Updated German Word List21

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German is a living language, and as such, it is constantly evolving. Over time, some words have changed their meaning, while others have fallen out of use altogether. In this article, we will take a look at some of the most common German words that have changed over the years.


1. Alternative
* Old meaning: different, other
* New meaning: alternative, option
The word "alternative" has been used in German since the 16th century, but it originally meant "different" or "other." In the 19th century, it began to take on its modern meaning of "alternative," as in an alternative to something else.


2. Handy
* Old meaning: convenient, practical
* New meaning: mobile phone
The word "handy" has been used in German since the 18th century, but it originally meant "convenient" or "practical." In the 1990s, it began to be used to refer to mobile phones, and this is now its most common meaning.


3. Internet
* Old meaning: none
* New meaning: Internet
The word "Internet" is a relatively new addition to the German language, having only been introduced in the 1990s. It is borrowed from the English word "Internet," which is itself a combination of the words "inter" and "network."


4. Joggen
* Old meaning: none
* New meaning: jogging
The word "joggen" is also a relatively new addition to the German language, having only been introduced in the 1970s. It is borrowed from the English word "jogging," which is itself a derivative of the verb "jog."


5. Handy
* Old meaning: handy, convenient
* New meaning: mobile phone
The word "smartphone" is a relatively new addition to the German language, having only been introduced in the 2000s. It is a combination of the words "smart" and "phone," and it refers to a mobile phone that has advanced features, such as the ability to access the Internet and run apps.


6. Tablet
* Old meaning: none
* New meaning: tablet computer
The word "tablet" is a relatively new addition to the German language, having only been introduced in the 2010s. It is borrowed from the English word "tablet," which is itself a derivative of the Latin word "tabula."


7. App
* Old meaning: none
* New meaning: app
The word "app" is a relatively new addition to the German language, having only been introduced in the 2010s. It is borrowed from the English word "app," which is itself a shortened form of the word "application."


8. Cloud
* Old meaning: cloud, cloud cover
* New meaning: cloud computing
The word "cloud" has been used in German since the 18th century, but it originally meant "cloud" or "cloud cover." In the 2010s, it began to be used to refer to cloud computing, which is a type of computing that uses the Internet to store and access data and applications.


9. Social media
* Old meaning: none
* New meaning: social media
The term "social media" is a relatively new addition to the German language, having only been introduced in the 2010s. It is borrowed from the English term "social media," which itself refers to websites and applications that allow users to create and share content and interact with each other.


10. Influencer
* Old meaning: none
* New meaning: influencer
The term "influencer" is a relatively new addition to the German language, having only been introduced in the 2010s. It is borrowed from the English term "influencer," which itself refers to a person who has a large following on social media and uses their platform to promote products or services.

2025-01-27

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