Fashion is something that is constantly changing, and languages sometimes need to create new words for items of fashion. Don't get any idea that I'm a fashion guru - I'm not! However, I was recently exploring some of these new words and thought I'd share a few that were particularly interesting.

(Arm)stulpen are knitted tubes worn on the lower arm, sometimes with a thumb hole. Sort of a cross between a long glove and a leg warmer, as in the picture above. BTW, putting the word into a Google Images search is a great way to check the meaning of a new word if it refers to an object.

A Crashrock is one of those gypsy-style skirts with the permanently crushed-look fabric. This word is linguistically fascinating, because it is an example of what looks like a loan word, but the German spelling reflects the sound of the English word, rather than the spelling of the English.

A Ringelshirt is a T-shirt or other style of shirt with horizontal stripes. Thick or thin, or even a mixture, but they have to be horizontal.

Loan words from English are often extrapolated when they have become accepted in German. The Sweatshirt has now been joined by the Sweathose, the Sweatanzug and even the Sweatrock! And then there are the 'loan words' that are unknown in their original language: Pullunder, Partnerlook and Dressman to name a few.

Let's move away from fashion. From the sphere of technology, we have a Handy for a mobile phone, a CityCall for a local phone call, a Beamer for a data projector and Cracker for computer hacker.

Some other words I've come across include Showmaster for the presenter a TV program, Catcher for wrestler, Antibabypille for contraceptive pill, Oldtimer for veteran car, Textbuch for a book of songs or scripts, Body-bag for a cross between a handbag and a rucksack and Mobbing for bullying. 

If you are interested in learning more about loan words and Denglisch, you might be interested in the German Wikipedia article on Denglish. Two huge collections are Denglisch für Anfänger and Verein Deutsche Sprache. For fun, watch the video on Youtube of 'Denglish' by the Wise Guys. Words are on the Wise Guys Liedtexte page.