Ehrenarier

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German

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Etymology

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From 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

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  • IPA(key): /ˈeːʁənˌaːʁiɐ/
  • Audio:(file)

Noun

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Ehrenarier m (strong, genitive Ehrenariers, plural Ehrenarier, feminine Ehrenarierin)

  1. (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.

Declension

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