... Come again?

[ladybug_archive]

From Dictionary.com:

Fräu·lein Audio pronunciation of "Fraulein" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (froiln, frou-)
n. pl. Fräulein Abbr. Frl.

1. Used as a courtesy title in a German-speaking area before the name of an unmarried woman or girl.
2. fräulein Used as a form of polite address for a girl or young woman in a German-speaking area.

I am rather confused. XD; For all of my life I have been taught that the word "Fraulein" is German for "Miss" or "Young lady," as seen above. That's how I've always used it and seen it used. However, now I am informed that something called Babelfish says its literal translation is "woman flax." O__o WTH? How does that gibe with everything else? I checked the dictionaries. I looked in the German phrase book and in the Learn to Speak German book. I doublechecked Heidi and saw the character known as Fraulein Rottlemeier or whatever her name is. And . . . it seems like everything agrees with me, except Babelfish.

It does concern me, though, because whenever I use Siegfried in a role-play, he is bound to address the young unmarried females as "Fraulein." He uses it as a title, the way I was always taught it meant. But if some think it is some sort of derogatory term for women, or even just the general word "woman," then that could put Siegfried in a bad light that I never intended. I always thought that certain characters got mad at him for calling them Fraulein just because they didn't like titles, and that seemed like overreacting to me and I was always puzzled. If they thought he was being derogatory, though, then I could understand why they'd get mad. But Siegfried originally called them that as merely a title of respect, and when he found out they didn't like it (and also that he and they didn't get along well), he used it all the more, to tease them. XD He had no derogatory motives.

Actually, Siegfried has two reasons for calling these particular females "Fraulein" plus their given names. One reason is, as I said, because he's teasing them. The second reason is because he does not feel close enough to them to just call them by their given names. Using "Fraulein" is a way of keeping them at arm's length. Not that they would try to become friends with him: they wouldn't, since they don't like him. But nevertheless, those are his reasons. XD

On a related subject, I think Siegfried probably actually has a lot of respect for women and doesn't consider them inferior or such. Otherwise, why would his entire deck be based on female warriors?

And LATT is DONE! I'm so proud. It really turned out great. I gave it a different, twist ending that I don't generally use. There are some big loose ends left open so that they can get resolved in the next fic. And there's not a completely happy ending. Most of the cast actually feels confused and saddened by the end results of what happened. It's a different approach, and I like the affect.

EDIT: Almost forgot. Comment on this entry and I'll tell you of at least five anime characters you remind me of! And maybe even a song. =P Then post this in your own LJ so that your other friends can do the same.

Comments

[kit-black.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... That's sort of weird. I mean, I don't know anything about German, but I'd go with whatever most sources say it means. It'd be going by the majority. I think (I'm not sure, though) that 'Frau' is used as a respectful term when addressing a woman that is or has been married, so 'Fraulein' would make sense as being the proper way of addressing a young woman that hasn't. Maybe Babelfish is just weird. That, or it is the literal translation, but no one gives a flying fig and uses it as a term of respect anyway. Or, maybe it became a respectful term over the course of time. That happens.

Congratulations on completing LATT! Now if only I can remember to go read it! Still, now that it's done, I'll be able to read it all at once instead of waiting for the updates. I hate to wait, especially when the last chapter was so good and I end up sitting on pins and needles waiting for the next one.

[deathdesu.livejournal.com]

I took one German class before I dropped out (since German was going to be my backup if I didn't get into college Japanese) and they taught us that the formal way to address a woman is "Frau." I don't know what "Fraulein" implies, but I'm not sure it's a polite form. The polite way to address someone would be "Frau" and then their last name. I could ask some of my European friends what Fraulein means, if you like. O_o

And, for the meme - Des. XD

[sksetokaiba.livejournal.com]

XD;;; Whoops, did that backwards. Oh well. *comments* LOL Now you know who I'll say for you if you comment on mine!

[hatori-sama.livejournal.com]

The German for miss is actually 'Frau'. XD I know because I took it for a while last year and had it forced before that for two years.

You weren't that far off, though. XP

[nezure.livejournal.com]

That site has been known for being unreliable, and if all your other sources points to it meaning as you thought it did, the most likely conclusion is that those sources and what you thought WAS right. XD

I love LATT! Hopefully I'll manage to get around to reviewing sometime soon... Would do it now, but 8 hours on a bus and 5 hours walking has left me begging for sleep.

I'll put this meme on mine in the morning, hopefully. >3

[amanechan.livejournal.com]

I think you're probably fine. Now, I'm not familiar with the German language at all, so don't take my word for it, but I am familiar with Babelfish, and it is pretty stupid. It transliterates things - I remember in Spanish a couple years back, some kids cheated on their vocab assignment and plugged it all into Babelfish. When they got to "fuegos artificiales", which means "fireworks", Babelfish gave them "artificial fires". xD

...And you could always ask Darcy. XP

I WILL get to LATT, darnit! *shakes fist at big long math assignment of DOOOOM*

Interesting meme. *strokes chin* What anime characters am I like? (I shall have to gank the meme. ^.^)

[yamsteapot.livejournal.com]

Congrats at the end of the story! Must put it on my To Read list . . . **watches the list grow and grow and then cries then gets wiped out when the list of Things to Finish Writing crushes her** Oro l . .

Commentario~~~!

[ladyofthethread.livejournal.com]

I'd say you're probably right about what "fraulein" means. I've tried plugging things into Babelfish before like Japanese YGO episode previews and it often comes out like gibberish.

Hmm... As for characters getting mad at being called that, maybe they thought Siegfried was being condescending? I don't think people would normally get mad just for being addressed by a title, even in their not used to it.

[dai-atlas.livejournal.com]

*post!*

Oh, and I second what everybody else about Babelfish. Ya can't trust it. I use it as an Engrish generator. :p