Glossary
As English and American ex-patriots living in Berlin, Germany, our two editors are only too aware of the language gap: sometimes a word can only be expressed adequately in its native form, and not in English, the langauge of this journal. We wish therefore to incorporate and nurture some of the native words of our contributors in the articles posted on SLAB, and on this page offer amusing and informative explanations of these words.
The words are listed alphabetically. They are followed in square brackets by the langauge of the word and its pronunciation, then by a humerous literal English translation in italic, then by an attempt at a genuine explanation.
B
Baulücke [German – 'bow looker'] building gap
A gap between buildings where a structure destroyed by WWII bombing once stood. Some of these gaps are still empty and full of scrub-land, but more often than not they’ve been built upon or transformed into playgrounds, or basketball and football courts.
H
Hof [German – 'horf'] yard
The backyard of an apartment house.
K
Kiez [German – 'keats'] neighborhood
The roots of the word are very interesting. Originally a ‘kiez’ was part of an actual place, and was used to describe the part of a medieval town just outside the gates of the landowner’s grounds, typically where anglers and fishmongers dwelt. Later, the word developed to mean simply a district of a town. There’s a good explanation at the German Wikipedia here.
M
Mauerstreifen [German – 'mauwer shtrifen'] wall stripe
The mined, guarded, and machine-gun-turreted strip of land either side of the Berlin Wall.
