Spyder, Spider

[Steven Immel <immels@domain.elided>]

Dear Friends,

I find this thread facsinating.  Just for the hell of it I had a look at
my excellent Wahrig Deutsches Woerterbuch and "Spider" is there but not
"Spyder". It is defined as a two-seat sports car with a soft top ("mit
aufklappbarem Verdeck", [from] English "Spinne".  Now that's interesting,
"Spinne" in German is the the "other" spider, that is, the insect. What I
find also interesting is that the pronunciation in German is "foreign":
not pronounced as one would expect in German (SH'PEEDER), but rather like
English SPIDER (spelled phonetical in Warig as "spaider").  I looked
"spider" up in Il nuovo Zingarelli, and the meaning's the same:  [from
English, "spider", also with Engl. pronunciation] "Automobile scoperta a
due posti, di tipo sportivo munita di capote".  Learned the diminuative
also: "spiderino".  Anyone familiar with that as a car model?  All best,
--Steven Immel

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