shearer / barber
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shearer
A person whose job is to shear sheep in order to obtain their wool. This work is usually done seasonally.
Im Frühling kommen die Scherer auf den Hof, um die Schafe von ihrer dicken Wolle zu befreien.
In spring, the shearers come to the farm to free the sheep from their thick wool.
barber
An outdated term for a barber or bathhouse attendant who cut hair and also performed minor medical procedures such as bloodletting or pulling teeth.
Im Mittelalter ging man zum Scherer, um sich rasieren oder eine Wunde versorgen zu lassen.
In the Middle Ages, people went to the barber to get shaved or to have a wound treated.
'Der Scherer' (the shearer/barber) is derived directly from the verb 'scheren' (to shear/cut), which means 'schneiden' (to cut). A Scherer is therefore a person who shears something—either the wool from sheep or, historically, hair and beards.
Der Bauer hat einen Scherer bestellt, der seine Schafe schert.
The farmer hired a shearer to shear his sheep.
You can recognize the meaning from the context. If people are talking about 'Schafen' (sheep), 'Wolle' (wool), or 'Landwirtschaft' (agriculture), it means a sheep shearer. In connection with 'Mittelalter' (the Middle Ages), 'Bart' (beard), or 'Haare schneiden' (cutting hair), it refers to the outdated meaning of barber.
Der Scherer befreite das Schaf von seiner dicken Winterwolle.
The shearer freed the sheep from its thick winter wool.
The meaning 'Barbier' (barber) is outdated today. It is used almost only in historical contexts, for example in books, films, or museums that describe life in the Middle Ages or the early modern period.
Früher war der Scherer nicht nur für die Rasur, sondern auch für kleine medizinische Behandlungen zuständig.
In the past, the barber was responsible not only for shaving, but also for minor medical treatments.
hairdresser
“Friseur” is the modern occupational term for a person who cuts and styles hair. “Scherer” could formerly refer to a barber or bathhouse attendant who also cut hair, but it is outdated in this sense. “Friseur” is the appropriate term for the profession today.
Früher schnitt der Scherer Paul seinen Kunden die Haare und zog auch Zähne.
In the past, the barber Paul cut his customers’ hair and also pulled teeth.
Heute schneidet der Friseur Paul im Salon die Haare.
Today, the hairdresser Paul is cutting hair at the salon.
