WORDPLAY: English words that wouldn’t exist without their German roots

Our friends over at wordgenius.com have put together another list of words we thought might be truly appreciated here, especially when that same German roots sentiment can also be applied to so many people here.   

As they point out, Deutschland (or, Germany, in their language) has given us many useful things — great beer, tasty Bavarian pretzels and even the refrigerator. And last Saturday, Germans kicked off Oktoberfest all over their country for two solid weeks of celebration nationwide ending on Saturday, Oct. 1.

And you may as well add a healthy list of words found in our everyday vocabularies, too. Even those who don’t know hello from goodbye about German—that’s Guten Tag and Auf Wiedersehen, auf Deustch, by the way—have likely come across these before, offering us another of their great word lists. 

We present you just a few of those below. Check them out online for more.

Angst

Although this word is often used to describe moody teenagers or strumming guitarists, angst is the German word for fear. Thank Sigmund Freud, whose works on psychology were translated in the 1940s.

Delicatessen

The idea of a corner deli might feel big-city American, but this word is the plural form of the German word delikatesse, which means “delicious things to eat,” or simply, “delicacy.” 

Kindergarten

The first year of school is known as kindergarten, which literally translates to “children’s garden”" and comes from a German educator who compared his young students to plants that must be nurtured.

Uber

Although famously affiliated with a car service these days, uber is a German word meaning “over” or “above.” The English variation often suggests a superlative. Anything “uber” is the best.

Plunder

Although it's often associated with pirates, this German word has roots on land. It stems from the German word plündern, which literally means “to rob household goods.”

Wanderlust

This dreamy word refers to a desire to travel. The translation is quite literal. Wander comes from wander, meaning to roam, while lust is a word to describe desire. Germans now use fernweh to describe a longing for a place you haven’t been yet.