Kekse und ihre Bedeutung für eine englisch-deutsche Sprachbetrachtung: Ein Interview in der Süddeutschen Zeitung
What Does Cookies Have to Do with Linguistics?

Summary/Abstract: What does cookies have to do with linguistics? In an interview of Ms. Lynda Mugglestone, professor at University of Oxford, with the German reporter Johan Schloemann in the daily paper “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (SZ) from 29/30 May 2010, page 17, she explains: “Cookies present a very sensible linguistic subject. Everybody is afraid of the invasion of English elements. But is it a tragedy when the English “fairycake” or “cupcake” are suppressed by American “cookie”? Who protects English from foreign elements? The supposed linguistic subject in the ironically formulated question is evident. Thomas Steinfeld, professor of Germanistics and head of the cultural section of SZ took up this problem already in 22/24 May 2010, page 13. He warns openly in his article with regard to Deutsche Akademie für Sprache und Dichtung (Darmstadt): “Beware the language about its academic protectors!” – the ironical undertone cannot be failed. According to Steinfeld’s understanding the cultivation of the literary-language requires more than diligence of lexical collection of old and new words rather than a creative production of aesthetically perceptible literary texts, written even by authors born outside Germany, who learned German as a foreign language.

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