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
-- 
Protect the Earth
It was not given to you by your parents
You hold it in trust for your children

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On 02/03/15 07:20, 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?
> 
<snip>

BTW Google and Wikipedia are no help.

John
-- 
Protect the Earth
It was not given to you by your parents
You hold it in trust for your children

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in news:54f40f4c$1@news.povray.org Doctor John wrote:

> Zwischendinge

Mitteldinge is an alternative, things that are half this and half that, 
Chaise Longue, half chair half coutch.

Ingo

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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

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Am 02.03.2015 um 08:20 schrieb Doctor John:
> 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?

As a genuine German word, a "Zwischending" is something that is neither 
A nor B but something in between - things that in the world of biology 
would be called a transitory forms, hybrid or - most fitting - chimera. 
For instance, a trike could be called a "Zwischending" between a 
motorcycle and a car.

In your case, "Zwischendinge" would be more likely to mean the time 
periods between world-shaping events than those events themselves. 
However, even more likely it might mean the smaller events leading from 
one such world-shaping event to another. Either would be considered 
inappropriate use of the word though, because neither time intervals nor 
events are "Dinge" (things).


BTW, "Merkwelt" isn't a common German word at all; it's a highly 
techical term in Psychology, and while it does refer to a mental "image" 
of the world, it's not that high-level mental image of our world and 
society (that would be "Weltbild"), but the low-level mental image of 
the physical world generated directly from our senses.

For instance, Virtual Reality goggles change the Merkwelt of the user by 
supplying fake visual input; at the same time, they also change our 
Weltbild by introducing the notion that we might be living in an 
entirely fake world without even knowing.

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On 02/03/15 15:50, clipka wrote:
> In your case, "Zwischendinge" would be more likely to mean the time
> periods between world-shaping events than those events themselves.
> However, even more likely it might mean the smaller events leading from
> one such world-shaping event to another. Either would be considered
> inappropriate use of the word though, because neither time intervals nor
> events are "Dinge" (things).
> 

Thanks for that. Effectively, it would seem that the writer of the
report has as incomplete an understanding of German as I have - I can
get by, but a serious intellectual conversation would be beyond me. I
have a feeling that she, a recent graduate, was trying to show off her
erudition.

> 
> BTW, "Merkwelt" isn't a common German word at all; it's a highly
> techical term in Psychology, and while it does refer to a mental "image"
> of the world, it's not that high-level mental image of our world and
> society (that would be "Weltbild"), but the low-level mental image of
> the physical world generated directly from our senses.
> 
> For instance, Virtual Reality goggles change the Merkwelt of the user by
> supplying fake visual input; at the same time, they also change our
> Weltbild by introducing the notion that we might be living in an
> entirely fake world without even knowing.
> 

I was aware of the word 'Weltbild' but had wrongly assumed that it and
Merkwelt were interchangeable. I should have realised that German is too
precise a language to allow for redundancy. Mea culpa, mea culpa.

[a wiser] John

BTW Thanks also to Ingo and Thomas
-- 
Protect the Earth
It was not given to you by your parents
You hold it in trust for your children

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Am 03.03.2015 um 00:42 schrieb Doctor John:
> Thanks for that. Effectively, it would seem that the writer of the
> report has as incomplete an understanding of German as I have - I can
> get by, but a serious intellectual conversation would be beyond me. I
> have a feeling that she, a recent graduate, was trying to show off her
> erudition.

Maybe, maybe. Depends on what the word "erudition" actually means :P

> I was aware of the word 'Weltbild' but had wrongly assumed that it and
> Merkwelt were interchangeable. I should have realised that German is too
> precise a language to allow for redundancy. Mea culpa, mea culpa.

Don't worry; it may come as a surprise to you, but even German has the 
word "Vergebung" ;)

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