mummy
Loading your saved state.
mummy
The corpse of a human or animal that has been preserved from decomposition through natural conditions (e.g., dryness, cold) or through artificial processes such as embalming.
Im Ägyptischen Museum sind zahlreiche gut erhaltene Mumien ausgestellt.
Numerous well-preserved mummies are on display in the Egyptian Museum.
old fossil
A derogatory, colloquial term for a very old, frail, or mentally inflexible person.
Der alte Direktor war eine richtige Mumie, der jede Neuerung blockierte.
The old director was a real old fossil who blocked every innovation.
The noun 'die Mumie' (the mummy) is the basis for the verb 'mumifizieren' (to mummify). This verb means to artificially preserve a body in order to turn it into a mummy.
Die alten Ägypter hatten komplexe Techniken, um ihre Pharaonen zu mumifizieren.
The ancient Egyptians had complex techniques for mummifying their pharaohs.
The meanings are easy to distinguish: if people are talking about history, archaeology, or museums, the preserved corpse is meant. If the word is used to describe a living person, it has the derogatory, colloquial meaning.
Forscher haben eine bisher unbekannte Mumie in einem alten Grab entdeckt.
Researchers have discovered a previously unknown mummy in an ancient tomb.
In a historical context, 'Mumie' (mummy) is often combined with certain verbs and adjectives. Typical phrases are 'eine Mumie entdecken/finden' (to discover/find a mummy), 'eine Mumie ausstellen' (to display a mummy), as well as the adjectives 'ägyptisch' (Egyptian) or 'gut erhalten' (well-preserved).
Die Mumie war über 3000 Jahre alt und erstaunlich gut erhalten.
The mummy was over 3,000 years old and surprisingly well preserved.
Careful: this meaning is strongly derogatory and insulting. It is used only colloquially to describe a person as extremely old, slow, and mentally inflexible. It should be used with great caution.
„Beweg dich mal, du alte Mumie!“, rief er ungeduldig.
'Move it, you old fossil!' he shouted impatiently.
fossil
“fossil” and “Mumie” can be derogatory descriptions of an old, immobile person. “Fossil” emphasizes more strongly that someone or their views seem outdated, while “Mumie” focuses more on age and rigidity. Choose “fossil” when outdatedness is the focus and “Mumie” when someone gives the impression of being very old and stiff.
Der alte Hausmeister wirkt wie eine Mumie und bewegt sich kaum noch.
The old caretaker looks like a mummy and can barely move anymore.
Seine Ansichten wirken völlig fossil, weil er jede neue Idee ablehnt.
His views seem completely outdated because he rejects every new idea.
