‘uber’ is an English word with a German ethnology. ‘über’ is a German word. That’s like saying iceberg is German. u and ü are different letters. They are pronounced differently and change the meaning of words (e.g. ‘Schuppe’ means scale, ‘Schüppe’ means shovel)
Comment on Flohmarkt - a Fediverse replacement for Facebook Marketplace
TrickDacy@lemmy.world 2 days agoEtymology From German über (“above”, preposition), which is also used as a prefix (über-); cognate with over. Entered English through Nietzsche’s use of the word Übermensch. Doublet of over, super and hyper.
itslilith@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 days ago
TrickDacy@lemmy.world 2 days ago
…I don’t know what point you’re making. The word came from german, and the changing of the letter only goes to my point. The word was easily simplified to be used outside of German.
itslilith@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 days ago
You’re in a thread complaining about a software using a German name for it’s German meaning (Flohmarkt means flea market). Your example for a ‘good German name’ is an English word that has German origins. Don’t you see how those are different?
TrickDacy@lemmy.world 2 days ago
I think you’re splitting hairs and it’s not helpful. I have only ever known “Uber” as a German word and you saying it isn’t one won’t change my or others’ experience of it as such.
yetAnotherUser@discuss.tchncs.de 2 days ago
Right, über is a word. “uber” is very much not. The points aren’t decoration or a pronunciation guide, they signify a different letter.
It’s like saying that Spanish people call their country Espana.
TrickDacy@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Are you really going to argue this? Those accent marks aren’t in all languages, which is mainly why they removed them. If you want to claim this isn’t the German word then you need to explain where it came from.
yetAnotherUser@discuss.tchncs.de 2 days ago
Removing the accent marks makes it such that the word isn’t German anymore, just German-inspired. It would have to be written “Ueber” instead.
You know, like a Mr. Böing founding the company Boeing.
TrickDacy@lemmy.world 2 days ago
And yet I always knew that it came from german and when I looked up the etymology that was confirmed correct. I honestly have no idea why people want to have a “conversation” like this