BS: Mein Gott! Longest word expunged!

Subject: BS: Mein Gott! Longest word expunged!
From: Little Hawk
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 05:33 PM

Sadly, we've seen the last of "Rindfleischetikettierungsueberwachungsaufgabenuebertragungsgesetz".

BERLIN - A tweak to state laws in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to conform with current EU regulations has caused an unexpected casualty: the longest word in the German language.

The Rindfleischetikettierungsueberwachungsaufgabenuebertragungsgesetz is no more.

The "law delegating beef label monitoring" was introduced by the state in 1999 as part of measures against mad cow disease. But the dpa news agency reported Monday the law was removed from the books last week because European Union regulations have changed.

German still has words like the very robust Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaftskapitaenswitwe to fall back on — meaning "widow of a Danube steamboat company captain."

Dpa reports such words have been so rarely used, however, that they're not in the dictionary. There the longest word honour falls to Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflichtversicherung: automobile liability insurance.

Subject: RE: BS: Mein Gott! Longest word expunged!
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 06:39 PM

Danke sehr, Little Hawk, for keeping us up to date on that.

In high school we thought 'Blindarmentundung' (appendicitis) was long. Little did we suspect!

Subject: RE: BS: Mein Gott! Longest word expunged!
From: gnu
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 06:49 PM

I, for one, am relieved. It's about time!

Subject: RE: BS: Mein Gott! Longest word expunged!
From: kendall
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 07:14 PM

The Flemish word for automobile is 14 letters long.

Automatic is a French word that means, You can't fix it yourself.

Subject: RE: BS: Mein Gott! Longest word expunged!
From: open mike
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 08:13 PM

thought it was antidisestablishmentarianism or supercalifragilisticexpialadosious

Subject: RE: BS: Mein Gott! Longest word expunged!
From: Don Firth
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 08:23 PM

What can I say but "Gesundheit!!?"

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Mein Gott! Longest word expunged!
From: Rapparee
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 09:04 PM

Where would English be without

As the largest known protein, titin also has the longest IUPAC name. The full chemical name, which starts methionyl... and ends ...isoleucine, contains 189,819 letters and is sometimes stated to be the longest word in the English language, or any language. It can take over three hours to pronounce. However, lexicographers regard generic names of chemical compounds as verbal formulae rather than English words. (Wikipedia)

or

Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism

or

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

or the longest word coined by a major author (and where would literature be without Aristophanes?) and transliterated from the Greek original (λοπαδο­τεμαχο­σελαχο­γαλεο­κρανιο­λειψανο­δριμ­υπο­τριμματο­σιλφιο­καραβο­μελιτο­κατακεχυ­μενο­κιχλ­επι­κοσσυφο­φαττο­περιστερ­αλεκτρυον­οπτο­κεφαλλιο­κιγκλο­πελειο­λαγῳο­σιραιο­βαφη­τραγανο­πτερύγων),

Lopado­temacho­selacho­galeo­kranio­leipsano­drim­hypo­trimmato­silphio­parao­melito­katakechy­meno­kichl­epi­kossypho­phatto­perister­alektryon­opte­kephallio­kigklo­peleio­lagoio­siraio­baphe­tragano­pterygon.

German? Phooey!

Subject: RE: BS: Mein Gott! Longest word expunged!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 09:12 PM

Well if you're getting into Ancient Greek and Latin, they didn't go in for spaces between. Words, so in a sense they had words the length of entire books!

Subject: RE: BS: Mein Gott! Longest word expunged!
From: Rapparee
Date: 03 Jun 13 - 11:26 PM

Ditto for the Germans. But we do the same: supernumerary, underwater, overboard, and others.

Subject: RE: BS: Mein Gott! Longest word expunged!
From: Ernest
Date: 04 Jun 13 - 01:35 AM

Himmiherrgottsakramentzefixallelujascheissglumpvarregts!

Subject: RE: BS: Mein Gott! Longest word expunged!
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 04 Jun 13 - 06:21 AM

"floccinaucinihilipilification"

Don T.

Subject: RE: BS: Mein Gott! Longest word expunged!
From: MartinRyan
Date: 04 Jun 13 - 07:23 AM

I have a strong memory of getting on a tourist bus in Austria many years ago to find the driver proudly wearing a cap with just one word on it:

fremdenverkehrsverbandwagenführer

Regards

Subject: RE: BS: Mein Gott! Longest word expunged!
From: Bill D
Date: 04 Jun 13 - 12:03 PM

I am a proud antihypersesquipedalianist. We believe that when articulating extemporaneous and superficial decantations, we should beware of platitudinous ponderousness and phraseological bombast. We firmly eschew obfuscation and practice longanimous forbearance when faced with polysyllabic ponderosity.

Subject: RE: BS: Mein Gott! Longest word expunged!
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 04 Jun 13 - 06:38 PM

floccinaucinihilipilification

Pronunciation: /ˌflɒksɪˌnɔːsɪˌnɪhɪlɪˌpɪlɪfɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/
Definition of floccinaucinihilipilification
noun
[mass noun] rare

    the action or habit of estimating something as worthless.

Origin:

mid 18th century: from Latin flocci, nauci, nihili, pili (words meaning 'at little value') + -fication. The Latin elements were listed in a well-known rule of the Eton Latin Grammar

Arguably applicable to to the attitudes of some some posters to threads on Mudcat.

Don T.

Subject: RE: BS: Mein Gott! Longest word expunged!
From: GUEST,BobL
Date: 05 Jun 13 - 01:50 AM

Arethespacesbetweenwordsasimportantasthewordsthemselves?

Subject: RE: BS: Mein Gott! Longest word expunged!
From: Allan C.
Date: 05 Jun 13 - 07:52 AM

Why use a long word when a diminutive one will serve?

Subject: RE: BS: Mein Gott! Longest word expunged!
From: Rapparee
Date: 05 Jun 13 - 11:29 AM

Obfuscatory verbiage is too often utilized to mask both the user's veracity and his or her inability to communicate without obscuring the "noise" postulated in the classic Shannon-Weaver Theory.

Subject: RE: BS: Mein Gott! Longest word expunged!
From: GUEST,Chongo Chimp
Date: 05 Jun 13 - 04:08 PM

BillD? Yer a mug! Dust!* Same to you, Rap.

- Chongo


*"Dust!": 40's era slang. Means "get lost" or "hit the road".

Subject: RE: BS: Mein Gott! Longest word expunged!
From: Rapparee
Date: 05 Jun 13 - 10:55 PM

Speaking of "noise"....