Re: CHAT: opposite of "verneinen"

Henrik Theiling scripsit:

> So when John wanted to refer to people who are always nice to teachers
> and make all their homework and maybe more,
In fact I was using "Geek" as a relatively neutral word referring to a
member of my profession (computer programming).  Originally "geek" was
circus slang for a performer who did outrageous or unacceptable things
(biting the heads off live chickens, e.g.).  Later it became part of
a family of derogatory words for over-enthusiastic students, a family
including "nerd", "dweeb", and "dork".

Some, but not all, of these terms were later transferred to computer
hackers.  "Geek" in particular has been consciously reclaimed from its
negative loading, similarly to the use of "queer" by people with minority
sexual interests.

It seems from what you say that "Geek" (pronounced "Giek", I suppose,
as in English?) has been borrowed in this more recent sense, and is as
such appropriate to me.

> which is what I think he wanted to say when saying they 'bejahen'
> everything
Is there any obvious reason why it's "bejahen" but "verneinen"?  I had
never heard the former verb, and coined "verjahen" by analogy.

> then the German word would be more appropriate.
Indeed.  But no, I was referring to myself only, and not as a scholastic
nerd (though I was that, too, like many geeks).

Above all, of course, "Geek" alliterates with, and has the rhythm of,
"Geist", and I wished to allude to Goethe's Mephistopheles.

--
The man that wanders far                        jcowan@reutershealth.com
from the walking tree                           http://www.reutershealth.com
        --first line of a non-existent poem by:         John Cowan

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