Rodeos der Nacht? ...was?
I have just learned that friends of a friend of mine have started a "Gothic Cowboy Rock" band named "Rodeos der Nacht". This seemingly random mixture of German and English words confuses and confounds me almost as much as people who do not herd cattle on horseback calling themselves "cowboy" confuses and confounds me. Would "Rodeos des Nachtes" or "die Nachtrodeos' make more sense, or is there no way to salvage this flaming sinking ship of a title? OK. It makes more sense now. I had forgotten that "der" can be feminine genitive (as well as masculine nominative) as well as the fact that "Nacht" is feminine (the 'der" threw me off track).

Otto,
It probably is a film reference. These seem like people who do such a thing.

domasla,
Yes, it is a strange use of the plural. It reminds me of the unfortunately named band, The Lone Rangers, from the movie "Airheads". Sometimes, it feels that one of the cardinal rules of Rock'n'Roll is to check logic at the door.

Question

Rodeos der Nacht?  ...was?
I have just learned that friends of a friend of mine have started a "Gothic Cowboy Rock" band named "Rodeos der Nacht".  This seemingly random mixture of German and English words confuses and confounds me almost as much as people who do not herd cattle on horseback calling themselves "cowboy" confuses and confounds me.  Would "Rodeos des Nachtes" or "die Nachtrodeos' make more sense, or is there no way to salvage this flaming sinking ship of a title? OK. It makes more sense now. I had forgotten that "der" can be feminine genitive (as well as masculine nominative) as well as the fact that "Nacht" is feminine (the 'der" threw me off track).

Otto,
It probably is a film reference.  These seem like people who do such a thing.

domasla, 
Yes, it is a strange use of the plural. It reminds me of the unfortunately named band, The Lone Rangers, from the movie "Airheads".  Sometimes, it feels that one of the cardinal rules of Rock'n'Roll is to check logic at the door.

Answer

"Rodeos des Nachtes" would be grammatically wrong:
die Nacht -> genitive der Nacht
so: Rodeos der Nacht is right; Nachtrodeos would be equally correct, but in my opinion not as nice as "Rodeos der Nacht"

Also, the title plays a bit with a movie title "Helden der Nacht" (original title: We own the night; James Gray)
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helden_der_Nacht_%E2%80%93_We_Own_the_Night
http://movies.universal-pictures-international-germany.de/heldendernacht/

Furthermore: Rodeos are wild, have lots of energy, blah, blah, so I reckon it it a great name as well as gramattically correct.

Lastly, German includes many words from other languages (some people feel too many), but things like "Bus", "Telefon", etc. are greatly accepted, why not Rodeo?

Answer

It's not mixture of English and German. "rodeo" is indeed a German word borrowed from spanish with the same meaning of "rodeo" in English, which is also borrowed from spanish.

the noun "Nacht" in German is feminine, and the noun "Rodeo" is neuter, so the genitive case "Rodeos der Nacht" is grammatically correct.

reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodeo
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodeo

Answer

No. Not "des Nachtes". "die Nacht" is female. Genitiv (Whose Rodeo? - of the night)

"Rodeos der Nacht" does not make sense, either. Perhaps each member of the band would be one "Rodeo". That would make "Rodeos" of the group.

"Rodeo der Nacht" (Rodeo of the night) 
"Rodeo in der Nacht" (Rodeo at night)
"Nächtliches Rodeo" (Rodeo by night /Nightly Rodeo)

Don't forget it has to be an attractive, interesting title.

Answers · 3

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