Der Dativ ist dem Genitiv sein Tod

The Zwiebelfisch is a column of the author Bastian Sick, which also appears in the monthly cultural supplement of the printed Spiegel magazine since May 2003 at Spiegel Online and since February 2005.

Development of the column

The column originated from Sicks activity as documentary and proofreader in the editorial of the mirror line, during which he wrote memos to error sources to the editors. The name of the column refers to the term " onion fish " from the printer language that identifies individual placed in the wrong font type letters in a text.

The Zwiebelfisch initially consisted only of the actual column, but soon reached a relatively huge popularity among many readers. So came the time other sections added: The Onion Fish Abc with short explanations of terms, readers' letters, among other issues on the Zwiebelfisch and Zwiebelfischchen. These represent an annotated collection of photos and documents on language curiosities of everyday life that are regularly contributed by readers of the onion fish.

The dative is the genitive his death

The dative is the genitive his death is the title of a five-part book series by Bastian Sick, which originated from the collection of Zwiebelfisch columns. In an entertaining manner of doubt of grammar, spelling and punctuation as well as unsightly and awkward expressions of the German language are discussed. This gives the author of thoughtlessness and the decay of language seeks to oppose. It's also published a PC game to the book.

The volumes led at times to the book sales lists. From the first volume of The dative genitive is his death were sold more than two million copies within two years.

In some states, items from the books are officially used as teaching material. In Saarland, was the foreword Sick of August 2005 According to The dative is added to the genitive his death in the canon of mandatory books for the high school. The second state of Lower Saxony followed in 2010.

Reception

Depending on the view, the column is referred to as language or as a language- critical nursing. Sick's books and columns on the one hand perceived as entertaining and instructive, on the other hand they are criticized and rejected by linguists such as Peter Eisenberg, Theodor Ickler, Anatol Stefanowitsch, André Meinunger and Jan Georg Schneider. Schneider complains that " the columns written mostly in a flippant, humorous style -intentioned " were, " but which does not conceal the ever schoolmasterish undertones " could. After Vilmos Ágel and Manfred Kaluza Sicks columns were not suitable for use in schools, because they contained factual errors (eg grammatical distinctions ignored ), often only irrelevant quibbles would have to object and only insufficient evidence had been given. According Ágel Sick does not have the specialized academic expertise that would authorize him to appoint other grammatical advice and solutions in the field of German grammar.

The main criticism is perceived as dogmatic and normative approach to language Sicks and the associated strict division into "right" and "wrong." According to Schneider, for example, the assertion Sicks that the word not an adjective, but an adverb is gradual, not the language change process needs. Sick neglecting diaphasic variation of language, the fact that speakers do not always use the same kind of language, but this also depends on the communication situation. So he saw in peculiarities of colloquial language a threat to the structures of the standard written language.

Furthermore Sick underwent according to critics etymological and philosophical fallacies, in particular he mixed diachronic and synchronic aspects of the language, which is making for example, in his treatment of the concept of meaning to see.

Moreover, it is attested by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that he was " in other people's mistakes, clichés and false foreign words " verbeiße, " a pedant and alls ," but " seems to be the problem " have, " not it better myself " to.

Also criticism is that Sick insert my exaggeration as a stylistic device to illustrate and thus the image of the voice -distorting reality. In addition, Sick support his arguments - especially against literally translated English terms - often only to be feeling for language; However deliver the mere reference to a language change phenomenon not a sufficient reason for criticism of the same.

The linguist Karsten Rinas attested Sick various factual errors and sloppy reasoning, but at the same time he opposed by many of his colleagues (eg, by André Meinunger and Stephan Elspass ) propagated principled rejection of language maintenance and language criticism. Rinas argues instead for the concerns of language cultivation contrary to accommodate more understanding and to appreciate (to which, for example, Dieter E. Zimmer part ) by linguistic side differentiates the arguments of its temperate representatives.