Fräulein

Fräulein

In German, (audio|DE_fraeulein.ogg|German pronunciation: [frɔɪlaɪn] ) "Fräulein" (literally, "little woman" or "little Mrs.", colloquial form "Frollein") is used as a title for young girls. Historically, it was used as a title for unmarried women as opposed to "Frau" for married women. It is used with the first name or last name ("Fräulein Anna" or "Fräulein Schmidt"). The German suffix "-lein" like the German suffix "-chen" is a diminutive.

The word is no longer considered appropriate and has therefore been dropped. It is now considered preferable to address all women as "Frau" (plus last name). [cite web
url = http://www.askoxford.com/languages/de/german_letters/?view=uk
title = Writing Letters in German
accessdate = 2006-09-29
author = Oxford Dictionary
authorlink = Oxford University Press
publisher = Oxford University Press
quote = Note that in German all women are addressed as Frau (the equivalent of both Mrs. and Ms) in formal and business letters.] [cite web
url = http://www.exeter.ac.uk/german/abinitio/chap1-4.html
title = Exeter University Beginners' German
accessdate = 2006-09-29
author = Exeter University Faculty
quote = The formal use of Fräulein to translate "Miss" is outdated and should be avoided, not least because the literal translation of Fräulein is "little woman"! You should instead use Frau.] According to the "Oxford English Dictionary", "Fräulein" can still be used when addressing very young girls. [cite web
url = http://www.askoxford.com/languages/de/german_letters/?view=uk
title = Writing Letters in German
accessdate = 2006-09-29
author = Oxford Dictionary
authorlink = Oxford University Press
publisher = Oxford University Press
quote = Use Fräulein only when writing to young girls.] Some sources assert that "Fräulein" is still used to address waitresses, [cite web
url = http://www.careerjournal.com/myc/workabroad/countries/switzerland.html
title = Switzerland
accessdate = 2007-07-22
author = Mary Murray Bosrock
publisher = Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
quote = In the German parts of Switzerland, beckon a waiter by saying Herr Ober, and a waitress by saying Fräulein.] but the Duden, the definitive guide to the usage of the German language, states that this is no longer the case. [cite web
url = http://www.duden.de/deutsche_sprache/newsletter/archiv.php?id=52
title = Frau und Fräulein in der Anrede
date = 2002-03-06
accessdate = 2007-11-03
author = Duden
quote = That today it is considered fairly outdated to address a young woman as Fräulein should have reached even the most obdurate grouch. When addressing a grown woman one should always choose Frau and this is independent from age and marital status. Fräulein is only appropriate when the addressed women wants this form of addressing. Also in cafes and restaurants it is better to forgo this form of address. Instead of "Fräulein, would you please deliver the bill?", a simple "Excuse me, would you please deliver the bill" suffices]

"Fräulein" can be translated as "Miss in English; "小姐" in Chinese; "Signorina" in Italian; "Mademoiselle" in French; "Senhorita" in Portuguese; "Señorita" in Spanish; "Mejuffrouw" in Dutch; and "Gospođica" in Croatian/Bosnian/Serbian.

Usage in culture

Literature and film have depicted the usage very well, in some cases already in the title. Examples are E.T.A. Hoffmann's tale "Das Fräulein von Scuderi" (1819), Elizabeth von Arnim's epistolary novel "Fräulein Schmidt and Mr Anstruther" (1907), and the comedy film "Fräulein vom Amt" (1954), whose title was a common phrase denoting a female operator at a telephone exchange. In an earlier comedy film, "Unser Fräulein Doktor" (1940), Jenny Jugo plays Dr. Elisabeth Hansen, a young attractive teacher at a "Gymnasium" (German highschool) who has to fight to be taken seriously as an intellectual.

In English-language film, "fräulein" is being used as a hint that the characters are actually speaking German. An example of this is "The Sound of Music".

"Fräulein" is the title of a 1957 song by Bobby Helms.

"Fräulein" is also the title of a 1960s song sung in German by Chris Howland. [ [http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~fenja/texte/fraeulein.html] Dead link|date=March 2008]

"Fräulein", #3, is also a member of the Arch Rival Roller Girls, a women's flat track roller derby league in St. Louis, Missouri.

German NDW pop singer Fräulein Menke included the term "Fräulein" into her stage name.

Used in the Indiana Jones film Raiders of the Lost Ark. Toht called Indy's girl Marion "Fräulein".

The character Klavier Gavin, a prosecutor in the Ace Attorney series of video games, makes frequent use of the term "fräulein" when addressing or referring to the game's female characters.

ee also

*Gender-neutral language
*List of German expressions in English

References


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  • Fräulein — (Abk.: Frl.) war bis in die 1970er Jahre hinein die förmliche Anrede für unverheiratete Frauen gleich welchen Alters. Heute ist es üblich, erwachsene weibliche Personen mit „Frau“ anzusprechen. Vergleichbare Bezeichnungen finden sich auch in… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Fräulein — [froi′līn΄; ] E [ froi′līn΄, frou′līn΄] n. pl. FRÄULEIN or Eng. FRÄULEINS Fräulein, Fräuleins [Ger < frau (see FRAU) + dim. suffix lein] 1. Miss: a German title of respect 2. an unmarried woman or a girl: cf. the note at FRAU …   English World dictionary

  • Fräulein — Fräulein, das Diminutiv von Frau, im Mittelalter der Name für jedes unverheirathete Frauenzimmer. Als zu Anfang des 18. Jahrhunderts die jungen Damen bürgerlicher Herkunft statt der deutschen Benennung Jungfrau den Titel »Demoiselle« annahmen,… …   Damen Conversations Lexikon

  • fraulein — Ger. Fräulein unmarried woman (M.H.G. vrouwelin), dim. of Frau “lady” (see FRAU (Cf. frau)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • Fräulein — [Basiswortschatz (Rating 1 1500)] Auch: • Frl. • Frau Bsp.: • Gute Nacht, Fräulein Richards! …   Deutsch Wörterbuch

  • Fraulein — Fr[ a]u lein (froi l[imac]n), n. sing. & pl. [G., dim. of frau woman. See {Frau}.] In Germany, a young lady; an unmarried woman; as a title, equivalent to Miss. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Fräulein — Fräulein, 1) eine junge Person weiblichen Geschlechts, bes. 2) wenn sie erwachsen, unverheirathet u. von guter Abkunft, bes. 3) von Adel ist. Daher Fräuleingerechtigkeit, was einer freiherrlichen od. adeligen Wittwe von der Erbschaft ihres… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Fräulein — (mittelhochd. vrouwelîn), soviel wie Jungfrau, ehedem Bezeichnung für Mädchen aus fürstlichem, dann adligem Geschlecht (Edelfräulein, s. Gnädig); später, etwa seit Beginn des 19. Jahrh., jedes erwachsene Mädchen von guter Familie, jetzt allgemein …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Fräulein — Sn std. (12. Jh.), mhd. vrouwelīn, vröu(we)lin Stammwort. Diminutiv auf lein zu Frau. Im Mhd. ist das Wort in der ursprünglichen diminutivischen Bedeutung Mädchen, junge Frau vornehmen Standes (vgl. die alte Bedeutung von Frau) und dann auch… …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

  • fräulein — /ˈfrɔilain, ted. ˈfʀɔɪˌlaen/ [vc. ted., dim. di Frau «signora»] s. f. inv. istitutrice tedesca, governante, baby sitter (ingl.), bambinaia, sorvegliante, bonne (fr.), tata (fam.), nurse (ingl.) …   Sinonimi e Contrari. Terza edizione

  • Fräulein — ► NOUN ▪ a title or form of address for a young German woman. ORIGIN German, from FRAU(Cf. ↑Frau) …   English terms dictionary

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