[lit-ideas] Re: Quick German Question (Vermutlich und Wahrscheinlich)
- From: "Peter D. Junger" <junger@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 18 Dec 2004 14:14:18 -0500
"Richard Henninge" writes:
:
: The examples in the Wahrig (a German dictionary) for "vermutlich" are:
:
: Er kommt vermutlich nicht mehr: He's probably not coming. I
: daresay he won't be coming. Presumably, he's not going to come.
:
: Vermutlich ist er es gewesen: He was probably the one. Then it
: was probably him.
:
: The examples for "wahrscheinlich" are:
:
: Er ist wahrschienlich schon fort: He's probably already gone.
: He's probably already left.
: Der wahrscheinliche T=E4ter: the person who probably committed the
: crime (this is another clue: the prosecution would say "der
: wahrscheinliche T=E4ter," but the defense would insist on "vermutlich" =
: or
: an even less certain identification, the suspected criminal, not the
: probable criminal)
: Das ist m=F6glich aber nicht wahrscheinlich: That's possible but
: not likely.
: Es ist sehr wahrscheinlich, dass...: It is very likely that...;
: the chances are good that...
:
: The Wahrig gives a clue by noting that "wahrscheinlich" is a loan
: translation of the Latin *verisimilis*, the French *vraisemblable*, to
: mean something that is "wahr + =E4hnlich scheinend" (true + similarly
: appearing). In the definitions of both words the expression "es ist
: anzunehmen, dass...," or "it is to be assumed that...."
:
: Another clue, added to this, is Robert's Leo tip on the British
: "daresay" for vermutlich, but not for wahrscheinlich. The Brit is more
: skeptical of probabilities, or at least is more inclined to temper the
: overly quick assumption based on appearances with a pinch of the salt of
: doubt. That's what makes his humour so dry.
:
: Two Brits looking out over the Channel three years after Erin first
: asked for help on two German words: "I daresay we shan't be hearing from
: Mainz on vermutlich and wahrscheinlich...."
A Google search led me to the conclusion---if my almost non-existent
Spanish is correct---that "Wahrscheinlich" means "presumably" whereas
"Vermutlich" means "probably."
See <URL:
http://www.curso-de-aleman.de/grammatik/kapitel_24/24_4_3_2_4_adverbios_con_verbo_vermutlich_wahrscheinlich.htm>
--
Peter D. Junger--Case Western Reserve University Law School--Cleveland, OH
EMAIL: junger@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx URL: http://samsara.law.cwru.edu
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