Having enjoyed your words of German origin I still have slight misgivings concerning "gegenschein" which I cannot find in any dictionary (Duden, Wahrig, Paul). No native speaker (of those who where not fast enough to avoid me) has ever heard of this word. It might be Austrian (v. "abseil"). Lucky Mr Quinion being on leave you are the obvious victim: The current German word is "Gegenlicht" - Is there the slightest chance of finding out where "gegenschein" is from or when it entered the English language?
Thanks.
Hans-Hermann Diestel
Hello HH.
I'm afraid I don't have an answer for your question; I just wanted to welcome you to the Board.
Stick around though, we do have several members who a whizards at finging word ethymologies.
Thanks for your welcome, actually it should have been "gegenschein" (my mistake). Anyway, I'd be grateful for any piece of information.
HH
According to German Wikipedia, Gegenlicht is a photographic term for a light source in front of the camera - not the same thing. If you read the German Wikipedia entry for Zodiakallicht, it uses gegenschein correctly and there is even a redirect to there -
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gegenschein
welcome HHDiestel and well whizarded Myridon
Welcome indeed, Herr Diestel! I thought you might like to know that wsieber (a member here) is a native speaker of German. You can send him a Private Message, if you like.
In Hebrew, this is called the "Amud Ha Shachar," the "column of dawn." It has some bearing on law, but I never knew it was an actual something, and I've never seen it.
Thanks for the broad hint - it never crossed my mind to look up "gegenschein" in Wikipedia. Having wrestled with Gegenlicht all my photographer's life (amateur, of course) it never dawned gegenschein could mean anything else. Still, I have never heard the term, though definitely interested in astronomy (amateur, of course). Now I know, thanks to you.
Hans-Hermann
My Hebrew after decades of non-use being almost non-existent I seemed to remember a fast of a similar name. The dictionary proved you right on both counts: It is a wee time before sunrise and it is part of the Jewish law (halacha). Having learnt my lesson ocncerning gegenschein I tried google and came across a certain Rabbi Doniel Neustadt (http://www.torah.org/advanced/weekly-halacha/5761/balak.html)
who explains it a lot better than I ever could.
haslacha to you - spelt with an s » success, succesful outcome
Hans-Hermann
That's what I love about this place. I learn something new here every day. Welcome, HH.
Yes, welcome HH. Another German who speaks English as well I as I do. It just raises the ante on my inferiority complex - I do not speak any other language than English with any fluency at all.
I hope you find this board to your liking!
Hey, Connie - I see that you're a mere 16 posts from Carpal Tunneldom ...
Will you be able to keep abreast of BelM, Connie?
Man--talk about getting personal!!
I notice you put two nicely balanced smilies...
