On 2-3-2015 8:20, Doctor John wrote:
> I am used to seeing, and have internalised the meanings of, words such
> as Schadenfreude, Merkwelt, Zeitgeist and Realpolitik. However, I have
> just come across a new (to me) addition to the list of German
> borrow-words used in English: Zwischendinge. What, exactly, does it mean?
>
> I learnt to speak German in school, so I understand that the word's
> literal translation is 'between things' but that does not help with the
> concept that it is meant to convey. In the context of the report in
> which I read it, there seems to be some ambiguity: it may refer to
> either the world-shaping events that dramatically alter our view of the
> world (Merkwelt, see above) or the period between these world-shaping
> events. Which is it?
>
> John
>
I found 'hybrid' as translation in a dictionary so I would opt for the 
'period between events' as meaning. I have never seen the word used in 
English, but that does not mean very much of course ;-)

-- 
Thomas

Post a reply to this message