[img]graemlins/crying.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/crying.gif[/img] Reading this thread über and über again I cannot shake the eery suspicion that "some" of you don't take my very legitimate grievance über the überly unqualified and incorrect überuse of the word über/ueber/uber in English, überlanguage of the überly free world, überly serious! Übermeanies, you (über-)all (this one is for you, Melusinchen ;) )!

Now, if you would excuse me, please, I have some more crying to do - which is überdue after the übercruel treatment I have suffered here from your hands!

[ 05-29-2003, 11:52 AM: Message edited by: Ramon de Ramon y Ramon ]

Thanks, eathkiller, that was very interesting. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Hi Cloudy - well being the nosy little chap I am I simply had to try the alt 129 thing myself. After a couple of failures, I used the numeric pad for the numbering instead of the keys atop the letters, and low and behold it worked [img]smile.gif[/img]

ü ü ü :D </font>[/QUOTE]*patronizingly pats Davros' head* Those üs of you look very nice! [img]tongue.gif[/img] ;)

wait i am so confused..

so the word uber is über in german? which is pronounced ueber?

it is different from over. from what i am getting it seems that you have put over in place of uber, or something like that...

Bahamut, the most appropriate translations of the German word "über" in English in most cases are "over" or (mostly in compound nouns)"super-".

As to the pronunciation: If I am not mistaken, there does not exist a real equivalent for the sound of the German "ü/ue" (alternate spellings of the same letter) in English. Do you happen to know some French? If so, the way the letter "u" is pronounced in French comes pretty close to how "ü" is pronounced in German.

Even more confused now? ;) [img]smile.gif[/img]

No no no Bahamut, there is no English word uber, in the literal sense.

Properly, it should be über, which is German for over or super, but most people who use it are too lazy or don't know how to insert a ü.
The ueber version is for those with no knowledge of the majestic ü as it denotes the same pronuciation.
The difference between the ue and ü in German is similar to the difference between use of many s's and ß.

[ 05-29-2003, 12:45 PM: Message edited by: Talthyr Malkaviel ]

<Font Color=Lime Green><Font Size=3>Thank you all for many new points that I have learned today! Keyboarding, speech origin, ettiquette....what a great forum!</color></size> http://smilies.sofrayt.com/%5E/b0/cobra.gif<Font Color=Orange><Font Size=3>(Really!)</color></size>

The German word "über" as a preposition means "over"
"Ich springe über eine Wand" - "I jump over a wall" [img]graemlins/showoff.gif[/img]

As the first part of a composed word it mostly means "over" with verbs
übersehen - to overlook
and adjectives
überempfindlich - oversensitive
and "super" with nouns.
Überblick - supervision
Of course there are exceptions like "Übersee" or "Überland" (overseas, overland).

A for the pronounciation: The German "Ü" is pronounced very much like the French "ue" in "Rue" (street) or the English "eu" ind "deuce".

Excellent post, Faceman! [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img]

But I think you are not correct in regard to one point: At least the English pronunciation of "deuce" I am aware of does not contain a sound that I'd consider an equivalent of the German "ü". Your French example is of course correct, except for the fact that it does not have to be an "ue" diphtong, but a simple "u" in French often is pronounced very similar to the German "ü" as well (example "tu"). [img]smile.gif[/img]

So, if anyone who speaks either French or German could come up with an example of an English word that contains the phonetic equivalent of a German "ü" or a French "u" that would be most helpful.

[ 05-29-2003, 01:13 PM: Message edited by: Ramon de Ramon y Ramon ]

There is always the English words to, two and too. And Rue (not the same as the French word, but pronounced the same.)

[ 05-29-2003, 01:26 PM: Message edited by: Talthyr Malkaviel ]