LYDEN: Did they come up with words for the new world that developed neither German nor English, something that wouldn’t be understood back in Germany?
BOAS: They came up with a number of different words. The most prominent is perhaps the word stinkkatze, which means stinking cat, which is skunk in English. These animals don’t exist in Europe.
— “Remembering The Long Lost Germans Of Texas” (via Jay Lake)
“Stinkkatze” is just delightful.
My grandmother spoke German growing up. It reappeared in childhood regression moments as a result of her Alzheimer’s, which surprised the hell out of all of us.
Also, this is why newcomers to San Antonio find the street names’ pronunciation maddening. Half the names, especially on the north side, are German (Huebner, Fredericksburg) and half Spanish (Bandera, De Zavala).
Maybe this is why I’ve always been drawn to science fiction and fantasy tales of clashing cultures.
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