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View Full Version : Obama thinks Austrian is a language




max
06-01-2009, 01:01 PM
YouTube - Barack Obama thinks Austrian is a language (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr7zhnctF4c)

Kludge
06-01-2009, 01:09 PM
It's a variation of German, isn't it?

heavenlyboy34
06-01-2009, 01:12 PM
It's a variation of German, isn't it?

Yes, it is a distinct dialect of German. :cool:

torchbearer
06-01-2009, 01:12 PM
He sucks when he doesn't have a teleprompter.

satchelmcqueen
06-01-2009, 01:26 PM
Obama:"uhh, uhh, uhhmmm, eerrrr ummm ahhh."

sailor
06-01-2009, 02:17 PM
It's a variation of German, isn't it?


Yes, it is a distinct dialect of German. :cool:

Absolutely not. Austrians use standard German. The official name of the language is German. They call their language German.

Coloquially regional dialects are spoken, but none of the variants are unique to Austria. The two mayor dialects are South Bavarian and Central Bavarian which are also spoken in Bavaria (Germany) and the minor dialect (in the far Western part) is High Allemannic which is also spoken accross the border in Germany and Switzerland.

MRoCkEd
06-01-2009, 02:21 PM
he no know no american

heavenlyboy34
06-01-2009, 02:24 PM
Absolutely not. Austrians use standard German. The official name of the language is German. They call their language German.

Coloquially regional dialects are spoken, but none of the variants are unique to Austria. The two mayor dialects are South Bavarian and Central Bavarian which are also spoken in Bavaria (Germany) and the minor dialect (in the far Western part) is High Allemannic which is also spoken accross the border in Germany and Switzerland.

Well, the Germans I've known disagree with you (I'm also from a German family, dad's side). Maybe they're wrong or misspoke? :eek::confused:

sailor
06-01-2009, 02:25 PM
Be more specific. Disagree with me on what?

heavenlyboy34
06-01-2009, 02:29 PM
Be more specific. Disagree with me on what?

The issue at hand is that "Austrian is a distinct dialect" (that's what I was led to believe).

fedup100
06-01-2009, 02:38 PM
He thinks ebonics is a language too. A world citizen who knows little of the world, yeah that's the ticket, lets put that fool in the most important office on earth at the most critical time in the nations history. :rolleyes:

sailor
06-01-2009, 02:49 PM
The issue at hand is that "Austrian is a distinct dialect" (that's what I was led to believe).

German language has many dialects which can be quite distant from each other. So obviusly somebody from Styria is going to speak differently than somebody from Rheinland (who in turn will speak differently than someone from Pommerania), but there is no Austrian dialect to speak of. There is no dialect under which all Austrians can be subsumed under that will not include plenty of non-Austrians.

The standard German used in Austria differs a bit from the standard used in Germany, but it is stil called simply German. (The same as the language of Canada is stil English despite minor differences in spelling and vocabulary, and wondering what the word for something would be in "Canadian" would be silly.)

max
06-01-2009, 02:52 PM
Austrians speak pure German.

It's not a dialect. Their accent may be unique to Austria (like the differences between how an Aussie, a Brit, a New Yorker, and a Texan all speak)...but the words are the same.....it is German.

What Obama said would be like saying someone speaks Mexican...or Brazilian..or Canadian.

paulim
06-01-2009, 03:17 PM
German language has many dialects which can be quite distant from each other. So obviusly somebody from Styria is going to speak differently than somebody from Rheinland (who in turn will speak differently than someone from Pommerania), but there is no Austrian dialect to speak of. There is no dialect under which all Austrians can be subsumed under that will not include plenty of non-Austrians.

The standard German used in Austria differs a bit from the standard used in Germany, but it is stil called simply German. (The same as the language of Canada is stil English despite minor differences in spelling and vocabulary, and wondering what the word for something would be in "Canadian" would be silly.)

I might add for better understanding, that austria is ethnically and historically a german state not a seperate country. A state like bavaria and the others you mentioned. That it today is indeed a seperate country dates back to the french emperor Napoleon I. who cut germany into pieces. Since this time several attempts have been made for a new union. The last two reunifications in the world wars were demolished afterwards by the allies, that each german country would be too small to pursue a sovereign policy.

Objectivist
06-01-2009, 03:19 PM
It's a variation of German, isn't it?

Dialect of German.

I know Germans that speak as if peasants.

Then after 8 years of W. we should all understand dialects.

american.swan
06-01-2009, 03:20 PM
Well, the Germans I've known disagree with you (I'm also from a German family, dad's side). Maybe they're wrong or misspoke? :eek::confused:

My brother is married to a German. Learned German. And lives in Germany right now. And I visited Austria in H.S.. Would you like me to ask? Or better yet, how about we do something more constructive with our time than argue over dialects.

Objectivist
06-01-2009, 03:25 PM
My brother is married to a German. Learned German. And lives in Germany right now. And I visited Austria in H.S.. Would you like me to ask? Or better yet, how about we do something more constructive with our time than argue over dialects.

My parents are German, my Oma and sister live in Germany and there are variations in the language.

Kludge
06-01-2009, 03:31 PM
Or better yet, how about we do something more constructive with our time than argue over dialects.

Alright...

Hussein B.O. 's black (naw, he's rilly White). Yussir, born in Kinya. We has a fantastic lawyer... eh'uh.... Dr. Orly Tavitz 'r sump'n. She tried to bring a case up, but I guess she forgot 'er papers 'r suh'm. She's pretty reliable, though, I guess.

You know B.O. wants t'steal yuh guns? Yussir. Lemme tell yuh, that B.O. wawnts tuh be takin' yaw's kids too -- yussir -- take 'em and put'm in'de SS, just like Hitler. I say "no, sir", I want mah kids innaw want mah guns.... Can't afford me no ammo cuz y'all be takin' mah money with yaw's taxation.

Yussir, Mr. George Wash'n'ton would be a'rollin' in his grave ' he knew whut was goin' on here today.

Objectivist
06-01-2009, 03:34 PM
Alright...

Hussein B.O. is black (but really, he's White). Yussir, born in Kenya. We have a fantastic lawyer... eh'uh.... Dr. Orly Tavitz 'r sump'n. She tried to bring a case up, but I guess she forgot 'er papers 'r suh'm. She's pretty reliable, though.

You know B.O. wants t'steal yuh guns? Yussir. Lemme tell yuh, that B.O. be wantin' to take yaw kids too -- yussir -- take 'em and put'm in'de SS, just like Hitler. I say "no, sir", I want mah kids innaw want mah guns.... Can't afford no ammo cuz y'all be takin' mah money with yaw's taxation.

Yussir, Mr. George Wash'n'ton would be a'rollin' in his grave ' he knew whut was goin' on here today.

Kludge, looks like you have things under control so I'm going to run my five miles now.:cool:

heavenlyboy34
06-01-2009, 03:36 PM
Austrians speak pure German.

It's not a dialect. Their accent may be unique to Austria (like the differences between how an Aussie, a Brit, a New Yorker, and a Texan all speak)...but the words are the same.....it is German.

What Obama said would be like saying someone speaks Mexican...or Brazilian..or Canadian.

Well, I got a different impression when I took intro to German. I stand corrected! :)

ClayTrainor
06-01-2009, 03:38 PM
Austrians speak pure German.

It's not a dialect. Their accent may be unique to Austria (like the differences between how an Aussie, a Brit, a New Yorker, and a Texan all speak)...but the words are the same.....it is German.

What Obama said would be like saying someone speaks Mexican...or Brazilian..or Canadian.

I speak Canadian, eh? :p

LibForestPaul
06-01-2009, 05:03 PM
All speak high german.

Many dialects.

Spoken in Switzerland, Italy (Tyrol) and Belgium as well.

No one speaks Austrian.

Just like we do not speak American (though some Brits may disagree)

Objectivist
06-01-2009, 05:14 PM
Austrians speak pure German.

It's not a dialect. Their accent may be unique to Austria (like the differences between how an Aussie, a Brit, a New Yorker, and a Texan all speak)...but the words are the same.....it is German.

What Obama said would be like saying someone speaks Mexican...or Brazilian..or Canadian.

I know Spaniards that are insulted when someone suggests that Mexicans speak their language.

Dialect is correct, hit the Dictionary for a definition.......

A particular form of a language that is peculiar to a specific region or social group.

Realistically Obama was maybe trying to be cordial with the group before him, or maybe he did gaffe.

tonesforjonesbones
06-01-2009, 05:52 PM
I found this on wikipedia..but hey..lets ask the Von Trapps...The Hills are alive...with the sound of music....

German
As German is a pluricentric language, Austrian German is another standard variety in addition to the German spoken in Germany. Much like the relationship between American and British English, Austrian German is simply another standard form of the German language. The "Österreichisches Wörterbuch" states specific grammar rules and is a dictionary using Austrian spelling. In addition to this standard variety, in everyday life, most Austrians speak one of a number of High German dialects.

TONES

Aratus
06-02-2009, 07:12 AM
at around the year 1500, scotland, ireland and wales spoke gaelic. in a sense, gaelic was a
meta-language that in the past 400 years we have seen break apart into three seperate
dialects that by the 20th century became seperate languages. its like truely understanding
that italian, french and spanish were once latin dialects. we see these divergences going on
as we speak in the current hour! i say our potus is correct, and our case in point is switzerland!

acptulsa
06-02-2009, 07:14 AM
He thinks ebonics is a language too. A world citizen who knows little of the world, yeah that's the ticket, lets put that fool in the most important office on earth at the most critical time in the nations history. :rolleyes:

The only reason this is the most critical time in the nation's history is because the last batch were at least as foolish.

And we should ask OBoy whether he is fluent in Texan. Though it might be even more fun to make a reference to Cherokee and see if he denies that's the name of a language...

Surely there's some way of using his ignorance to trick him into pissing some Americans off!

Aratus
06-02-2009, 07:15 AM
if i travel to the south of ireland right now, i can get into an arguement over whether "irish" is also
a language right now in terms of standalone or is simply only a cruder version of auld gaelic that
in its modern version that has less of the poetical elegance that james joyce once tapped for ULYSSES...

Aratus
06-02-2009, 07:19 AM
folks, "texan" is actually a language, just as "yankee" as in N.E + bay state spoken almost totally is!
you can also speak "dixicrat" rather than go into a true regional dialect. this is more than speaking
confederate or copperhead or scalawag or unionist. "texan" and "yankee" are actually languages.

acptulsa
06-02-2009, 07:25 AM
folks, "texan" is actually a language...

Meh. I personally know Texans who for eight long years didn't understand a %#$@ word Dubya said.

Aratus
06-02-2009, 07:27 AM
you do know the shrub was born up along the connecticut shore...
he acts sorta yankee but he don't really talk yankee, actually...

acptulsa
06-02-2009, 07:28 AM
you do know the shrub was born up along the connecticut shore...

So you're saying he was speaking Yanxan? No wonder he didn't make any damned sense!

Aratus
06-02-2009, 07:31 AM
O! northern spy amoungst a basket of golden delicious a thinkin' he is blending in! ...and i contemplate johnny appleseed and the art of a basic macintosh apple being turned into a pie

Aratus
06-02-2009, 07:49 AM
O! granny smith and red delicious and why a northern spy could think to be unnnoticed inside a fulsome basket
of golden delicious apples... and yes, there are also them there crab apples let alone a plethora of other apples!

peter_lifton
06-02-2009, 11:01 AM
If I were a reporter I ask him if there were any Austria painters that he disliked.

acptulsa
06-02-2009, 11:05 AM
If I were a reporter I ask him if there were any Austria painters that he disliked.

Once. Then after exposing his ignorance, once, and finding that the clip is never shown, you'd discover that the Secret Service had new orders to never again let you within five hundred yards of him.

Aratus
06-02-2009, 11:11 AM
you do know the dude who thought himself a bastard hapsburg "sans" the family hairlip
or cleft palate proved out to be a bastard in purely terms of his conduct and character...

sans = without --- duckies yes, "herr histor" the painter who sought to paint the banks of the historic hister
and insted designed these rather nasty warehouses like a third-rate architect. O! the dead. O! the horror...