Lerge
The term lerge comes from Lower Silesia and has been lexically traceable since the 19th century. According to the writer Karl von Holtei and the linguist Karl Weinhold , "Lerge" originally used the basic meaning of "bad, faulty" to denote a "skinny bad horse" or a "skinny dog". In a figurative sense, it meant a “humble woman”. The word “Lerge” was considered “gross”, but not vulgar.
Later the meaning of the term expanded. "Lerge" was used both as an insult and as an endearing word, for example "du timplige lerge" ("you stupid person") or "you crazy lerge". After all, the word was considered a nickname for the residents of Wroclaw .
“O lerge!” Was a general exclamation of astonishment, as well as “ach du Lerge” (“oh my goodness”) or “Lerge box”. The word was popularly declared as an acronym for “Dear Only Lovely Golden Angel”.
The author Magdalena Maria Hönisch-Tunk describes this variety of meanings in 2007 as follows:
When we kids said 'lerge', most of us got a few behind the spoons. Even we street kids weren't even allowed to throw 'You stupid lerge' at a friend's head in anger.
It is neither brown nor smells bad. So much nicer than what is on everyone's lips today. Well, what was Lerge saying? She could be sweet and mean!
For example:
A little baby in a stroller: 'Oh, that's a cute little bitch!'
Proud dad: 'Well, look at the little guy!'
The boy who raves about his girl: 'That might be a lover for you, Lotschke Fisch! - You raise it. '
The woman who waits in vain for her husband: 'The old lerge is sure to be back in the pub and getting drunk!'
The arguers: 'Man Lerge, I'll hit you in the flap that the red soup will run after you!'
Individual evidence
- ^ Karl von Holtei: Schlesische Gedichte. Haude and Spener, Berlin 1830; Trewendt, Breslau 1878, p. 151; Karl Weinhold: Contributions to a Silesian dictionary. Vienna 1855, p. 53; s. a. Ignaz Petters: Hints on the collection of material in the German dialects of Bohemia. Prague 1864, p. 6.
- ↑ a b c Günter Simon (letter to the editor). In: Schlesische Nachrichten 11/2006, p. 5.
- ↑ Horst Hecht: The way. Wroclaw-Nuremberg. Norderstedt 2003, p. 18.
- ^ A b Rudolf Großpietsch: Parkstrasse 15. The history of a bourgeois family from Breslau from 1700 to 1945. Norderstedt 2007, p. 168.
- ↑ Hans-Peter Brachmanski: The Breslau Lerge - a forgotten Silesian term? ( Memento of the original from April 2, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 367 kB). In: Schlesische Nachrichten 7/2006, p. 6.
- ↑ Quotation with the kind permission of the author after Lerge, Lerge That was a time! - The Wroclaw Lerge ( Memento from August 4, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )
