'property' is the most beautiful word.

[Deja Q]

Well, in Germany anyway.

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1150931.html?menu=

Habseligkeiten - which means 'property' - has been voted the most beautiful word in the German language.


And rhabarbermarmelade - 'rhubarb jam' - has been singled out as Germany's coolest word.


Germany's Goethe Institute and the German Language Council, which are the guardians of the language, organised the contest to highlight beautiful German words.

More at link...

[Kellanved]

1. The translation is lacking

I don't agree with the decision, but "Property" isn't even close.

"Belongings" is somewhat closer, but even that doesn't mean the same. It is difficult to describe, but "Habseligkeiten" implies that there is only a modest amount of belongings. Literally translated it means "hold blesseds".

It is really tricky, there are words in English and German looking similar, but meaning the contrary of each other. For instance being "Selbstbewusst", literally translated "self conscious", is a very good thing in German.

Or "evening" and "abend"/ "Nacht" and "night". Every dictionary will tell you that they mean the same thing; bugger is: they don't. The German "Abend" is the social part of the late afternoon and the night. I.e. anything social happens during the "Abend", even if it's at 3AM; "Nacht" implies sleeping. (even professional translators tend to stumble over this one; I can't stand the American Kafka translations for this particular error)