Deine Liebe ist dein Schiff

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Peter Moylan

2024-12-03 10:07:18 UTC

This isn't an English usage topic, but since we have some German
speakers on hand ...

The other day I googled the lyrics of the once-popular song "Seemann,
deine Heimat ist das Meer". (Don't ask why. Songs pop randomly into my
head.) I happened to notice the line "Deine Liebe ist dein Schiff".

That caught me by surprise. I had always heard it as "... ist ein Schiff".

It left me wondering. Do Germans hear the difference between "ist ein
Schiff" and "ist dein Schiff"? It would depend, I suppose, on whether
the dt combination in the middle is perceived as voiced or unvoiced.

I've listened to several versions of the song on U-tube, and as far as I
can tell it could go either way. Some singers have a clear "d", but
others leave it highly ambiguous.

--
Peter Moylan ***@pmoylan.org http://www.pmoylan.org
Newcastle, NSW

Bertel Lund Hansen

2024-12-03 11:55:02 UTC

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Post by Peter Moylan
It left me wondering. Do Germans hear the difference between "ist ein
Schiff" and "ist dein Schiff"?

I'll ask in the German language group, but I expect that the answers
will fall in two groups.

--
Bertel
Kolt, Denmark

Silvano

2024-12-03 15:16:24 UTC

Permalink

Post by Peter Moylan
This isn't an English usage topic, but since we have some German
speakers on hand ...
The other day I googled the lyrics of the once-popular song "Seemann,
deine Heimat ist das Meer". (Don't ask why. Songs pop randomly into my
head.) I happened to notice the line "Deine Liebe ist dein Schiff".
That caught me by surprise. I had always heard it as "... ist ein Schiff".
It left me wondering. Do Germans hear the difference between "ist ein
Schiff" and "ist dein Schiff"? It would depend, I suppose, on whether
the dt combination in the middle is perceived as voiced or unvoiced.

There's no td combination there. Don't forget it's German.
Either it's "ist - glottal stop - ein Schiff", "ist / dein Schiff" or
(sloppy pronunciation) "is dein Schiff".
Disclaimer: I don't know that song.

Paul Carmichael

2024-12-04 11:22:58 UTC

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Post by Silvano
There's no td combination there. Don't forget it's German.
Either it's "ist - glottal stop - ein Schiff", "ist / dein Schiff" or
(sloppy pronunciation) "is dein Schiff".

Not all speakers of German agree with that. I only read German, so know
nothing of pronunciation. I can live with my ignorance :-)

I have tried saying that with a glottal stop and failed.

--
Paul.

https://paulc.es

Bertel Lund Hansen

2024-12-04 17:11:55 UTC

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Post by Silvano
There's no td combination there. Don't forget it's German.
Either it's "ist - glottal stop - ein Schiff", "ist / dein Schiff"

I don't think that it's a glottal stop. It's just a pause.

--
Bertel
Kolt, Denmark

Silvano

2024-12-04 19:26:31 UTC

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Post by Bertel Lund Hansen

Post by Silvano
There's no td combination there. Don't forget it's German.
Either it's "ist - glottal stop - ein Schiff", "ist / dein Schiff"

I don't think that it's a glottal stop. It's just a pause.

It is definitely a glottal stop in normal German. Not so easy for most
foreigners to learn, by the way.
It can be different when singing. I'm waiting for comments from German
native speakers.

J. J. Lodder

2024-12-04 10:54:43 UTC

Permalink

Yes, they hear it, and the ist-dein should not be contracted.
And of course it should be 'dein' from the way the lyrics go.

Post by Peter Moylan
I've listened to several versions of the song on U-tube, and as far as I
can tell it could go either way. Some singers have a clear "d", but
others leave it highly ambiguous.

Native speakers will hear 'dein',
even when the pronunciation isn't clear,

Jan

lar3ryca

2024-12-05 06:05:17 UTC

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Post by J. J. Lodder

Yes, they hear it, and the ist-dein should not be contracted.
And of course it should be 'dein' from the way the lyrics go.

Should it?
TO me, "Your house is a ship." makes more sense than "Your hour is your
ship".

But it could well be that it's because it makes more sense in English.

Post by J. J. Lodder

Post by Peter Moylan
I've listened to several versions of the song on U-tube, and as far as I
can tell it could go either way. Some singers have a clear "d", but
others leave it highly ambiguous.

Native speakers will hear 'dein',
even when the pronunciation isn't clear,
Jan

--
If everybody in the world held hands around the equator,
most of them would drown.

J. J. Lodder

2024-12-05 10:57:06 UTC

Permalink

Post by lar3ryca

Post by J. J. Lodder

Yes, they hear it, and the ist-dein should not be contracted.
And of course it should be 'dein' from the way the lyrics go.

Should it?
TO me, "Your house is a ship." makes more sense than "Your hour is your
ship".

It is sung by a woman who complains that he loves his ship
more than her.
This obviously implies a specific ship, not just any ship.
So 'dein', not 'ein'.

Post by lar3ryca
But it could well be that it's because it makes more sense in English.

The same should apply in a good translation.
The ship is her rival.

Jan

-- "Deine Liebe ist dein Schiff
Deine Sehnsucht ist die Ferne
Und nur ihnen bist du treu
Ein Leben lang."

Joerg Walther

2024-12-04 15:46:36 UTC

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Post by Peter Moylan
It left me wondering. Do Germans hear the difference between "ist ein
Schiff" and "ist dein Schiff"?

It definitely is "dein Schiff" in the original version sung by Lolita in
1960. When I was little my parents had this song on a 78 (yes, in
1960!), and I do remember the very sentimental lyric. "Ein Schiff" would
probably have been a too big metaphor to put into a Schlager text (and
what would it mean anyway?).

-jw-

--
And now for something completely different...