Carsten's corrections 1
"Gleichzeitig", "zeitgleich" - all equal?

 

It was about 10 years ago when the first German journalists started to say "zeitgleich" when they meant "gleichzeitig". Sounded somehow more modern, more beautiful, more intellectual? In any case, it is shorter, one syllable saved. In the meantime, it has become "mainstream" in most media and beyond - and has almost completely replaced "gleichzeitig".

 

So what? Well. Language evolves and changes. Good thing. But not if it means clarity falls by the wayside. 

 

The meaning of "zeitgleich" is crystal clear: Two processes have the same duration, they take the same time. When they begin and when they end is completely open. The situation is different with "gleichzeitg". This refers to two events that take place parallel to each other - two processes at the same time.

 

An example: Two marathon runners reach the finish line at the same time. This absolutely does not mean that they arrive at the same time, but only that both took exactly the same amount of time to complete the distance. Whereby one may well have run several days, weeks or months before the other.

 

So when it comes to talking about two events that take place at the same time and thus in parallel, there is exactly one word choice: "gleichzeitig". Everything else would be at least unclear.

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