A German word meaning 'leader,' most infamously associated with Adolf Hitler's title during Nazi Germany.
From German 'führen' meaning 'to lead' (similar to English 'ford'). Originally a neutral term for any leader, but became synonymous with totalitarian dictatorship.
This word shows how language gets tainted by history—'führer' was ordinary German until one person made it monstrous. Today the word is essentially unusable except in historical contexts, proving that horrific events can permanently damage words.
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