Why do some still type Gauß for Gauss?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the use of the character "ß" in the spelling of names, particularly focusing on the name "Gauß" versus "Gauss." Participants explore the implications of German orthographic rules, the impact of recent spelling reforms, and the cultural significance of such spelling choices.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that "ß" is still the correct form in modern German, particularly after long vowels, while "ss" is used after short vowels.
  • Others suggest that the continued use of "ß" may be a matter of habit for those from German-speaking countries.
  • A participant references the German Orthographic Reform of 1996, suggesting it caused unnecessary controversy among German speakers.
  • There is a comparison made to Noah Webster's influence on American English, though some argue this comparison is not entirely relevant to the German context.
  • One participant shares personal anecdotes about the challenges faced when having "ß" in their name while traveling in the US, including misunderstandings at security checks.
  • Another participant discusses the transliteration of names, questioning whether it is appropriate to alter names like Чебышёв to Chebychev.
  • Concerns are raised about the implications of changing "ß" to "ss," as it could lead to unintended meanings or associations in names.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the relevance and impact of the German Orthographic Reform, as well as the appropriateness of using "ß" versus "ss." There is no consensus on whether the spelling changes are beneficial or necessary.

Contextual Notes

Some participants highlight the historical context of spelling reforms and the lack of a central authority in German orthography, which may contribute to the ongoing debate about spelling conventions.

Harry Wilson
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I know that "ß" represents "ss", being a long s attached to a modern s, but why do some people STILL type it this way? Is it any different to writing Чебышёв for Chebychev?
 
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The spelling with ß is still the correct one in modern German, as far as I know. We have some people from German-speaking countries here, so it may simply be force of habit for them.
 
This article (or Artikel) on German Orthographic Reform is quite amusing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_orthography_reform_of_1996

A body of concerned German speakers attempting to fix a problem which didn't exist and wound up causing quite an upset throughout the German-speaking community. Some folks (or Volk) are constitutionally unable to leave 'well enough' alone.
 
They are just doing it to look cool.
 
SteamKing said:
A body of concerned German speakers attempting to fix a problem which didn't exist and wound up causing quite an upset throughout the German-speaking community.

Two words:

Noah Webster :smile:

(But being an American, he didn't waste time setting up an international committee!)
 
I think the example of Noah Webster is not quite germane to the German Orthographic Reforms of 1996. While Webster's notions about English grammar and orthography diverged somewhat from how these subjects were practiced in the British Isles, at the time of Webster, things like dictionaries were relatively new on the scene, and there was no central authority on these subjects, like the French have attempted with the Academie Francaise in matters dealing with their language. It is important to note that not all of Webster's ideas on these subjects were adopted, especially with regard to spelling reform. With the English speaking population of the New World somewhat cut off from the home country, it would not be unreasonable to expect some divergence over time in how the language was written and spoken.

In the situation with German, that language had a pretty concise and faithful orthography up to the point where these reforms were proposed. While many quibble that English suffers from a horrible set of orthographic rules, where the same sounds can be represented in several and inconsistent ways, IMO, the French language suffers from a similar defect, and could withstand a bit of reform. All-in-all, I think the German reform stirred up controversy where none had existed before.
 
Harry Wilson said:
I know that "ß" represents "ss", being a long s attached to a modern s, but why do some people STILL type it this way?

It is still the correct form. The "ß" was changed to "ss" after short vowels only. It is still "ß" after long vowels. Also, names were not changed in general.

Today, Gauß would hate to visit the US, by the way. I have that "ß" in my last name, too, and it is always the same fun discussion at the security about how my name looks funny, whether I am sure that this is not a capital "B" in the middle of my name, about why my name is spelled differently in my passport on the one hand and the machine-readable part of my passport and the boarding pass on the other hand and so on...
 
Cthugha said:
It is still the correct form. The "ß" was changed to "ss" after short vowels only. It is still "ß" after long vowels. Also, names were not changed in general.

Today, Gauß would hate to visit the US, by the way. I have that "ß" in my last name, too, and it is always the same fun discussion at the security about how my name looks funny, whether I am sure that this is not a capital "B" in the middle of my name, about why my name is spelled differently in my passport on the one hand and the machine-readable part of my passport and the boarding pass on the other hand and so on...

If you have "funny" characters in your name, you're automatically considered a terrorist by the US DHS/TSA. :biggrin:
 
Harry Wilson said:
Is it any different to writing Чебышёв for Chebychev?

That's just a transliteration. That's like saying in Russian "can we say Фейнман?". Well, you CAN, but it's just a transliteration.
 
  • #10
Curious3141 said:
If you have "funny" characters in your name, you're automatically considered a terrorist by the US DHS/TSA. :biggrin:

It is even worse. If you replace the "ß" by the standard "ss" in my name (as is used in some part of the passport), almost 50% of my name becomes a well known swearword (yes: exactly what you are thinking of right now and yes: I probably already heard every possible joke about that). One time someone really suspected I forged my id and thought I wanted to fool him. :biggrin:
 

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