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Post by JustJohn or JJ on Jun 5, 2013 6:38:12 GMT -7
BBC News Europe
3 June 2013 Last updated at 17:26 ET
Germany drops longest word after EU law change
The German language has lost its longest word thanks to a change in the law to conform with EU regulations.
Rindfleischetikettierungsueberwachungsaufgabenuebertragungsgesetz - meaning "law delegating beef label monitoring" - was introduced in 1999 in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
It was repealed following changes to EU regulations on the testing of cattle.
German is famous - or notorious - for making compound words, often to describe something legal or scientific.
They are known in Germany as "tapeworm" words.
The 63-letter word came into being as a result of efforts to combat BSE, or "mad cow disease" and was given the abbreviation RkReUAUG - itself something of a tongue-twister.
But with the EU calling a halt to the testing of healthy cattle at abattoirs, the need for the word vanished.
The search is now on for the language's new longest word, German media reported.
Among the contenders is said to be Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaftskapitaenswitwe, meaning the "widow of a Danube steamboat company captain".
However, experts say such long words are so rarely used they are unlikely to make it into the standard German-language dictionary.
The longest word to be found in the dictionary is Kraftfahrzeughaftpflichtversicherung, meaning "automobile liability insurance".
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Post by kaima on Jun 5, 2013 19:31:45 GMT -7
The Germans do have fun with their language. I also remember as a child hearing the longest American word was supposed to be antidisestablishment, but a google search resulted in Wiki giving Antidisestablishmentarianism. However, as a kid I saw no reason why they should not count antidisestablishmententarianismally.
Where the truth is, i do not know. I believe I once looked up what was to be dis-established, and why some people were anti-dis-establishment.
I will leave it at that for each to ponder....
now where is that post button???
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