Uber
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The word über ([German pronunciation] ) comes from the German language. It is a cognate of both Latin super and Greek ύπερ (hyper), as well as English over (as in "overkill"). During the late 1990s, über also became a synonym for super; e.g. übercool = supercool, generally with a slightly intensified meaning. Über is commonly written as uber in English, though with slightly different meaning.
The normal transliteration for the 'ü'-Umlaut when changing from German would be ue, not just 'u', however it could be argued that the American English use of the word uber is a new word distinct from ueber. This is because English is defined by common use of words, which dictionaries and academia record, not the reverse. The use of 'ü', 'u', and 'ue' in the word is an emerging trend in common usage with no clear consensus.
Uses in German
In German, über is used as a prefix as well as a separate word. In the latter case, it may be a preposition or an adverb depending on context. Eg. sprechen über - speak about, über die Brücke - over the bridge, übernehmen - take over (nehmen = take).Über also translates to over, above and super. The actual translation depends on context. One example would be the term Übermensch from Friedrich Nietzsche, which translates to super human or superman (literally "overhuman"). It is assumed that it is via this translation that the word über entered the English vocabulary (cf. calque).
Non-German uses
Fan fiction
In the fan fiction community, "Uberfic" was coined to describe alternative universe stories that take the basic character archetypes from the show and transplant them to another setting. Popular examples are the characters Dar and Kerry, first seen in the book Tropical Storm. The term has also started to see use in other fandoms.TV
In the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the word "Ubervamp" was coined to describe the 7th season army of vampires waiting to emerge from the Hellmouth beneath Sunnydale.Gaming
Über is an online gaming term for a player or object that is considered superior. For example, a player who has accumulated the most points or rare and advanced weapons, tools, clothing, or spells available in the online game could be referred to as über. Rare or powerful items themselves are also frequently called über. Something does not even have to be a tangible object to be considered über; for example, a player could use an "über strategy" or "über haxs." The word is used fairly frequently in MMORPG computer games.
"00ber", a leet spelling of "über", is often used in relation to the Pokémon gaming products. "00ber" is seeing declining usage, being replaced by the more standard "über" or "uber".
The first person shooter ÜberSoldier (2006) is the first major game title to use the word über in its title. However, it is not the only English language computer game title to import a German word (see also Soldat (2002/2005)).
Many multiplayer first person shooter (FPS) gamers use the word "über" while gaming. In this case, "über" is commonly referred to a specific player's skill. However, some gamers twist the definition of "über" and use it in different contexts, however the idea is generally the same.
Slang
"Über" may easily replace "super" to emphasize almost any adjective, e.g. "übercool" rather than "supercool". This usage, as a general intensifier like "very", is the only English usage not faithful to the original German.
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