{"id":12256,"date":"2021-02-04T09:30:44","date_gmt":"2021-02-04T09:30:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/?p=12256"},"modified":"2021-02-04T09:32:51","modified_gmt":"2021-02-04T09:32:51","slug":"dont-let-it-confuse-you-devise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/dont-let-it-confuse-you-devise\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t Let It Confuse You! – Devise"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this series, we look at words that exist in both English and German, but really don’t mean what you might expect them to, so-called false friends. We also look at words that sound or look deceivingly similar. Today, we look at a rather rare one, but you may have come across it. A word with its own motto – Devise<\/em>.<\/p>\n

For previous posts in this series, click here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Expectation: Devise\u00a0<\/em>– developing something, a device?<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"Devise<\/a>

Image by Dylan Gillis at Unsplash.com<\/p><\/div>\n

So, what does\u00a0Devise\u00a0<\/em>mean? What about this – Devise <\/em>is a verb that means something in the sense of planning, devising, or developing<\/strong>. Yes?!<\/p>\n

No. It’s not a verb.<\/p>\n

Ok. Perhaps it is a noun. Maybe something along the lines of a device<\/strong>, the German word for device?1<\/a><\/sup>Some of you might think “but devise is an English noun, too!” True, but the meaning is pretty specific and obscure. Not super relevant for most readers, I think.<\/span><\/p>\n

Again, no. That’s\u00a0das Ger\u00e4t\u00a0<\/em>or\u00a0der Apparat<\/em>.<\/p>\n

So what is it?<\/p>\n

Reality: What do you stand for?<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"<\/a>

Wappen<\/em> (coat of arms) of Franz Joseph I. of Austria, who was emperor from 1848 until his death in 1916. His Devise is “viribus unitis”, which means “with united forces” (Image from Commons.wikimedia.org, public domain)<\/p><\/div>\n

Die Devise\u00a0<\/em>means “motto<\/strong>“. Yeah. Really quite different. But why?<\/p>\n

Funnily enough, both the English\u00a0to devise\u00a0<\/em>and the German\u00a0die Devise\u00a0<\/em>have the same origin – the French\u00a0devise\u00a0<\/em>and, further back, the Latin\u00a0divisare<\/em>, which in turn is a vulgar form of the Latin\u00a0dividire\u00a0<\/em>– to divide.<\/p>\n

But how did this result in the meaning of “motto” or\u00a0Wahlspruch\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>(slogan)?<\/p>\n

As you can see in the\u00a0Wappen\u00a0<\/em>above, the two words\u00a0Viribus Unitis\u00a0<\/em>are divided – one word on the left side of the ribbon, the other on the right. This is the division\u00a0<\/strong>that led to the word\u00a0die Devise<\/em>!<\/p>\n

The English meaning, by the way, makes sense in terms of dividing resources – which means you have to plan, figure out a way to divide things well – so you devise a plan.<\/p>\n

There is another meaning in German.\u00a0Devisen<\/em>, almost always in plural, can also refer to\u00a0Zahlungsmittel in fremder W\u00e4hrung<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>(payment method in foreign currency). Where this meaning comes from is not really clear, it may be<\/a> from a\u00a0Wechselvordruck\u00a0<\/em>(bill form of exchange) with a\u00a0Devise\u00a0<\/em>on it. So we’re back at the motto!<\/p>\n

Did you know about this difference? What did you think\u00a0<\/em>Devise<\/em> means. What do you think makes sense for that word to mean? I wanna know. Let me know in the comments below!<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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