Here is my current favorite (41 letters...43 if you use 'ae' instead of the abbreviated 'ä'):
Krankenkassenprämienverbilligungsbeiträge
jack
One aspect of the German language that amuses me is the length of some words. I know they are actually combined words, but the lack of separation makes for some very long combinations...
In a little supermarket in Zermatt:
Milchproduzentengenossenschaft
Which I thought was pretty cool already.
I thought Germany put a limit on the number of letters that could be used in a single word? Is this true and what are the limits?
This really made me laugh.
I am afraid there is no limit to the amount of letters which may be used in a word.
I suppose Milchproduzentengenossenschaft will be something like MPG in everyday language.
Tageshit? And it's only many menus....
Just to twist the thread slightly I have driven several times past a village called "Wankdorf" . I was wondering what happens there?
Ok, I dont want to get vulgar here but if you check Wikipedia for 'Wankdorf' it's the proud home of BSC Young Boys football club.
I rest my case........
You have to check out the title of this headline : http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...337901&cc=5739
When i first started playing FIFA on PS, we got bored and started playing the weakest teams... i used to play 'Young boys Wankdorf'.
I really thought it was programming humour, until I got to CH that is.
That is what young boys do, innit?
Sackmesser = translated into stand. German = knife for the balls
Whenever I see this written, I always think of s*it of the day. Or Monatshit S*it of the month.
Buchstabierungsveraenderungsbloedsinn (spelling change nonsense) comes close with 37...
The longest official word in the German language is...
*drum roll*
Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaftsraddampferkapit änskajütentürsicherheitsschlüssel
sounds like they got into a right paddle with that word
As a native German speaker at least I can pronounce the words ... but we used to live in North Wales for a while ... Now, Welsh is a tongue twister.
Like this word: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysilio gogogoch
Meaning:
The longest town name in the world means "The church of St. Mary in the hollow of white hazel trees near the rapid whirlpool by St. Tysilio's of the red cave"
...and even there the birds remain the ugliest in the world.
dave
What does it mean, oh fabulous translatoress? I'm suspicious that it might be Austrian.
It means "the safety key to the door of the cabin of the captain of a steam boat of the Donau steam boat shipping company". Some words just don't translate that well...
I've never really looked at how long words can get in "high" german , it is quite interesting.
back to wankdorf (what you don't know what that is?! ):
first - it's a living area in the city bern
second - it's mainly use for the soccer stadium name (or "stade de suisse")
third - the stadium belongs to the soccer team of bern (young boys)
fourthy - it's where big matches are beeing held even for EM/Champions League/ect.
hope I could help there...and the stadium is quite nice (as i saw FC Thun play there).
Here is another angle...have we thought of the English language. Now, I know that we can't compete with German, but we have a couple that might be in the running....
For example (some Linguists will argue this is not a REAL english word)
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis
(45 letters) "lung disease caused by breathing in silica dust"
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm....................??????????