Yoon Ha wrote:
> On Sat, 17 Mar 2001, Andreas Johansson wrote:
>
> > >Aidan Grey <frterminus@...> writes:
> > > > > > ie, man is crazy ;)
> > > > > It's also Italian for kisses _baci_ isn't it?
> > >
> > >And German `Tschüß' (Bye, bye) sounds like `qu si': go die!
> > >Speakers of Mandarin must think Germans have strange habits.
> >
> >
> > Isn't _tschüss_ the proper spelling nowadays? According the the new
spelling
> > conventions "ß" is only to be used after long vowels and diphthongs,
IIRC.
>
> I heard that too, though since I taught myself from a 1960's grammar
> before taking a German class I learned all the *old* spellings.
> <grumble> And Cornell profs don't seem to take off for the old spellings
> (in the first 2 semesters, anyway). But I wonder--did other
> German-speaking nations like Austria and Switzerland also do the same
> thing, or is it just a Germany thing?
>
AFAIK, Switzerland has been the first nation to abolish the 'es zet' (ß).
On the other hand, I seem to recall there was a German Land which didn't
accept it (Niedersachsen?)... but I may be wrong...
Luca