Tardis

New to Doctor Who or returning after a break? Check out our guides designed to help you find your way!

READ MORE

Tardis
Advertisement
Tardis
German (language)

German (Deutsch) (TV: The Underwater Menace) was a language that originated in Germany. Nyssa found it to be highly logical, expressing that, "I rather like it." (AUDIO: 1963: Fanfare for the Common Men) It made widespread use of agglutination. (PROSE: Sonnenblumen)

Polly Wright could speak German. (TV: The Underwater Menace)

Germany fought in the wars that the War Lords had arranged, thinking they were fighting their own war. Lots of them spoke German. (TV: The War Games)

Through the TARDIS' telepathic circuits, Elizabeth Klein heard the Seventh Doctor speaking German in "a stuffy Prussian accent". (AUDIO: Survival of the Fittest)

During World War I, the fact that the TARDIS was continuing to translate German following its apparent destruction alerted the Tenth Doctor and Gabby Gonzalez to its survival. (COMIC: The Weeping Angels of Mons)

Group Captain Ian Gilmore had what he described as a "smattering" of German. However, Professor Rachel Jensen had no knowledge of the language other than a few select words. (AUDIO: Unto the Breach)

Ace took German lessons at school, but skived off most of them and never took the exam. (PROSE: Timewyrm: Exodus)

During the Dalek invasion of Earth in 2009, when Martha Jones made her way to Osterhagen Station 1 in Germany, she witnessed a squad of Daleks patrolling the forests speaking in German, threatening whomever might be listening. The German woman at the station also threatened Martha in German. (TV: Journey's End)

By the 26th century, German was a nearly-lost language. (PROSE: The Dimension Riders)

Behind the scenes[]

The word "exterminieren", which the German-speaking Daleks used, is not commonly used. In classic dubs of Doctor Who, Daleks shout "vernichten" (meaning "to kill off"), whereas in modern dubbing, the verb "eliminieren" is used, meaning "to eliminate".

The full dialogue for the German Daleks is as follows: "Exterminieren! Exterminieren! Halt! Sonst werden wir Sie exterminieren! Sie sind jetzt ein Gefangener der Daleks! Exterminieren! Exterminieren!" This translates as: "Exterminate! Exterminate! Stop! Or we will exterminate you. You are now a prisoner of the Daleks. Exterminate! Exterminate!"

Advertisement