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- "Das Schloss"
36 Comments
I thought it was spelled Schloß, but after looking it up it seems that I learned an old spelling rather than modern?
A lot of the 'ß's were changed to 'ss' in the German spelling reform of 1996 (in this case because it is a short vowel sound, which is now rarely followed by an ß). The reform also led to wonderful new spellings such as Flussschifffahrt (previously Flußschiffahrt)!
River navigation/river traffic. Better not forget it in case it crops up in conversation...
Something being irrelevant has seldom stopped me mentioning it in the past. I'm learning German and don't know any native speakers - how's that for relevant? chuckle :)
Don't worry about it too much. A lot of (if not most) Germans still use old spelling with ß
Nobody who went to school after 1996. By now the old spelling looks quite antiquated.
-edited ;) -
As I understand it, Schloss and Burg are both translated to "castle" in English, but Schloss is more like palace, or royal residence, and Burg is more like a fortified castle, designed to be defended by the military... a stronghold.
Here's a link with info. http://www.german-way.com/travel-and-tourism/germany-for-tourists/castles-and-palaces/
It's the same word for both "castle" and "lock". The article is also "das" for both. The context should clarify what you mean.
For any Dutch learners out there, the same applies to that language as well.
To erebus53 You should use the ss because B is used after a long vowel soun From okplo
Context.
How do you know in English whether "lock" is something on a door, or a kind of lift for ships to go up and down?
Usually, only one of them makes sense -- you don't usually have ship lifts in your front door, for example, nor do you have castles there.
Padlock? Do you mean lock ? Cause I saw your Question and tried Pad lock, I'm pretty sure lock would work.
When I spell it "Schloß" it's
accepted. I remember back
in school it was supposed to
be spelled that way too.
Why isn't it spelled with the
ess-set? בְּסדִ
Why isn't it spelled with the ess-set?
Because the vowel is short.
The spelling reform of 1996 changed how ß is used -- no longer is it used at the end of any syllable, but only after a long vowel or a diphthong.
Thus Schloß turned into Schloss, while Floß stayed Floß (but the verb form es floß became es floss).
I still use the long s in written English followed by a short s when there is a double ss. Probably owing to all the ancient books upon which I was brought up!
