sprachgefühl

[prettygoodword]

sprachgefühl or sprachgefuhl (SHORAHKH-guh-fyl) - n., a sensitivity to language, especially for what is grammatically or idiomatically acceptable in a given language.


From German Sprachgefühl, from Sprache, language (from Middle High German sprāche, from Old High German sprāhha) + gefühl, feeling (past participle of fühlen, to feel, from Middle High German vuelen, from Old High German vuolen, from the same root as English feel).

---L.

Comments

[taigerchily.livejournal.com]

What to think about your own sprachgefühl when it didn't tell you, that it is indeed an English word :P

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

It's not yet very common, so it's not surprising that you hadn't met it in English contexts.

---L.