Insufferable know-it-all, mostly law, science, politics and Canadian football.
In one of the strangest examples of linguistic divergence in history, English, which is based on old German, has pretty much completely diverged from German to the point where only basic vocabulary terms are shared. Although most of the most common 5,000 English words are based on old German (including Mouse, House and Hound), when you get to vocabulary that developed after about 1100 C.E., the two vocabularies diverge wildly.
That’s largely because German and other languages based on it (the Scandinavian ones) form new words by compounding - taking existing words and stitching them together.
Swine + Flesh = Swineflesh
But English stopped doing that for new words and started introducing French words into its vocabulary
Old French Porc = Middle English Pork.
Well into the 20th century, this trend continued
Collar + Bone = Collarbone (German)
Latin Clavicle = Modern English Clavicle.
But this made many German words unwieldy.
Stroke + Screw = Strokescrew (German)
Greek Spiral + Wing = English Helicopter
Nature + Shaft = Natureshaft (German)
Latin Knowledge = English Science
As such, German has replaced some of its vocabulary with English where it’s easier (like “telephon”). However, it’s rare and rather scattershot. There might be just over a hundred English words that have been commonly incorporated into the language. Unfortunately, they don’t always mean the same thing:
HANDY - English adjective meaning “convenient”. German uses it as a noun for a mobile phone (i.e. like “cell” or “mobile”)
OLDTIMER - English for “elderly person”. German for “Classic Automobile”.
SMOKING - English for “using cigarette, cigar or pipe”. German for “Dinner Jacket” or “Tuxedo”. In English, a “Smoking Jacket” is quite different - a thick jacket designed to keep smoke off your clothes.
BODYBAG - English for a bag used to store dead bodies. In German, it’s a large messenger bag that’s slung over the shoulder with a single strap.
SHOOTINGSTAR - Informal English for “meteor”. German for “suddenly famous person”.
PUBLIC VIEWING - English for “private property that is available for public display, such as a house for sale”. In German it’s “large television screen in a public place.
