The redifining of language for political purposes

I googled 'fuhrer' and i got an immediate dictionary pop up result defining it as something like 'a ruthless dictator'

No, 'fuhrer' translates as 'guide'. To this day, if you have a mountain guide take you walking up a mountain in germany, they would be called a 'bergsfuhrer'.

I dont know why new definitions need making up. A word has a meaning and thats it, thats its meaning.

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DrWatson · 70-79, M

The dictionary is filled with English words whose origins are foreign words with very specific meanings, but the meaning of the English word has changed. That is the nature of language.

pianoplayingsteve · 31-35, M

@DrWatson but it isn’t an English world. It’s a German word that still means ‘guide/leader’ hence ‘bergsfuhrer’ and ‘oppositionsfuhrer’

DrWatson · 70-79, M

@pianoplayingsteve Yes, the German word has that meaning. But unless you type it in italics when you type in English, you are accepting it as "an English word of foreign origin", like concerto or rendezvous. And the English word does not mean "guide."

pianoplayingsteve · 31-35, M

@DrWatson according to google translate it does, which is hilarious because when I translate a certain Christian song into German it turns into someone adoring the fuhrer

DrWatson · 70-79, M

@pianoplayingsteve I think you misunderstood me.

I just went to google translate. Yes, if I type the word in under "German", I get a whole bunch of meanings in English, such as "guide". And words like "guide" in English might translate into German as fuhrer, like your Christmas song.

But that is not what I referred to in my response. I said that the word "fuhrer" as an English word (not a German word) has a narrower meaning.

pianoplayingsteve · 31-35, M

@DrWatson it isn’t as the actual spelling of fuhrer has an umlaut which is unique to German. Fuhrer (with the umlaut) is a German word and only a German word.