What is the longest word in your language, and what does it mean in English? (feddit.uk)

submitted 5 days ago by Diddlydee@feddit.uk to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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I love the German word verbesserungsbedürftig, meaning in need of improvement. I'm not German, but thought this was a cracking word.

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[-] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 30 points 5 days ago

Theoretically you can make infinitely long words in German.

[-] Lumidaub@feddit.org 39 points 5 days ago

Anglophonenwortkompositafaszinationsbelustigungsbauchschmerzmittelrezeptdruckerhersteller. Manufacturer of printers for prescriptions for painkillers for belly pain caused by amusement at anglophones' fascination with word compounds.

[-] espentan@lemmy.world 15 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Same in Norwegian.

Looks like this one is a popular candidate for the longest official word:

Minoritetsladningsbærerdiffusjonskoeffisientmålingsapparatur.

It's an instrument for measuring the distance between particles in crystalline materials.

[-] Ephera@lemmy.ml 10 points 5 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Yeah, Wikipedia tells me the longest word that was actually in use is Grundstücksverkehrsgenehmigungszuständigkeitsübertragungsverordnung. It was a decree from 2003 until 2007.

Basically:

"Grundstück" is a plot of land.
"Verkehr" is ~~traffic~~ "trade" in this context.
"Genehmigung" is approval.
"Zuständigkeit" is responsibility.
"Übertragung" is transfer.
"Verordnung" is decree.

So, it decreed that the responsibility of approving ~~traffic on~~ trade of private plots of land should be transferred (to a different government body).

[-] elvith@feddit.org 3 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

While technically correct, the word Verkehr here does not translate to traffic, but rather belongs to the compound Verkehrsgenehmigung which is roughly a trade permit for selling a plot of land or using it as a collateral on a loan.

[-] Ephera@lemmy.ml 2 points 5 days ago

Damn, seems you're right. For folks reading along: That's not how that word usually works in German, but I guess, it is how it works in German legalese...

[-] elvith@feddit.org 3 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

German legalese has Verkehr as a reference to in Verkehr bringen which means put something on the market / put something on circulation.

But it's hard to recognize /learn because

Verkehr almost(?) always means traffic outside of legalese and
There are also traffic laws, that also use Verkehr but really mean traffic

this post was submitted on 30 Mar 2025

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