When Ulrike talked about her book and the title, she didn't bother with a long lesson on German language, she just told us what she was thinking when she came up with the title... While my memory may have mixed up what each word literally means, her notions were snowflakes and the changing nature of driving snow/snowdrifts... Somehow, I think her spoken English thoughts about the title are good enough for me. Besides, I expect that even the Germans allow for artistic license.
Clay -- Clay Blackwell Lynchburg, VA ---- Tamara P Duvall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: ============= On Mar 20, 2006, at 18:08, [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Clay) wrote: > Schneeverweht means snowflake - no argument about that. Erm... There is, actually <g> Schneeverveht means "snowbound" (from "Schnee" - snow and "verwehen" - "to cover up (something)" or "to blow over (something)"); "snowflake" is Schneeflocke. German has that peculiar habit of stringing independent words together to form a totally new one. English does it sometimes too, but nowhere nearly as much... I vaguely remember encountering _one word_ which took more than a line, and meant something like "the field first-aid station for wounded and dead soldiers" (in Remarque's "All's Silent on the Western Front"). Blew my mind away <g> > But she described durchgedreht as snowdrifts/blowing snow, Except that it has to be a verb, I think; a past participle of "drehen" (to turn, to roll). With the "durch" (through) indicating just how thorough the process had been. Her titles are as difficult to translate - properly - into English as poetry is, which is probably the reason they never are, even if the rest of the text is. - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
