postilion
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postilion
A historical term for a mounted mail carrier or the driver of a mail coach who was responsible for transporting letters and people.
Der Postillon blies in sein Horn, um die Ankunft der Postkutsche anzukündigen.
The postilion blew his horn to announce the arrival of the mail coach.
'Postillon' (postilion) is a historical term. It is used only when talking about the past, for example in stories, films, or in connection with postal history of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Im Museum gab es eine Ausstellung über das Leben eines Postillons.
At the museum, there was an exhibition about the life of a postilion.
The word contains the stem 'Post' (mail/post). This helps with classification: a postilion always had to do with transporting mail, meaning letters and packages.
Der Postillon war oft wochenlang unterwegs, um die Post zuzustellen.
The postilion was often on the road for weeks to deliver the mail.
The typical instrument of the postilion was the post horn. With the horn, he announced his arrival in the next town. This image is deeply rooted in German culture.
Schon von Weitem hörte man das Horn des Postillons.
You could hear the postilion's horn from far away.
coachman
Both words can refer to the driver of a historical horse-drawn carriage. „Kutscher“ is the general term for the person driving the carriage, while „Postillon“ specifically refers to the driver of a mail coach carrying letters and passengers. Use „Kutscher“ in general and „Postillon“ when the vehicle is a mail coach.
Der Postillon lenkte die Postkutsche mit Briefen und Reisenden zur nächsten Station.
The postilion drove the mail coach carrying letters and passengers to the next station.
Der Kutscher lenkte die Pferdekutsche sicher durch das Dorf.
The coachman guided the horse-drawn carriage safely through the village.
