In Czech, German is Němec, Germany is Německo. The etymology is "the non-speakers", "the place where they can't speak".
To the east of Czechia is Slovakia, where they talk funny but you can understand it. North is Poland, where they talk _very_ weirdly but you can get a word or two. But west and south... nope, nothing. They can't talk. :-)
Another German expression is „Das ist mir ein böhmisches Dorf“, or "it's all a Bohemian village to me."
About the Czech expression - Russian and Ukrainian use the similar ethymologies. "German" (person, not object/language) in there is "немец" ("німець" in Ukrainian) - a word of the same root as "немой"/"німий" - "a mute".
In French, you'll say of a person speaking an unintelligible language that it's all Chinese to me, but you'll say of someone speaking French badly that they speak French like a Spanish cow.
I've always wondered why the cow has to be specifically Spanish, as if French cows are somehow more articulate in French.
There can be more than one.
ReplyDeleteIn Czech, German is Němec, Germany is Německo. The etymology is "the non-speakers", "the place where they can't speak".
To the east of Czechia is Slovakia, where they talk funny but you can understand it. North is Poland, where they talk _very_ weirdly but you can get a word or two. But west and south... nope, nothing. They can't talk. :-)
Another German expression is „Das ist mir ein böhmisches Dorf“, or "it's all a Bohemian village to me."
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%B6hmisches_Dorf
So the relationship was reciprocal.
Hah! That's great. Could be a comic of its own, actually ^_^
DeleteAbout the Czech expression - Russian and Ukrainian use the similar ethymologies.
Delete"German" (person, not object/language) in there is "немец" ("німець" in Ukrainian) - a word of the same root as "немой"/"німий" - "a mute".
In French, you'll say of a person speaking an unintelligible language that it's all Chinese to me, but you'll say of someone speaking French badly that they speak French like a Spanish cow.
ReplyDeleteI've always wondered why the cow has to be specifically Spanish, as if French cows are somehow more articulate in French.
"It's all moo to me"
Delete