Hey everyone,
welcome to day 20 of our Advent Calendar,
and today, we’ll play a little game with German compounds:
We’ll create the longest compound ever.
Now, you might have heard one of these two as the most longest word ever…
- Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaftskapitän
- Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz
Those two did get their butts handed to them, though, in 2003 when the parliament passed this piece of legislatio
- Grundstücksverkehrsgenehmigungszuständigkeitsübertragungsverordnung
Ironically, the actual law text isn’t much longer than its title. I am not kidding!!!! You can find it here.
But yeah, today we’ll create something that is MUCH longer and much more beautiful with our game called
** Compound Chain **
Here’s how it works:
I start with one compound made up of two nouns, for instance
Weihnachtsgeschenk (christmas present) . The next person takes
the second half (Geschenk) uses it as the start of a new compound… like…
say… Geschenkpapier (present wrap) and so on and so and so on.
- Weihnachtsgeschenk
- Geschenkpapier
- Papierstern
- Sternschnuppe… oh wait, that’s kind of a dead end, so let’s continue with Stern.
- Sternbild
- Bild….
- ….
Easy right?
What’s there to win?
Everything!
A word that is an allegory for life – chaotic and yet full of meaning and beauty. A word that is a symbol for infinity – because it has no determined end. A word that shows us how quantum physics in language – because its gender is only ever fixed the moment you look at it.
Seriously though.. it’s just a fun little game to train vocabulary, creativity and to learn a bit about how compounds are compounded because I will correct you guys, if you get the connection wrong. You know… like, if you’re missing one of those connection letters.
Oh, and if you want you can try and use it in a sentence and I’ll correct you.
Now, since I have to approve some comments before they show, it’ll probably be a bit of a mess and we’ll have chains with loose ends, parallel univer… I mean chains. But hey, that’s just how it is. Let’s just have fun :).
So here’s the word we’re gonna start with:
“Wintersonne“
First person to comment pick up Sonne and so on and so on.
I’m really curious where we’ll go.
Viel Spaß und bis morgen.
Buchpreisbindung
Bestimmungsbuch
Stimmungsschwankungen?! (angry asking) Stimmungsschwankungen… (thoughtful, dreamy) Stimmungsschwankungen. (crying, sad) Stimmungsschwankungen! (unbelieving) Stimmungsschwankungen. (resignative) Stimmungsschwankungen. (paranoid, angsty) Stimmungsschwankungen. (calm) Stimmungsschwankungen. (singing, celebratory) Stimmungsschwankungen. (happy, joyful) Stimmungsschwankungen! (cursing, asking “why me?” tone)
Stolen from Simpsons. Here to rewatch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igZcldmrWd8
I guess it’s “mood swings” in English. I wonder which word works better here. Three syllables more are a good help for expressing mood in the tone. But I guess I am totally biased as the native tongue always has an edge in such things.
Angebotsbestimmungen
pfff… all these bureaucratic words XD
Kostenlosangebot
Kostenbegrenzung
Wartungskosten
Fahrzeugwartung
Entwurfsfahrzeug
Nice one!!
Just a quick summary of what we have so far:
– Sonnenschirmherrschaftspannergrifflochmustervertragsentwurf
Awful.
Vertragsentwurf
Vertragzulassunng
I know it’s hard to believe but we really do add an extra “s” between both words.
Vertragszulassung
sonnenschein
Mustervertrag
Lochmuster
Griffloch oder Handlungsspielraum
Irgendwie ne schöne Kombo:
Das Griffloch lässt wenig Handlungsspielraum. :)
sonnenschirmschaftspannerhandle
“handle” = “Griff”, hence we’re at “Spannergriff”. Is that right?
Drawing please :)
Herrschaftssystem
Mein Hund aß meine holzen Schaftspanner und jetzt muss ich meine Stiefel mit Bier füllen, damit sie nicht in einer Ecke stehen, allein und leer.
Schaftspanner
I did not know this word existed. In fact, I did not know this THING existed
https://www.google.de/search?q=schaftspanner&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwixtP3PyJnYAhXQb1AKHbNoB50Q_AUICygC&biw=1242&bih=579
What’s that in English??
Boot tree! Or boot block. A Shuhspanner is a shoe tree (or shoe block). Keeps riding boots (Schaftspanner) in shape when not being worn. A Schuspanner keeps shoes in shape when they are not being worn – sorta like a fake foot to give the shoe/boot something to hug. Mine are all in cedar, but the cedar scent wears off quickly – however, they are nicer than plastic ones. It should have been “Mein Einhorn aß meine holzen Schaftspanner…” Honestly, I don’t even have a dog…
Oh, I know Schuhspanner. Mine are from Unicorn-Ivory. Scent never wears off, ever.