Wild Things In the German Language

This is a book for people interested in German, either because they speak it or because they are learning it and want to increase their vocabulary. Each word I introduce is accompanied by a drawing, which, I hope, will make learning fun.


I focus on compound nouns that attach a certain feeling, character trait, attitude, or habit to an animal (or, in a few cases, a plant). An example is “Dreckspatz”, which combines “Dreck” (dirt) and “Spatz” (sparrow) to refer to a person, especially a child, who is prone to get dirty, for example, by playing in the mud, and shows little interest in cleanliness. 


The challenge was to depict these “creatures” in a way that makes the connection to an existing animal or plant clear, but imbues them at the same time with the characteristics a particular word refers to. I've reached my goal if I make readers smile or, for students of German, lighten the essentially arduous task of memorizing words in that language.


In studying the words illustrated here, readers will not only learn these words as they stand, but also the components out of which they are composed. Additional words are introduced in the explanations I have provided for each entry. After going through the book, readers will be able to impress native German speakers, who will not expect foreigners to know the words illustrated in this book.