I was going through the store adverts and happened to notice Schwimmkerzen at Ikea.
Normally I don't give most German works a second glance, as they seem so clear and orderly in their logic.
This one gave me pause, however, because I had only learned
'Schwimmen = to swim' and
'Kerzen = candles'.
So literally 'Schwimmkerzen = Swimming candles'
But in reality they are not swimming, they're floating, so more passive than active.
If you go and ask Leo for 'to float' in German you'll get a plethora of translations in a variety of connotations, including 'Schwimmen'. If you putz around long enough, you'll find
'Schwimmen = to be afloat'
How about 'floaten' then? 'Floaten = to float' but in a financial sense.
'Floessen'? 'Floessen = to drive, to float, to raft' which sound rather in control of your water ways.
Hmm. I'm left with an uneasy feeling, as 'swimming' and 'floating' are two entirely different actions, so something seems off to me by having one general 'catch all' word in German.
Or what do I miss here?
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3 comments:
Schwimmen does mean "float". That is, staying above the water. Otherwise it is "tauchen" (dive) or "sinken" (sink) or "ertrinken" (drown).
agreed.
Hydromechanics, stability of floating objects = Schwimstabilität (or mebbee it's with two m's, but you get the point).
It's German. Need I say more :) ?
Kind of like "laufen"?
"Lauf"
Wait, do you mean "Walk..." or "Run!"???
There are so many other examples that slip my mind at the moment of one word that means two entirely DIFFERENT things. Hmmm, like "cake" and "pie" both being "Kuchen". I think Germans are just crazy. I tell my husband that at least 5 times a week.
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