Thursday, September 16, 2010

gebirge: or "German Grice"

So, the plural of 'berg' is "berge"

and it translates:

Oxford-Duden German Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:

"Bẹrg der; Bẹrg[e]s, Bẹrge

a.

"hill"

;
(im Hochgebirge) mountain;

b.(Haufen) huge pile;
(von Akten, Abfall auch) mountain

---

Note: "im Hochgebirge", though. Versus the simpler, "gebirge".

Or something (especially something).
at

1 comment:

  1. JSeptember 16, 2010 at 10:04 AM

    Yes I could have been a bit more precise. Die Berge is mountains, and Das Gebirge more like mountain range

    Die Berge sind sehr schön! The mountains...are very beee-u-tiful

    Das Gebirge ist sehr schön! The mountain range is very beautiful.

    You note that in Angloish sometimes--"The Himalaya is ...sublime". But usually plural...the sierras, the rockies are.... But "mountain range" is singular of course. So. But the point is that a set of objects (like a mountain range) while plural can be treated as singular, in both English and German, though much less frequent in Anglo--I think because of the latinate influence (las montanas, or les montagnes).

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