Eva von Baudissin – Von den Koseworten (About Nicknames)

Eva von Baudissin's (1869-1943) essay Von den Koseworten is an open plea for the undisguised use of nicknames: "Is it really only a sign of effeminacy to use a kind word for a loved one? Haven't tenderness and longing always looked for a specific expression?" (p. 1) She borrows from the history of literature for this: Elder Edda, Romeo and Juliet, Matthias Claudius, Walther von der Vogelweide. The latter also campaigned for the use of the word "Weib" (broad) instead of "Frau" (woman) in German, as it "'Crowns everything,' while women are often not to be trusted". (p. 2)

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