A Glossary of German Technical Terms page - 1

In 1966 the problem of deciphering a data sheet or diagram printed in the German language was
common in Australia where a considerable proportion of professional electronic equipment sold
originated in Europe. The following is a list of some common expressions found in diagrams and
literature. Also we had quite an influx of migrants from Europe man of who brought domestic
radio equipment with them. !uch of this has since found it"s wa into the collections of radio
collectors. #adio and $obbies maga%ine came to our rescue in 1966 and this list is based on that.
German English
Abschirmung shield
Abschluss termination
Abschlu termination
Abachwacher attenuator
Abtasten Record
Analisieren Analyser
Anordnung arrangement
Anzeiger Indicator
Aufnahme recording
Ausgang output
Ausgangsleistung Output power
Ausgangsstufe Output stage
Ausgleichen equaliser
Ausgleichsimpuls Equalising pulse
Austastpegel Blanking leel
Austasimpuls Blanking pulse
Basis base
Basisstron Base current
Basisspannung Base oltage
Begrenzer !imiter stage
Bezeichnung "itle# identification#
description
Bildrohre $icture tube
Breite width
Bruche Bridge
Brumm %um
Buchse &ocket
'ampfung 'amping
'ampfungsfaktor 'amping factor
'rossel (hoke# coil
'urchschaltung Interconnection
'urchschalten Interconnect
Einstellen# einstellt Operate# operates
German English
Einheit )nit
Eingang Input
Empfanger Receier
Empfindlichkeit &ensitiity
Erde Earth
Ersatz Alternatie
*arbe (olour
*assung &ocket
*eder &pring
*einsicherung !ow current fuse
Refnsehempfanger "eleision receier
*remd E+ternal
*lach *lat
*ormung &haper
,ebrauchsanweisung Operating manual#
instructions
,ehause (ase# housing
,ehause-erde (hassis earth
,enauigkeit Accuracy
,erausch .oise
,estell *rame
,estell-erde *rame earth
,leichrichter Rectifier# detector
%albleiter &emiconductor
%all Echo
%alter (lamp
%alten# haltet %olds# clamps
%eissleiter# %eileiter "hermistor
%eizfaden *ilament
%eizleistung %eater power
%ersteller /anufacturer
%ochfrequenz %igh frequency
German English
%ochfrequenz-
lautsprecher
"weeter
%ochleistung %igh power
%ochspannung %igh tension
Impulsbildung $ulse generator
Impulsgeber $ulse stage
Innerlich Internal
Isolierte Insulated
0anal (hannel
0apazitat (apacity
0lein &mall# miniature
0ollektorstrom (ollector current
0ondensator (apacitor
A Glossary of German Technical Terms page - 2
0opfhorer %eadphones
0uhlung (ooling
0urzschluss &hort circuit# closed
circuit
!aden# !adet (harge# (harges
!adungsgerat Battery charger
!angspielschallplatte !ong-playing record
!autsprecher !oudspeaker
!eistung $ower# power unit
!eistungsfaktor $ower factor
!eistungserstarker $ower amplifier
!eitungserstaker !ine amplifier
!inks# lenke !eft
/essen# messt /easure# measures
1,emessen2 1/easured2
/eschaltung "est point
/ischen# mischt /i+# mi+es
1,emischt2 1/i+ed2
/utter .ut
/uttergenerator /aster generator
.achbildung 'ummy
.etz /ains
.etzerzweigung .etwork
.etzergleich /ains comparator
.iederfrequenz !ow frequency
.orm &tandard
$atrone $ickup cartridge
$egel !eel
$hasendiskriminator $hase discriminator
$unkt $oint
Rechts# rechte Right# to the right
Regein# regelt Ad3ust# ad3usts
1,eregelt2 1Ad3usted2
Regler Regulator
Rille ,rooe
Rohr 4ale or tube
German English
Rohrenstift 4ale pin
Ruckkupplung *eedback
&chall &ound
&challplatte Record
&challplattenspeiler Record player
&challplattenwechsler Record changer
&chalter &witch
&chema &chematic
&cheibe 5asher# disk
&chraube &crew
&chraubenzieher &crewdrier
&ender "ransmitter
&icherung *use
&tabil6 .etzteil &tabilised power
supply
&tarthilfe Au+iliary start
&tecker $lug
&teurquartz (rystal control
&teuerschalter /aster switch
&teuersender /aster oscillator
&tift $in
&tufenschalter &tep switch
"aststufe 0eying stage
"eilen# teilt 'iide# diides
"eiler &plitter# diider
"ieftonlautsprecher 5oofer
"onarm $ickup arm
"onfrequencz Audio frequency
"rager (arrier
)bertrager "ransformer
4erdrahtungsplan 5iring diagram
4erhalten Behaiour
4erstarker Amplifier
4erzerrung 'istortion
4erzogerung 'elay
4orerstarker $re-amplifier
5iedergabe Replay# playback
5iderstand Resistor# resistance
7ahler (ounter
7eitbasis "ime base
7erhacker 4ibrator
7ubehorteile Accessories
Colours
&chwarz Black
Braun Brown
Rot Red
Orange Orange
,elb 8ellow
,run ,reen
German English
Blau Blue
4iolett 4iolet
,rau ,rey
5eiss or 5ei 5hite
Numerals
.ull 7ero
Ein One
7wei "wo
'rei "hree
4ier *our
*unf *ie
A Glossary of German Technical Terms page - 3
&echs &i+
&ieben &een
Acht Eight
.eun .ine
7ehn "en
%undert %undred
Notes: The word &the' has se(eral forms in
German) and ma be encountered in an of the
following forms* der) die) das. des den or dam. In
the same wa there are se(eral forms of the
indefinite article &a' which ma appear as ein)
eine) eins) einen or einem. The Gree+ letter beta is
used instead of &ss' where the two letters belong
to the same sllable as distinct from a mere
,uxtaposition of two sllables) of which the first
ends in &s' and the second begins with the same
letter.
All nouns) and other parts of speech used as
proper nouns) begin with a capital in German. The
tendenc for forming compound nouns should
also be noted. If the separate parts are +nown) it is
often possible to translate a compound
expression. -or example) $ochfrequen%.
lautsprecher is a compound made up of hoch
/high0 frequen%e /frequenc0 and lautsprecher
/loudspea+er0. Thus the term translates as high
frequenc loudspea+er or tweeter.
1ome words) particularl (erbs and ad,ecti(es)
ta+e different endings) according to the case and
gender in the case of ad,ecti(es and tense or
person in the case of (erbs. Thus the ad,ecti(e
&isollerte' /insulated0 ma appear as isollart)
isollerten) isollertes) isollertem) while the (erb
&fassen' can ta+e the following forms* fasse) fast
fasste) fasten.
!an words in German ha(e the 2mlaut o(er the
(owel. The 2mlaut consists of two dots o(er the
(owel) and is used to show a change of
pronunciation from the normal (owel sound.
3ecuse the 2mlaut is not pro(ided for in the tpe
used in English language publications) it has not
been used in the abo(e list.
Editor: 4h how publishing has changed o(er
fort fi(e ears. 5ith 5ord 6rocessors toda we
ha(e all foreign character sets at our disposal and
I hope to get time to add the 2mlaut /7 and 80 to
these translation soon. If ou are fluent in the
German language perhaps ou ma li+e to do it
for me. I can send ou the original 5ord file and
while ou are tping awa ou could also fix an
mista+es I ha(e made. It was (er hard to read the
original page from Electronics Australia) the
paper was poor qualit to start with and has
deteriorated badl with age.
To further ma+e the issue more difficult all
languages ha(e words added e(er ear and a lot
of technical worlds would ha(e been added to this
list since 1966. I can remember an interesting
episode when I was a oung trainee at
Telecommunications Australia /T9A) part of
6hilips0 in the late 196:;s. 5e were building a
custom radio controlled control sstem for a
remote water suppl and needed a Teleprinter for
the installation. 1iemens sent us a big box of parts
and a hand boo+ /Gebrauchsanweisung 0 in
German.
At first I thought this would not be a problem) we
had a oung graduate engineer who had migrated
to Australia as a teenager. $ow wrong I was) he
did his degree here at Adelaide 2ni(ersit and
understood (er little technical German.
1omehow we used the (arious diagrams and
pictures to assemble the thing and it wor+ed.