Recent changes to the rules governing apostrophe use in the German language have sparked a heated debate, irritating grammar purists and raising concerns about the creeping influence of English. The controversy centers on the relaxation of the rules around using apostrophes in possessive constructions, a practice that traditionally differs from English grammar.
Signs such as “Rosi’s Bar” or “Kati’s Kiosk” are common in Germany, but technically, they have long been considered incorrect. In German, the genitive case or possession does not traditionally require an apostrophe; the correct spelling would be “Rosis Bar” or “Katis Kiosk.” This distinction, however, has become muddied by recent guidelines from the Council for German Orthography, which regulates German grammar in schools and official contexts across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. According to the council, the apostrophe, colloquially known as the Deppenapostroph (the “idiot’s apostrophe”), has become so widespread that it can now be considered permissible in certain cases—specifically, when separating the genitive ‘s’ within a proper name.
The new rules, which came into effect in July, list examples like “Eva’s Blumenladen” (Eva’s Flower Shop) and “Peter’s Taverne” (Peter’s Tavern) as acceptable, though the council stressed that using the apostrophe in other contexts—such as “Eva’s Brille” (Eva’s glasses)—remains incorrect. The distinction is meant to avoid confusion, especially in names, where the apostrophe clarifies that the owner is “Eva” rather than “Evas.”
The Deppenapostroph is not to be confused with the infamous English “greengrocer’s apostrophe,” in which an apostrophe is mistakenly used to form a plural, as in “a kilo of potato’s.”
Despite the clarifications, the rule change has prompted a backlash from grammar traditionalists. Newspapers and social media in Germany have been awash with complaints from those who view the relaxed rules as an erosion of linguistic standards. A commentator in the tabloid Bild said that signs like “Harald’s Eck” (Harald’s Corner) make his “hair stand on end,” while a Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung columnist lamented the move as further evidence of the “victory march” of the English language. One LinkedIn editor even claimed that legalizing the “idiot’s apostrophe” amounted to “genuflecting to English.”
However, not all linguists agree that the change is primarily driven by the influence of English. Anatol Stefanowitsch, a linguist at Berlin’s Freie Universität, argues that while English names may play a role, the rise of the possessive apostrophe in German could also stem from a desire to avoid confusion. “What we tend to see when a language interacts with another prestige language is that it incorporates its vocabulary, not its grammar,” Stefanowitsch explained. The German orthographic council had already allowed apostrophe use in certain cases for clarity’s sake, such as with “Andrea’s Bar,” to ensure that “Andrea” is understood as the owner rather than “Andreas.”
The broader debate over English’s impact on German is not new. Throughout history, conservative voices have expressed concern over foreign linguistic influences. As Stefanowitsch notes, it was once French that elicited such fears; now, it is primarily English. The Dortmund-based association Verein Deutsche Sprache has even created an “anglicism index” to promote German alternatives to English loanwords, suggesting “Klapprechner” for “laptop” and “Puffmais” for “popcorn.”
Ultimately, the debate over apostrophes reveals deeper anxieties about the evolving nature of language and the balance between tradition and modernity in a globalized world. For many Germans, it is not merely a question of punctuation but one of preserving the integrity of their language against the pervasive tide of English.
Read more via The Guardian
