Once upon a time there were two brothers who, like their namesake, told very "Grimm" stories indeed, and gave us the very fairytale world with which we were raised! In all of their travels and labors, they also wrote a dictionary!
For those German Genealogists out there, how frustrating is it when you stumble across an occupation or phrase that makes absolutely no sense, and also doesn't appear in any genealogy word list or German Dictionary? Indeed, nothing can be more frustrating! Some of you may have had the opportunity to use the Grimms Dictionary, but often it contains words found nowhere else. Here is the kicker: You have to know what you are doing to use this fella.
If you don't know how to read German, here is what you will need:
A regular German to English dictionary
A computer to access the Grimms dictionary online
1. Take the unusual word, and locate it in the Grimms online dictionary
2. Use the regular German to English dictionary to look up words in the definition until you understand what the original German word means. If you are still not sure, you may:
a. learn German
b. make friends with someone who speaks/reads German
c. stop by a local university and promise doughnuts to German students if they will help you
d. copy the definition into Google translator - hey, it's not perfect, but it just might do the trick!
If you do read German, then you know what to do.
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