Our Philosopher by Gert Hofmann

Author:Gert Hofmann
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: New York Review Books
Published: 2023-09-26T00:00:00+00:00

*Veilchenfeld: field of violets

A NOTE ON THE TEXT

Many of the person and place names in Our Philosopher consist of German nouns and adjectives, and thus have an additional meaning for anyone reading the novel in German.

—E. M.-T.

Abfalter: Abfall = rubbish. Also ab + Falter: ex-butterfly

Berger: salvager

Birken: birch

Blei: lead

Deutscher Peter: German Peter

Eisen-Lotse: iron pilot

Geier: vulture

Gipser: plasterer

Grimmschen: adjective form of Grimm, name of the German collectors of fairy tales

Hafermeier: oats steward

Heiden: heaths, but also heathens, Gentiles

Hellmann: bright or light man

Heuer: this year; pay

Hirsch: deer. Frequently, although not always, a Jewish family name.

Höhle: cave, cavity

Keller: cellar (or a proper name)

Klemm: Klemme = a fix, a difficult situation

Krappes: Krapp = madder plant (used for making red dye)

Lach: laughter

Lampenputzer: lamp cleaner

Laube: arbour or arcade

Lauge: lye

Lilienthal: valley of lilies. Often a Jewish family name.

Linde: linden tree

Lohen: to blaze

Magirius: Magirus is Latinised from Ancient Greek μάγειρος (mágeiros), cook

Malz: malt

Maurer: mason, bricklayer

Mausifalli: Mausefalle = mousetrap

Neumann: new man

Obermüller: head miller

Raabe: raven

Reichmann: rich man

Rösch: crisp, crust

Rüdesheim: male dog + home (also a place name)

Russdorf: soot village

Sachs: Sache = item, matter, cause

Schellenbaum: bell tree (a musical instrument); also Schellen + Baum: clamps + tree

Schindler: roofer (obsolete)

Sonnenblick: sun view

Sperber: sparrow hawk

Stöcke: sticks

Turnvater Jahn (Friedrich Ludwig Jahn): founder of the Turnsport (gymnastics) movement in the early nineteenth century, considered the father of gymnastics in Germany.

Übeleis: evil or severe + ice

Veilchenfeld: field of violets

Verhören: to interrogate, question

Weiss: white

Wikinger: Viking

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.