CDR: Re: Two items, of varying relevance to the list

[Tom Vogt]

jim bell wrote:
> > It's interesting that German is so willing to absorb new language
> > terms, completely unlike French. English has embraced foreign
> > expressions, and so, it seems, has German.
> 
> Maybe they've decided they need more "sprechenraum".
> 

"sprachraum", actually. :)

german has always accepted a lot of foreign terms. during the late
middle ages, it was mostly french, in modern times it's mostly english.
I guess it comes from sitting in the middle of a continent (borders to 9
other countries) - you just can't close yourself off against foreign
influence.