Anglicisms in German from a translator’s perspective

The German language - like all living languages - is constantly changing. In many languages, so-called Anglicisms have developed over the last few decades. These are words, phrases or linguistic structures from the English language that have been adopted into another language. Critics argue that Anglicisms threaten linguistic purity, while supporters see Anglicisms as a natural extension of the language that increases linguistic diversity. German now has a large number of Anglicisms that became an integral part in language usage. As professional translators and interpreters for English and other languages, we would like to share our perspective on this development.

Distribution of Anglicisms by subject area

There are many reasons for the proliferation of Anglicisms in the German language. As is so often the case when something apparently foreign finds its way into a culture, globalisation is also of central importance for the spread of Anglicisms. Without the increasing exchange between countries and cultures, we would probably find no or very few Anglicisms in German. However, there are also a number of secondary causes that can be attributed to specific topics or subcultures:

• Computer Science & Technology: The rapid development of information technology and the Internet has given rise to a large number of new terms that are often taken directly from the English language.

• Business and marketing: In the business world and in marketing, English terms are often used to make products and services appear more attractive and international and to facilitate communication with international partners.

• Youth culture: Anglicisms are particularly widespread among young people. Pop culture, music, films and social media continue to drive the advance of Anglicisms. Words such as "cool", "chill", "chat" and many others are cornerstones of youth language.

What influence do Anglicisms have on the work of translators and interpreters?

The influence of Anglicisms on German is particularly pronounced in the field of computer science and technology. Terms such as "software", "hardware", "download", "server" and "router" are firmly anchored in the German language. Although there are German equivalents for most terms, such as "Dateneingabeeinheit” (server) or "Vermittlungsknoten” (router), these are hardly ever used in everyday life or in the technical field. For other terms, such as "firewall", there is no German equivalent at all as the term "Brandmauer" describes a physical wall to protect against fires and is now often used as a metaphor in politics, but nobody understands it to mean a security system for computers, which is also an Anglicism, by the way.

For the specialised technical translators and interpreters for English and German of AP Fachübersetzungen in Nuremberg, Anglicisms mostly make things easier. In most contexts, it is completely sufficient to use the English technical terms in German. The direct use of English terms is often preferred in order to ensure one is understood internationally to keep the terminology consistent. This not only makes it easier to learn the terms, but also saves time when interpreting. Especially in the demanding discipline of simultaneous interpreting, where the interpreter renders what is said in real time in the other language, the Anglicisms make life a little easier for us, as they are often much shorter than the German terms. Our professional specialist translators for English and German are also familiar with the subject area and know how to use the terms correctly in the respective context.

Anglicisms have also become indispensable in the fields of business and marketing. "Marketing", "headhunter", "soft skills", "outsourcing", "benchmarking", "networking" and many other terms have become commonplace in the German business world. The purpose of these Anglicisms is twofold: On the one hand, companies use Anglicisms to give themselves an international and modern image (another Anglicism) to potential customers and business partners. It also improves comprehensibility and facilitates professionalism of communication in an international context. The prerequisite for this is, of course, that the user knows the correct meaning of the respective Anglicism in order to use it in the right context. Anglicisms help to avoid misunderstandings and promote integration into the global business world.

Especially in the case of modern, internationally active companies, the English-language terms are generally adopted directly in German. The experienced specialist translators at AP Fachübersetzungen are very familiar with business terminology and know that, especially in the marketing sector, they have to carefully consider whether Anglicisms can be used or whether there are appropriate German alternatives that convey the same content. To Germans, Anglicisms also convey a kind of relaxed business-casual attitude, which many companies like to use to win over customers. In certain contexts, however, this may not be desirable. It is not for nothing that there are virtually no Anglicisms in the fields of law and medicine. Thanks to their many years of experience, our Nuremberg interpreters and translators for English and German are able to recognise the desired style and fit their translation to that style.

For experienced translators of English and German, Anglicisms are therefore by no means "no-brainers". A high level of "know-how" is required for a high-quality specialist translation so that international customers ultimately provide positive "feedback". The professional specialist translators and interpreters at AP Fachübersetzungen in Nuremberg are happy to provide you with translations and interpreting services from and into other languages such as Russian, French or Spanish in addition to English. We look forward to your enquiry!

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