This garment has qualities I admire, linguistic question

[Lucycat]

German Shepard dog.

As this is about linguistics please forgive me for correcting your spelling here.
In the UK we call this dog a German Shepherd ( Shepherd = Sheep-Herder).

I am not familiar with the word Shepard except as a last name.

 

[Freida]

As this is about linguistics please forgive me for correcting your spelling here.
In the UK we call this dog a German Shepherd ( Shepherd = Sheep-Herder).

I am not familiar with the word Shepard except as a last name.

I spell this wrong all the time!!! I'm loving the reminder that it is a sheep herder. Hopefully that will remind me on how it is supposed to be spelled. :)

 

[Never_falter2]

Thank you all very much for the discussion. So virtue and merit both = being good.
Is there a name for a positive quality which is not a virtue? For example if John is smart.

 

[Never_falter2]

As this is about linguistics please forgive me for correcting your spelling here.
In the UK we call this dog a German Shepherd ( Shepherd = Sheep-Herder).

I am not familiar with the word Shepard except as a last name.

Thanks for the explanation. We call it Schäferfund = the dog of the shepherd. I hope I spelled it right this time. Your explanation makes much sense. Do you call it dog too or do you see the dog as the shepherd?
We do not call it German by the way, just dog of the shepherd. There is a dog which we call Scottish shepherd dog, which is often used for herding purposes in Germany, but I think it is called Collie in English. Than there are also the Australian Shepherd - a new breed, from the US they say. No idea why it is called Australien Shepherd dog in Germany.
Which dog is called shepherd in your countries, is there one?

 

[blackemerald1]

In Australia... in conversation we would not add dog on to any specific breed when naming them...

So German Shepherd - would be just that... Eg., "I have lots of dogs but my best herder is a German Shepherd" or, "The German Shepherd stared intently at the bee."
Same goes for any other Shepherd dog... though when discussing the traits of any or all Shepherd dog's it would be correct to say 'Shepherd dog' as a class of dogs...say when identifying some type of idiosyncratic characteristic?
Eg. "All Shepherd dogs have dew claws"

No idea why it is called Australien Shepherd dog in Germany.

I think bc it has at least some of it's origins from Australia... I read about it somewhere. But it is very popular in the US.

Don't quote me on this but I think the idea of using German Shepherd, Australian Shepherd, Scottish Shepherd, Belgian Shepherd etc., simply relates to origins of the dog breed even when it has since long been bred in other countries. I

It's really used as a description of the dog or when the dogs breed needs to be distinguished Eg. Dog shows..

Is there a name for a positive quality which is not a virtue?

Yeah.. but isn't that when naming the quality would come into the conversation. Eg. "John is intelligent".. or more generally "John has many attributes one of them is intelligence".

For me... I'd only use words like: attribute, characteristic, gifts, skills, mannerisms - but rarely virtue.

It's an old word that at least to me, hangs in and around higher class good characteristic's like, patience, humour, honour etc., but I wouldn't use it for: speed-reading, fast reflexes or a nicely shaped eyebrows.. etc lol I think this grouping of things is called something but I don't know what. Sorry...

 

[Never_falter2]

I have two more questions:
*Are all drinks like wine, champagne, cognac, vodka and so on...are they all liquors? Are mixed drinks like vodka energy liquor too?
*How old is a person when you call them old (as opposed to middle aged or young)? Just wonder if there are cultural differences, because I learned that social class has a different meaning in the different countries and I learned that gender had a different meaning in the different countries in the past... so I guess that it must also be different when people say a person is old/young/middle aged.
In my country age (of course???) depends on a number of other factors, e.g. 36 year old John is an old rugby player (35 year being the official age when a rugby player is consider old), but he is a young college professor (because most professors are older). His wife of the same age (how do I say it in English, we say gleichaltrig: same-aged) Emma is an old first time mother but she is a young collector of fine dinnerware (a hobby associated with old ladies).

BTW can you say thinks like:
*John and everybody of the same age is an old rugby player
*John and most of the same blood have red hair
*John and all of the same school where given (gifted, what’s the difference?) an ugly mug from the school
and the one or do I say
*John and everybody who shares his age with him is an old rugby player
*John and most of his relatives who are a relative who share the blood with him have red hair
*John and everybody who attended the same school he did were given an ugly mug

I think you do not have words like gleichaltrig (same-aged), blutsverwandt (blood-kindred, same-blooded) and so on.
I know you have the word “brother in law“ can one say “John is my brother in law, but Jim is my blood relation“. Could you also call John your “brother in marriage“? I think I never heard it. We also have another word “Schwager“, do you have one like this, too? Is it still sayed that John is my good brother. According to my dictionary Schwager= good brother [archaic].

 

[Never_falter2]

Additional question, cannot edit anymore: is a “brother in blood“ known in the anglosphere like “Jim is John’s blood relation (???) but Cody is his brother is blood (a man he has sworn an oath of loyality to) and Liam is his brother from another mother (his brother from the military) while Noah is his half-brother from his father‘s line“. Can a half brother from the fathers line also be called “brother from another mother“?

 

[Freida]

I'm always amazed how complicated English is when I'm talking with a non-native speaker -- all the things I don't think about :laugh:

*Are all drinks like wine, champagne, cognac, vodka and so on...are they all liquors? Are mixed drinks like vodka energy liquor too?

sort of
They are all considered alcohol...
Wine and beer are usually referred to as just wine and beer - but you may hear people talking about the alcohol content -- because that can vary.
This beer has an alcohol content of 4.5 percent

*How old is a person when you call them old (

ohhhh ya. This one is really tricky because Americans hate to be called old. :laugh:
think more descriptive --- infant/baby, toddler, child, pre-teen, teen, young adult (18-30) adult (20 - 100), middle age (40s/50s) elderly/senior (over 65).
So my mom is 78 - adult, senior, elderly all apply.

His wife of the same age (how do I say it in English, we say gleichaltrig: same-aged) Emma is an old first time mother but she is a young collector of fine dinnerware (a hobby associated with old ladies).

He and his wife are the same age
this --- Emma is an old first time mother would be really insulting because, again, Americans have age issues
you could say
Emma is an older first time mom
Emma had her child when she was older
In one you are calling her old
In the other you are adding an adjective to describe a timeline
You will also hear
Emma had her first child when she was in her 40s

*John and everybody of the same age is an old rugby player
*John and most of the same blood have red hair
*John and all of the same school where given (gifted, what’s the difference?) an ugly mug from the school
and the one or do I say
*John and everybody who shares his age with him is an old rugby player
*John and most of his relatives who are a relative who share the blood with him have red hair
*John and everybody who attended the same school he did were given an ugly I mug

I would probably use more inclusive words that describe John and his groiupo
Probably..
Everyone at the school received a mug, including John
John and his fellow students are all rugby players
John's rugby team is made up of older players
John and most of his relatives are all red-heads

I know you have the word “brother in law“ can one say “John is my brother in law, but Jim is my blood relation

sort of. I would say this if I really needed to define the relationship. Families in America are very fluid so it can get really complicated
Paul is my brother-in-law (married to my sister or my husbands sister)
Allen is my brother (implies a blood relation)
Julie is my half-sister (we have one parent in common. Same with half-brother)
Sam is my step sister (daughter of the person married to my parent)
Sue is my step mom - (female married to my parent. Same with step dad)
If I needed to be really specific I would say
Julie and I are blood relations. Or, you may hear Julie is my real sister (implies we share a blood line)

Could you also call John your “brother in marriage“?

nope

s it still sayed that John is my good brother.

said not sayed :)
Nope - not sure what that would mean

Additional question, cannot edit anymore: is a “brother in blood“ known in the anglosphere like “Jim is John’s blood relation (???) but Cody is his brother is blood (a man he has sworn an oath of loyality to) and Liam is his brother from another mother (his brother from the military) while Noah is his half-brother from his father‘s line“.
Can a half brother from the fathers line also be called “brother from another mother“?

I wouldn't say brother in blood but sometimes kids will call themselves blood brothers. There's a whole ritual where they cut their fingers and hold them together.
The loyalty thing is not really done...
Law enforcement sometimes call themselves brothers in blue which refers to the uniform
Most commonly that refers to military personnel. We refer to ourselves as siblings (brother/sister) or battle buddies or just battles. It started as those who were in combat together but it has come to mean anyone who is supportive of another military person

Can a half brother from the fathers line also be called “brother from another mother“
This is a slang expression that can be family related or used to describe someone similar to you. You can also say Sister from another mister
I've said that to Luckilee about her J
Hows my brother from another mother doing?
It just means he and I have some kind of background similarity or we respond to things in the same way. I'd skip using either of those just because its a slang term and you would only use it in specific circumstances

Whew!
Next??

 

[Never_falter2]

Next? I am not safest as you are.
But could I come back to the liqueur please. This is a complicated one for me. There is a German word Likör, which means thinks like Jägermeister, Underberg, Valhalla, sallow thorn Likör, liquor from blackthorns like Höllberg, eggnog and so on. Likör ist pronounced like liquor. Wine, beer, vodka and so on would not be Likör.

Do you have a category of alcoholic drinks that includes Underberg, Jägermeister, Valhalla, Höllberg, eggnog... but does not include wine, beer, Champaign, vodka, grog and so on?

How is it by the way called if I add alcohol to my coffee... both a) generally, b) if I add eggnog, c) if I add red wine and vodka, d) if I add cognac?

How is it called if I add alcohol to my black tea? We call it Grog. Much to my surprise I found out that you call grog what we call Schnaps when I googled Schnaps a minute ago.

 

[Mach123]

Thank goodness someone is talking about this I've been dealing with functional illiterates for years most of them college grads and "teachers." The garment can't have human qualities so you can't admire it. (I don't think) I think it's anthropomorphism or personification. It's a very interesting question because it seems like it could do admirable things like keep me dry for instance. That's not admirable though it's functional? I like that it works well. I don't admire that it works well.

Anthropomorphism: the attribution of human characteristics or behavior to a god, animal, or object.

One of our favourite subjects is usage. English was my minor. I wish more English speakers were concerned with not being able to speak English. Thanks.

 

[Mach123]

I have two more questions:
*Are all drinks like wine, champagne, cognac, vodka and so on...are they all liquors? Are mixed drinks like vodka energy liquor too?
*How old is a person when you call them old (as opposed to middle aged or young)? Just wonder if there are cultural differences, because I learned that social class has a different meaning in the different countries and I learned that gender had a different meaning in the different countries in the past... so I guess that it must also be different when people say a person is old/young/middle aged.
In my country age (of course???) depends on a number of other factors, e.g. 36 year old John is an old rugby player (35 year being the official age when a rugby player is consider old), but he is a young college professor (because most professors are older). His wife of the same age (how do I say it in English, we say gleichaltrig: same-aged) Emma is an old first time mother but she is a young collector of fine dinnerware (a hobby associated with old ladies).

BTW can you say thinks like:
*John and everybody of the same age is an old rugby player
*John and most of the same blood have red hair
*John and all of the same school where given (gifted, what’s the difference?) an ugly mug from the school
and the one or do I say
*John and everybody who shares his age with him is an old rugby player
*John and most of his relatives who are a relative who share the blood with him have red hair
*John and everybody who attended the same school he did were given an ugly mug

I think you do not have words like gleichaltrig (same-aged), blutsverwandt (blood-kindred, same-blooded) and so on.
I know you have the word “brother in law“ can one say “John is my brother in law, but Jim is my blood relation“. Could you also call John your “brother in marriage“? I think I never heard it. We also have another word “Schwager“, do you have one like this, too? Is it still sayed that John is my good brother. According to my dictionary Schwager= good brother [archaic].

Johns my brother by marriage I think is better. John is my good brother implies you have a bad brother also. Liquor is distilled spirits. Beer and wine are not liquor. They are alcoholic beverages though.

 

[barefoot]

Gosh...so many questions!

I agree with @Freida that - here in the U.K., at least - it would be considered rude to refer to people as being old eg John is an old rugby player. I guess if I was just talking to someone about John the rugby player and my relationship with the person I was speaking to was that I could be relaxed and make the comment and have them know what I meant and that I wasn’t being rude...I would say something like “John is quite old now to be playing rugby, isn’t he?” - meaning most people his age have retired from playing. But I would only say that to someone who I know would get it and know I wasn’t being insulting. Saying “John is an old rugby player” sounds unnecessarily harsh! It just isn’t really the done thing to refer to someone as being old. Even in the context of old to be doing something (eg playing rugby, having a child)

I think even saying things to soften the age comments eg in @Freida’s good examples about women who have their children later...I think in a lot of instances I would still wonder why someone was mentioning someone’s age at all. Because, by bringing someone’s age into it in any way, there’s perhaps a bit of judgement implied. Because, what does it matter really how old a woman was when she had children? So, yes, there are much better things to say rather than “Emma is an old mum.” That would come off as very impolite. But in most cases I would still wonder why someone was feeling the need to mention her age at all.

In terms of alcohol...

Here in the U.K., the general terms alcohol and booze (a slang word) cover everything alcoholic. I think grog is a generic slang term for alcohol too but it’s not used here that often.

We don’t tend to say liquor here...I think that’s more American?

We mainly divide alcoholic drinks into beer, wine and spirits.

The other word you may be thinking of is liqueur. It’s an alcoholic drink flavoured with something like fruit or herbs, like a banana liqueur or a coffee liqueur...things like cointreau, limoncello and Tia Maria. They are often added to other drinks eg spirits/cocktails. And you can also get liqueurs in chocolates!

I guess Jagermeister is a herb liqueur...though I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone refer to it as a particular category of alcohol...people here would just refer to it as Jagermeister or refer more generically to getting a shot, without specifying which particular drink you’re getting a shot of.

I haven’t heard of the other drinks you mentioned along with Jagermeister apart from eggnog... I think Advocaat is along similar ones to eggnog but may be wrong. I’d say Advokaat is a liqueur.

In terms of coffee, an Irish Coffee is probably the most common here, which is whiskey in coffee. I’m not sure about anything else. I’ve never heard of adding red wine and vodka to coffee!