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Thank you for your blog-entry The German culture of cleanliness: Putzfimmel and Kehrwoche.As a translator & proofreader you might be interested in a curious word “Sprechhaus” in your blog, which I found in my research for German expressions.Strictly spoken the word “Sprechhaus” has not been explained as a very ancient expression dated 1492 and the explanation WC suggests it might refer to a water closet.The referred municipal order originated in Schwaben (Swabia) in 1492, as part of the Stuttgart municipal law, in which the word Sprechhaus does not really translate to restroom (WC). In fact it turns out to be a euphemistic and ironic expression which has been found in a medieval Strasbourg dialect, in which the restrooms had been named “parliament”, “town hall” or “speakers house”.
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Note to the The German culture of cleanliness: Putzfimmel and Kehrwoche Posted on 06. Jul, 2014 by Constanze in Culture, Language, Traditions
jwr47
Dear Constance,
Thank you for your blog-entry The German culture of cleanliness: Putzfimmel and Kehrwoche.
As a translator & proofreader you might be interested in a curious word “Sprechhaus” in your blog,which I found in my research for German expressions.
Strictly spoken the word “Sprechhaus” has not been explained as a very ancient expression dated1492 and the explanation WC suggests it might refer to a water closet:
“Damit die Stadt rein erhalten wird, soll jeder seinen Mist alle Wochen hinausführen,(…) jeder seinen Winkel alle vierzehn Tage, doch nur bei Nacht, sauber ausräumenlassen und an der Straße nie einen anlegen. Wer kein eigenes Sprechhaus (WC) hat,muss den Unrath jede Nacht an den Bach tragen”.
(“To ensure that the city stays clean, everyone should remove their dirt (…) from theirown street corner every 14 days, although only at night. Those who do not have arestroom (WC), must bring their waste to the stream.”)
The referred municipal order originated in Schwaben (Swabia) in 1492, as part of the Stuttgartmunicipal law, in which the word Sprechhaus does not really translate to restroom (WC).
In fact it turns out to be a euphemistic and ironic expression which has been found in a medievalStrasbourg dialect, in which the restrooms had been named “parliament”, “town hall” or “speakershouse”.
The German source (dated 1873) for this derivation has been documented as follows:
^^) Kättel braucht von der Barbara Schneider den höchst verächtlichen ausdruck diewieschd geläjeheit (die wüste oder hässliche gelegenheit), für dessen erklärung ich mirhier, von den sittigen leserinnen, mit der erlaubniss zugleich auch die entschuldigungdafür, ausbitte. — Gelajeheit ist die dorisch bäurische form für das feinere, städtischegelajeheit. Gelegenheit (günstiger, bequemer ort, veranlassung) bezeichnete auchallgemein den ort (lat. locus) zum abtreten, den abort, den abtritt, oder das, was man, immittelalterlichen Strassburg, euphemistisch, ironisch das spröchhüs (sprechhaus,rathhaus, Parlament) nannte. Später nahm man wahrscheinlich auch öfters den ausdruckgelegenheit im sinn von veranlassung oder bequeralichkeit zum abtreten (fr.commodite).1
1 Strassburger Volksgespräche in ihrer Mundart (1873)
