Kraut

Kraut

The German word Kraut when standing alone in English is used most frequently as an ethnic slur against German people. Kraut is also used as an abbreviation for the traditional German and central European food, sauerkraut.

Etymological foundations

In German, the term is rarely used alone. It is simply the German word for 'herb'. The term is more often used in compound nouns for herbs, and also for cabbage and cabbage products:

* "Rübenkraut" = thick sugar beet syrup
* "Bohnenkraut" = Savory
* "Unkraut" = Weed
* "Weißkraut" = white cabbage (also called "Weißkohl")
* "Blaukraut" or "Rotkraut" = red cabbage (also called "Rotkohl")
* "Sauerkraut" = fermented white cabbage

Use in slang

In former times, "Kraut" was used as a colloquial expression for tobacco, especially loose tobacco for pipes ("Pfeifenkraut"). Today it is sometimes used for marijuana.

Since World War II, "Kraut" has, in the English language, come to be used as a derogatory term for a German used mainly by U.S. and British soldiers fighting in Europe. This is probably based on Sauerkraut, which was very popular in German cuisine at that time. The stereotype of the sauerkraut-eating German dates back to long before this time though and can be seen, for example, in Jules Verne's depiction of the evil German industrialist Schultz, an avid sauerkraut eater, in "The Begum's Millions".

Ironically, the per capita consumption of "kraut" in the USA during World War II was significantly higher than in Germany [Says who?] . Now the average per capita consumption is twice as high as in the USA, [http://www.greatlakeskraut.com/about/ Great Lakes Kraut: All About Kraut] but still lower than in France. [ [http://www.rezensionen.ch/buchbesprechungen/deutsche_kultur_deutscher_alltag/389678546X.html Bei Hempels auf dem Sofa, Ira Spieker, Gudrun Schwibbe - rezensionen.ch ] ]

Use in music

Krautrock is a popularly accepted term for a form of highly experimental German post-Prog Rock of the late 1960s and 1970s. Krautrock was typified by acts such as Amon Düül, Kraftwerk, Neu!, Tangerine Dream, Faust, Can as well as many others.

Kraut (band) was the name of a New York punk rock band in the 1980s. Their song "All Twisted" was the first independent video to air on MTV.

"Magic Kraut" is the name of a song in the album Fresh by Teddybears.

"Krauts with Attitude" is the title of the record released in Germany in 1991 which is credited for playing a prominent role in establishing the German hip hop scene.

Other uses

Under the title "Krauts" J. Corinth described his experiences as a German prisoner of war in North Carolina and as immigrant to California (ISBN 3-935111-14-2).

"Krauts" is also an Irish language novel by Máirtín Ó Muilleoir about young Northern Irish students trying to find employment in Germany in the early eighties.

Krautgrrl and Krautboy are also the monikers of two technical book authors who own a company called Kraut Companies.

References

ee also

* Krautrock
* Pejorative terms for Germans
* List of ethnic slurs

External links


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Kraut — das; (e)s, Kräu·ter; 1 meist Pl; kleine Pflanzen, die hauptsächlich aus Blättern (und Stielen) bestehen und die man als Medizin oder Gewürz verwendet <Kräuter anbauen, sammeln, trocknen; Arznei, Medizin, Tee aus Kräutern; etwas mit Kräutern… …   Langenscheidt Großwörterbuch Deutsch als Fremdsprache

  • Kraut — Kraut: Der Ursprung des nur dt. und niederl. Wortes (mhd., ahd. krūt, asächs. krūd, niederl. kruid) ist unklar. Das Wort bezeichnete zunächst eine ‹kleinere› Blattpflanze, dann auch lediglich das Blattwerk einer Pflanze, beachte z. B. die… …   Das Herkunftswörterbuch

  • kraut — [kraut] n taboo [Date: 1900 2000; Origin: kraut sauerkraut (19 20 centuries), from German, vegetable, cabbage ; because Germans supposedly love to eat sauerkraut] a very offensive word for someone from Germany. Do not use this word …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Kraut — [ kraut ] noun count OFFENSIVE an insulting word for a German …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Kraut — (n.) a German (especially a German soldier), 1841, but popularized during World War I, from Ger. kraut cabbage, considered a characteristic national dish …   Etymology dictionary

  • kraut — kraut; sauer·kraut; …   English syllables

  • Kraut [1] — Kraut, 1) im weiteren Sinne, s. Kräuter; 2) im engeren Sinne Gemüse u. Futterpflanze (Brassica oleracea capitata), kommt in zwei Abarten vor, als Strunkkraut mit hohem Stengel, vielen Blättern u. keinem Kopf, u. als Kopfkraut mit kurzem Stengel u …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Kraut [2] — Kraut, Wilh. Theodor, geb. 1800 in Lüneburg; wurde 1828 Professor der Rechte in Göttingen; auch war er einige Zeit lang Mitglied der ersten Kammer der hannöverischen Ständeversammlung. Er schr.: De argentariis et nummulariis, Gött. 1826; De… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Kraut [1] — Kraut, ein Gewächs, dessen Stengel nicht verholzt, also »krautig« bleibt, im Gegensatz zu den Holzpflanzen mit ausdauernden, holzig werdenden Stengeln; in vielen Gegenden speziell soviel wie Kopf oder Weißkohl, s. Kohl. – Auch soviel wie Garnele …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Kraut [2] — Kraut (Apfelkraut, Birnkraut, Apfelbutter, Seim, Obsthonig, Obstgelee), ein aus Äpfeln und Birnen, zuerst am Niederrhein und in Westfalen bereitetes Präparat, das als angenehm säuerlich und erfrischend schmeckendes Nahrungs und Genußmittel für… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Kraut — (Herba), jedes Gewächs, dessen Stengel nicht verholzt und das in der Regel nur ein oder zweijährig ist; auch s.v.w. Kopfkohl, s. Brassica; ein bes. am Niederrhein und in Westfalen hergestelltes Obstgelee, der eingedickte Saft von Trauben, Birnen …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

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