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From: comm@zeus.bris.ac.uk (M. Murray)
Subject: Re: Long German compounds (was: Common European Language ...)
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Date: Thu, 14 Nov 1996 18:41:19 GMT
Lines: 39

John Cowan (cowan@ccil.org) wrote:
: Herman Beun wrote:
: 
: > A joke someone told me once: The German word for 'pointsman':
: > 'Reichseisenbahnknotenpunkthin-und-herschieber'. And the appropriate te=
: rm
: > for 'whistling-kettle': 'Wasserkochger=E4t mit vollautomatischer,
: > selbstt=F6nender Signalapparatur'.
: 
: And then there's the German word for "bootlegger" (you don't
: know what a bootlegger is? No matter, read on):
: 
: 	Antivereinigenstaatensconstitutionenspirituosenwarenhaendler
: 
: And then there's the "magic word" from Mark Twain's *Connecticut
: Yankee in King Arthur's Court*:
: 
: 	Konstantinopolitanischerdudelsackspfeifenmachengesellschaft
: 
: (i.e. Constantinople Bagpipe Manufacturing Company).
: 

First, learn to spell.

Second, laugh you may, though these contrived examples aren't very funny.
At least the logical nature of the German language can distinguish between
the above (a company which manufactures Constantinople bagpipe whistles, 
whatever they are) and the alternative

	konstantinopolitanische Dudelsackspfeifenmachergesellschaft

which of course is a bagpipe whistle manufacturing company located in 
Constantinople.

English confusion and jokes about purple elephant guns (is the elephant or 
the gun purple?) aren't possible in German.

-- 
Martin Murray :: School of Chemistry, Bristol University, BS8 1TS, England
