5.33 Historical vocabulary — 18th and 19th century — Epoché
What you will be able to do Understand sixty words that are common in German literature of the eighteenth and nineteenth century, many of them rare or old-fashioned today: feelings, old adverbs and adjectives, verbs of the old style, people of the old society, and things of daily life before the railway. Know the modern word for each: alsbald is bald , wiewohl is obwohl , sich entsinnen is sich erinnern . Recognise words whose meaning has changed since then: Weib , billig , geil , Witz . Read the classics of this course, from Goethe to Heine, with fewer notes. Sentences from this lesson, before the explanation. Read the German aloud; all of them come back below. German English Das Glück war ihm hold. [1] Fortune smiled on him. Wir harren auf dich. [2] We await you. Er verliebte sich in eine schöne Prinzessin. [3] He fell in love with a beautiful princess. Endlich erreichten wir die Bergspitze. [4] We finally reached the top of the mountain. Haben Sie Dank, Sherlock Holmes! [5] Thank you, Sherlock Holmes. Wir waren durstig, müde und hungrig. [6] We were thirsty, tired and hungry. Der grüne Frosch sprang vor die Prinzessin. [7] The green frog jumped in front of the princess. Es ist jetzt zu spät, um noch Änderungen vorzunehmen. [8] It's now too late to make any changes. Prerequisites : 5.32 — you have read Eichendorff in 7.51 Reading , Büchner in 7.54 Reading and Heine in 7.56 Reading ; you need the registers of 5.19 Vocabulary . The German of Goethe, Schiller, Kleist, Eichendorff and Heine is close enough to today's German that you can read it, and far enough that some words stop you. Grammar has hardly changed; spelling has changed a little, as you have seen in the reading lessons; vocabulary has changed most. Some words have disappeared from everyday speech but live on in literature, songs and set phrases: alsbald , fürwahr , harren . Others still exist but have changed their meaning. This lesson gives sixty words that are frequent in these texts. Most are of the first kind; a few, such as der Kummer and die Träne , are still common today. The lesson gives their modern equivalents and explains the most important changes of meaning. Word list Sixty words in five groups: feelings of the heart, old adverbs and adjectives, verbs of the old style, people and society, and money, travel and places. Feelings of the heart Word (article, plural) Meaning Notes das Gemüt（-er） de mind, heart, disposition Gender / part of speech neuter noun How English differs The feeling side of a person; gemütlich comes from it. Dies lastete schwer auf meinem Gemüt. [9] This weighed heavily on my mind. der Gram de grief, sorrow Gender / part of speech masculine noun, no plural How English differs Literary; sich grämen , to grieve . Vor Gram ergrauten ihre Haare. [10] Her hair grayed with suffering. der Kummer de sorrow, worry Gender / part of speech masculine noun, no plural How English differs Still common: Kummer haben . Dein Kummer ist mein Kummer. [11] Your sorrow is my sorrow. die Wonne（-n） de bliss, delight Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs mit Wonne , with great pleasure . Den Sonnenaufgang von einem Berggipfel aus zu sehen, ist eine Wonne. [12] To see the sunrise from a mountaintop is a delight. das Entzücken de delight, rapture Gender / part of speech neuter noun, no plural How English differs entzückt , delighted . Sherlock Holmes rieb sich vor Entzücken die Hände. [13] Sherlock Holmes rubbed his hands with delight. die Schwermut de melancholy Gender / part of speech feminine noun, no plural How English differs Literally heavy mood ; schwermütig . Der König neigte zu Schwermut und Langerweile. [14] The king was prone to melancholy and boredom. die Seligkeit（-en） de bliss, blessedness Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs In religion eternal salvation; the example keeps the old form lieget . Im Nichtwissen lieget keine Seligkeit. [15] Ignorance is not bliss. das Verhängnis（-se） de doom, fate Gender / part of speech neuter noun How English differs Fate that brings disaster; the example uses the old past ward . Ihre Neugier ward der Katze zum Verhängnis. [16] Curiosity killed the cat. der Trost de comfort, consolation Gender / part of speech masculine noun, no plural How English differs trösten , to comfort . Das war sein einziger Trost. [17] That was his only consolation. der Seufzer（-） de sigh Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs seufzen , to sigh . Ein Seufzer fiel von ihren Lippen. [18] A sigh fell from her lips. die Träne（-n） de tear Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Spelled Thräne before 1901. Er vergoss keine Träne. [19] He didn't shed a tear. das Erbarmen de mercy, pity Gender / part of speech neuter noun, no plural How English differs Erbarmen haben , to have mercy . Haben Sie Erbarmen! [20] Have mercy! der Zorn de anger, wrath Gender / part of speech masculine noun, no plural How English differs Stronger and more dignified than die Wut . Sie glühte vor Zorn. [21] She was burning with anger. bange de afraid, anxious Gender / part of speech adjective, adverb How English differs mir ist bange , I am afraid ; today ängstlich . Ihm ist bange. [22] He is afraid. Old adverbs and adjectives Word (article, plural) Meaning Notes alsbald de soon, at once Gender / part of speech adverb How English differs Today bald or sofort . Sie waren alsbald verheiratet. [23] Very soon they were married. sogleich de immediately Gender / part of speech adverb How English differs Today sofort . Romeo verliebte sich sogleich in Julia. [24] Romeo instantly fell in love with Juliet. fürwahr de truly, indeed Gender / part of speech adverb How English differs Old-fashioned; today wirklich . Er ist fürwahr ein Mann seines Worts. [25] He is, indeed, a man of his word. indessen de meanwhile; however; whereas Gender / part of speech adverb, conjunction How English differs Today inzwischen or jedoch . Wir sind in eine Pizzeria, sie indessen ins K