Ehrenarier
German
editEtymology
editFrom Ehre (“honour”) + -n- + Arier (“Aryan”). The term pokes fun at the National Socialist ideologists, who claimed to judge everything from a strictly racial point of view, but – given the unrealistic and flimsy nature of the theory – were habitually forced to resort to such “unscientific” factors as merit, political attitude, religion, language; besides purely tactical considerations (as in the cooperation with Japanese and Arabs).
Pronunciation
editNoun
editEhrenarier m (strong, genitive Ehrenariers, plural Ehrenarier, feminine Ehrenarierin)
- (historical or humorous) honorary Aryan (a non-White or Jewish person respected or favoured by the Nazis)
- 2013, Zeitzeugenportal, 04:10 from the start, in Der Star von Olympia[1], spoken by Arnold Kirchner:
- [Jesse Owens] lief 100 Meter in 10,2, 200 Meter in 20,1, der sprang 8 Meter und 9. Und bei den Wochenschau-Aufnahmen lachte der in die Kamera: so’n richtiger Sympathischer, ein richtiger Kumpel, ja – obwohl Neger. Da kam uns überhaupt nicht die Idee: dat is’n Neger, oder: da müsste man doch... Nee! Der war Ehrenarier.
- Jesse Owens ran 100 metres in 10.2, 200 metres in 20.1, he jumped 8.09 metres. And in the newsreel videos he laughed into the camera: a real personable one, a real buddy, yeah – albeit a negro. And we didn’t even think [of the apparent contradiction]: that’s a negro, or: shouldn’t it actually... Nope! He was an honorary Aryan.