diff --git a/doc/log/de/ch1.rst b/doc/log/de/ch1.rst new file mode 100644 index 0000000..223acee --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/log/de/ch1.rst @@ -0,0 +1,158 @@ +Chapter 1: introduction +======================= + +Cognates +-------- + +A cognate is a word that is derived from the same original form such as kühl and +cool. We'll explore some consonant relationships that exist between German and +English to make guessing more accurate and faster but of course, always consider +checking the dictionary for the definitive answer. + +.. list-table:: Cognates + :header-rows: 1 + + * * German + * English + * Examples + * * f, ff (medial or final) + * p + * hoffen - to hope, scharf - sharp + * * pf + * p, pp + * Apfel - apple, Pfeife - pipe + * * b (medial or final) + * v or f + * geben - to give, halb - half + * * d + * th + * Ding - thing + * * ch + * k + * Buch - book, machen - to make, suchen - to seek + * * cht + * ght + * Macht - might, Sicht - sight, Recht - right, Nacht - night + * * g + * y or i + * sagen - to say, legen - to lay, Nagel - nail, fliegen - to fly + * * k + * c + * kommen - to come, kritisch - critical + * * s, ss, ß (medial or final) + * t + * hassen - to hate, grüßen - to greet, besser - better, Fuß - foot + * * tz, z + * t + * Katze - cat + * * t + * d + * trinken - to drink, kalt - cold, Tochter - daughter + +Note that sometimes it may require some flexibility with vowels to get the +correct word e.g., hören - to hear. Try to figure out the following words: Haus, +lassen, Sonne, Wort. + +Good? What about Pfefferminze and tanzen (try your luck with stripping -n/-en if +you think it's a verb in its infinitive form) + +Okay let's learn proverbs. Well, first there's this thing with German where it +is possible to "glue" multiple words to produce another word referred to as +compounds for example Sprichwörter means proverbs! look both of them up. Now for +the actual proverbs. + +* Blut ist dicker als Wasser. Blood is dicker(thicker) als(as) + Wasser(ss->t). +* Reiche Leute(people) haben fette Katzen. + + +Book titles! Buchtitel, apparently used for both singular and plural. + +* Yasmina Khadra, was der Tag der Nacht schuldet (haven't read it yet by the + way). + +Genders +------- + +.. note:: + Find a way to ease the process of memorizing these? being able to + quickly remember and map the endings would be very helpful. + +Complex stuff, unsure how to deal with it other than just practicing it often. +But with what? + +It's very important to know what your subject's gender is to understand the +context of the passage in hand. The corresponding German definite articles are +as follows + +.. list-table:: Genders articles + :header-rows: 1 + + * * Gender + * Article + * * Masculine + * der + * * Feminine + * die + * * Neuter + * das + * * Plural + * die + +Masculine +^^^^^^^^^ + +1. Nouns denoting male beings. +2. Most nouns ending with -er that are agents of a specific activity e.g., der + Computer. +3. The days, months and seasons. Look them up! +4. Nouns ending in -ig, -ich, -ing, -ast, -mus e.g., König (king), der + Socialismus (Socialism). +5. Points of compass. Norden, Süden, Oster und Westen. + +Feminine +^^^^^^^^ +1. Nouns denoting female beings. +2. Nouns of most trees, fruits and flowers. Look your favorites up! +3. Nouns ending with -er, -ie, -ik, -in, -ion, -hiet, kiet, -schaft, -tät, + -ung, -ur e.g., die Gesundheit (health), die Gesellschaft (society) und die + Hoffung. + +Neuter +^^^^^^ + +.. note:: + Diminutive nouns usually have an umlaut if the stem vowel is a, o, u or + au so a becomes ä... + +1. Nouns with diminutive endings -chen, -lein e.g., das Buch -> das Büchlein, + das Männlein. +2. Most nouns of foreign origin that end in -o e.g., das Auto. +3. Infinitives used as a noun e.g., das Kommen. +4. Nouns ending with -ium, -um e.g., das Vism. + +Compounds +--------- + +New words in German sometimes can be formed by combining simpler words. Some of +these words can be particularly graphic. For example. + +* Abend (evening) + Land (country) = (occident). +* Morgen + Land = (orient). +* Morgen + Röte = (dawn). +* Eier (eggs) + Auflauf(crowd) = Eierauflauf (soufflé). + +The gender of the noun is determined by *its final component*. Thus, even in a +word as long as Unfallversicherungsgesellschaft (accident-insurance-society), +the article will be *die* because the suffix *-schaft* is feminine. This seems +difficult... + +* Standard German is known as Hochdeutsch, try figuring that out. Northen dialects + are referred to as Platt which you *should* be able to guess. +* Sie haben eine nette Dreizimmerwohung etwa 10 kilometer von der Stadtmitte. +* Deutschland ist eine Bundesrepublic in diverse Länder oder Bundesländer + unterteilt. Die Länder habt lokal Kontrolle uber Bildung und jeder hat sein + Landesregierung. + +Plural +------