Table of Contents Chapter 26 26.2 In German words are invented every day
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Chapter 26: Compound Words

  26.2 In German words are invented every day


In German loads of words are invented every day (and mostly forgotten the next one). Even in the newspapers it is quite usual to invent new word combinations. In this sense German is quite a creative language, don't you think?

Let's have a look at this article from the newspaper "Berliner Zeitung" (dated April 15, 2004). This article was chosen because it was on top of my desk when writing this chapter, not really because of the issue that is discussed.

DGB warnt vor Lohndrückerei im Osten.

Massive Investitionen in die Infrastruktur gefordert

Berlin, 14. April. Der DGB Berlin-Brandenburg hat eindringlich vor der
flächendeckenden Einführung
eines
Niedriglohnsektors in den neuen Bundesländern gewarnt. "Ein Niedriglohnsektor gefährdet die Zukunft Ostdeutschlands", sagte der Vorsitzende Dieter Scholz der Berliner Zeitung. Mit einer solchen Lohndrückerei würden qualifizierte Fachkräfte nur in die alten Länder getrieben, sowie der Konsum und die Binnenkonjunktur gelähmt. Dabei hinke der Osten schon seit Jahren bei Wirtschaftswachstum dem Westen hinterher. "Nur massive Investitionen in die Infrastruktur gepaart mit Finanzspritzen für die Kommunen helfen den neuen Ländern auf die Beine", erklärte Scholz.

DGB warns to decrease salaries in the East

Massive investments into the infrastructure demanded
Berlin, April 15. The DGB Berlin-Brandenburg has warned to introduce a low salary sector in the new states of the German federation. "A low salary sector puts the future of eastern Germany at risk", said the president Dieter Scholz the Berliner Zeitung. With such a decrease of salaries the qualified personnel would move to the old states of the German federation, and the consumption and the economic situation would be paralysed. And the east is weaker in the economic growth in comparison to the west already for years. "Only massive investments in the infrastructure, paired with financial aid for the communities can help to strengthen the new states", explained Scholz.

We have marked in blue all compound words in the text. Some of them are used very commonly; some may have been invented just for this article. We will now have a closer look at the formation of compound words, even though it will only scratch the issue on the surface. Anyway the aim here is to give the reader a feeling, a sensibility for the matter.
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