitler, I wouldn't worry - I haven't done anything!

Just like the ending of "Arsenic and old lace" - "I'm not a Brewster! I'm
not a Brewster!" ;-)

Gabriele Kahn
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