‘RECYCLING’ AS A LANGUAGE STRATEGY Cover Image

Sprachliche ‚Recycling‘-Strategie
‘RECYCLING’ AS A LANGUAGE STRATEGY

Author(s): Roman Sadziński
Subject(s): Language studies, Language and Literature Studies
Published by: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Szczecińskiego
Keywords: Germanic mythology; demythologisation; appellativisation; change of meaning; change of style features

Summary/Abstract: New names are not created out of nothing, new names tend to have their ... history. They are created from existing native and/or foreign formative particles which causes them to appear as hybrids. Even mythological elements can be used for this purpose. This article presents an example of the Germanic mythology. Concepts like Walküre, Walhall(a), Troll, Tarnkappe and even Waberlohe and Breidablik – to use only a few examples – are subject of demythologization and function in the new circuit. Also the natural aging process of the vocabulary provides some material for reuse. An example can be the word Testimonium, which disappeared in the German language for the native word Zeugnis (,witness‘) to be reborn in a new constellation as Testimonial (,marketing recommendation of the satisfied (prominent) client‘) for filling the semantic gap resulting from technological advances.

  • Issue Year: 2015
  • Issue No: 24
  • Page Range: 89-102
  • Page Count: 14
  • Language: German
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