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[Orodruin]

Grönland is also the Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish name. Kalaallit Nunaat wouldn't be understood by most people.

It is almost like those languages had common roots!!!

 

[mathwonk]

In the realm of linguistic subtleties, perhaps fresh_42 will explain this one. Once as a young college student learning German in Munich from readings and tourist classes, I encountered the sentence "Leide ist deine besuch sehr kurz", (Unfortunately, your visit is very brief) by a grandmother speaking to her visiting grandchildren. That evening, trying to chat up some beautiful young girls at a cafe, who said they were visiting in town, I used it, only to see them stand straight up, greatly offended, and walk right away. Who knows why?

 

[fresh_42]

In the realm of linguistic subtleties, perhaps fresh_42 will explain this one. Once as a young college student learning German in Munich from readings and tourist classes, I encountered the sentence "Leide ist deine besuch sehr kurz", (Unfortunately, your visit is very brief) by a grandmother speaking to her visiting grandchildren. That evening, trying to chat up some beautiful young girls at a cafe, who said they were visiting in town, I used it, only to see them stand straight up, greatly offended, and walk right away. Who knows why?

I cannot see why, apart from some minor grammar mistakes. However, I cannot reconstruct the situation or time. These are occasions when mentality plays a role. E.g. I like to say that American English is very different from English English, and I do not mean the use of '-our' versus '-or' or '-ise' versus '-ize'. Amercian English takes place in the lines, English English takes place between the lines. I first wrote British English, but that would have been wrong, so I corrected it to English English, excluding Scottish English. It is complicated, even within the apparent same language. I remember a seminar in the UK held by a representative of an American company and the lady said: "American companies think it is easier to enter the European market via the UK because of the language. When I first came to England, I had to learn that I didn't understand a word."

One possible explanation of the situation with the girls is that maybe the girls took it ironically in which case it is the proposal to leave, misinterpreting the visit of the city by the visit of the location or even the duration of the dialogue. That's at least in the range of possible interpretations. An interpretation, btw., I would not have if an American would have said this to me. If an Englishman had said it on the other hand, I wouldn't be sure and very sensitive about the next sentences. Another possible explanation is, that it sounds a bit like: "Leider ist Dein Besuch sehr kurz"... with the unspoken thought: "... so that it doesn't make sense to invest any efforts as you were leaving soon anyway." Or they simply didn't like to be addressed by "Du". That depends on location and time. It's not a big thing anymore, but it is not the polite form among strangers, which would have been "Leider ist Ihr Besuch sehr kurz."

"Besuch" can be used for a lot of different things. A former girlfriend of mine even used to say that she has 'Besuch' when she meant she had her days.

 

[mathwonk]

I definitely thought it was my use of deine as opposed to seine, or apparently ihr. I.e. I think you nailed it with "Or they simply didn't like to be addressed by "Du".

Perhaps that prohibition has lessened in the subsequent 60 years?

My German instructor said that usage (du) was for use "Nur am sonntag, in glass schrank." But I used it everyday with my (male) friend.

 

[fresh_42]

Perhaps that prohibition has lessened in time?

A lot. You still cannot use it in business, but you definitely hear it more often than in earlier times. This is partly due to immigrants who have difficulties using two different forms, but more due to the adoption of English language habits. We used to have 'Treffen' and 'Verabredungen', now we have meetings and dates.

 

[mathwonk]

My instructor was ww2 vet and survivor of Stalingrad. so not from a recent generation.

 

[fresh_42]

My instructor was ww2 vet and survivor of Stalingrad. so not from a recent generation.

Coding in German means coding in English. I once coded in an IDE of a French company. Instead of "IF ... THEN ..." it was also possible to write "SI ... ALORS ..." I have never seen a compiler accepting "WENN ... DANN ...".