Cuchulainn Posted August 25, 2000 Share Posted August 25, 2000 This just in from Scottish scientists... Why Germans are down in the mouth BY MARK HENDERSON, SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT SPEAKING English can help to cheer you up, but the mouth contortions of the umlaut may make Germans feel glum. The muscle movements that are needed to make one of the German language's most characteristic sounds - the vowel with an umlaut - turn down the corners of the mouth and contort the face into a frown, a psychologist told the Royal Society of Edinburgh yesterday. According to David Myers, Professor of Psychology at Hope College, Michigan, frequent use of the muscles that the brain associates with sadness and frustration can depress the speaker's mood. In English, the "e" and "ah" sounds, as in "bee" or "car", have the opposite effect, he claimed. They use the same muscles as smiles and laughter, and can lift the spirits. "Research has shown the facial expression of a person can affect how funny they will find things like cartoons," said Professor Myers, who has just finished a sabbatical at the University of St Andrews. "Even when speaking, movements of the muscles in the face can change a person's mood. It is delightfully subtle. This could be a good reason why German people have got a reputation for being humourless and grumpy." A spokesman for the German Embassy said: "We can give no comment on this as it is too scientific." ---------------- I don't understand it. With the Germans known worldwide for their wonderful sense of humor... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M Hofbauer Posted August 25, 2000 Share Posted August 25, 2000 In English, the "e" and "ah" sounds, as in "bee" or "car", have the opposite effect, he claimed. They use the same muscles as smiles and laughter, and can lift the spirits. e such as in Bier or ah such as in Scheisse? man, this is total hogwash. first of all, there isn't "one of the German language's most characteristic sounds - the vowel with an umlaut - ", since it's three distinctly different Umlaute, namely Ä, Ö and Ü. and then, all three of these sounds are used in the engluish language, too, even though they are writen different, of course. Ö such as in "girl" or "Pittsburgh", Ä such as in "bad" or "Manhattan", and Ü such as in ...hmmm...toughie...I used to know an equivalent...hmm well the name Dupont comes to my mind but then again americans are usually unable to pronounce french as french... well even if the americans due to a linguistic deficiency *g* don't have the Ü, well the french have way more Ü than the germans, they are full of Üs so to speak, and I don't see them being very depressed or grumpy. mit freundlichen Grüssen, M.Hofbauer (proving with this post that indeed germans don't have any humor as he can't even let Chuchulainn's post pass uncommented as the humor it is) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuchulainn Posted August 25, 2000 Author Share Posted August 25, 2000 Well it all strikes me as pretty unlikely too. Any Scots about who would care to defend their scientists? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamstersss Posted August 25, 2000 Share Posted August 25, 2000 Is it just me or is M Hofbauer sounding pretty glum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Michael emrys Posted August 25, 2000 Share Posted August 25, 2000 I think the Germans may actually have a sense of humor, it's just that non-Germans find it pretty baffling. Take Andreas for example... Michael [This message has been edited by Michael emrys (edited 08-24-2000).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banshee Posted August 25, 2000 Share Posted August 25, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Michael emrys: Take Andreas for example... <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Yes someone take him, please, lol j/k.. (In the vein of Take my wife, Please!) ------------------ Veni, vidi, panzerschrecki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mr. Johnson-<THC>- Posted August 25, 2000 Share Posted August 25, 2000 WE DO NOT. Keep your fancy scienctist freaks on that island. And your fancy words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schugger Posted August 25, 2000 Share Posted August 25, 2000 It is sad bud true; Us germans have no humour and smile or even lough only once or twice a year. Loosing more wars ( and football matches)than I even dare to count, we degenarated in a hard bitten, pessimistic bunch of Schnitzel Eaters. Having sayed that, where the heck is the HKL? ------------------ Es gibt Tage da verliert man und Tage da gewinnen die anderen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Shaw Posted August 25, 2000 Share Posted August 25, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>This could be a good reason why German people have got a reputation for being humourless and grumpy.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> And what would be a good reason for the well known Scottish attibutes of being carefree, spendthrift and fun loving? The lovely weather perhaps? Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Clark Posted August 25, 2000 Share Posted August 25, 2000 Academicians, sheesh. It's a classic case of making an erroneous connection (there's a word for that that I can't remember). It almost sounds racist to me. Like all French must be snooty because they speak as if they got their fingers up their noses. Or that all Orientals must not like to smell because they speak like they are holding it. No, such generalizations are wrong and to so that Germans are dour because of they way they pronounce certain vowels? Hogwash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fernando Posted August 25, 2000 Share Posted August 25, 2000 Why don't learn/speak Spanish? I strongly encourage you to do it. We've got five vowels only (a, e, i, o, u). It's easy!!! No ü, ö, ä and other unpronounceable vowels. BTW English and French languages look pretty odd. Someone asked what can you expect from people who don't write like they speak and don't speak like they write? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mirage2k Posted August 25, 2000 Share Posted August 25, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Why don't learn/speak Spanish? I strongly encourage you to do it. We've got five vowels only (a, e, i, o, u). It's easy!!! No ü, ö, ä and other unpronounceable vowels. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> No creo que español sea exento de reglas extrañas de gramática. ¡Yo necesitaba tres meses para comprender el subjuntivo! (and I'm still not very good!) -Andrew ------------------ Throw me a frickin' smiley, people! Your one-stop-shop for gaming news is www.SiegersPost.com ! Hit it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fernando Posted August 25, 2000 Share Posted August 25, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mirage2k: ¡Yo necesité tres meses para comprender el subjuntivo! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Tu español está bastante bien. Me gustaría que mi inglés fuera parecido a tu español Es curioso pero la verdad es que si yo tuviera que explicar a un americano cuando y como se debe de utilizar el subjuntivo, no sabría como hacerlo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Aitken Posted August 26, 2000 Share Posted August 26, 2000 Cuchulainn wrote: > According to David Myers, Professor of Psychology at Hope College, Michigan > Any Scots about who would care to defend their scientists? Last time I checked, Michigan was in America. He was just speaking in Scotland. Send him back where he came from, I say. Some of what "scientists" and "psychologists" come up with is useful and interesting. Some of it is a load of crap. Unfortunately, in the latter case, they get listened to simply because they have "Dr" or "Prof" before their name. It really annoys me when newspapers print this kind of guff. David ------------------ There's a splinter in your eye, and it reads REACT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howardb Posted August 26, 2000 Share Posted August 26, 2000 Must be great for the tax payers of Scotland to know their money is well spent on important science. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Aitken Posted August 26, 2000 Share Posted August 26, 2000 > Must be great for the tax payers of Scotland to know their money is well spent on important science. Hello? Wakey wakey? Anyone actually read the article? Anyone actually read my last post? David ------------------ There's a splinter in your eye, and it reads REACT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mirage2k Posted August 26, 2000 Share Posted August 26, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Es curioso pero la verdad es que si yo tuviera que explicar a un americano cuando y como se debe de utilizar el subjuntivo, no sabría como hacerlo <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Mi maestro dijo exactamente este. Estoy seguro que inglés no es mucho mejor... -Andrew ------------------ Throw me a frickin' smiley, people! Your one-stop-shop for gaming news is www.SiegersPost.com ! Hit it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HENTZAU Posted August 26, 2000 Share Posted August 26, 2000 I spent three years working outdoors in Scotland's rain. That was depressing, or maybe I was depressed because my ancestors were German. I was happy when my enlistment was up thats for sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts