{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
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  "path": "/post/814001403406286848",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-15T22:30:31.000Z",
  "site": "https://allthingslinguistic.com",
  "tags": [
    "german",
    "there's a word for it",
    "words",
    "compounds",
    "linguist humour",
    "linguistics",
    "compounding",
    "the-lax-disciple",
    "thatswhywelovegermany",
    "mareebrittenford",
    "randomgerman",
    "linguistness",
    "woolhattery",
    "a-german-learning-clown",
    "melmey-fanfics",
    "shiplocks-of-love",
    "meetinginsamarra",
    "wildflower182",
    "linguistikforum",
    "thiswontbebigondignity",
    "latveriansnailmail",
    "my german is still too basic for this but I desperately want a compound word for how much these compound words piss me off",
    "@shiplocks-of-love",
    "@thatswhywelovegermany"
  ],
  "textContent": "the-lax-disciple:\n\n> thatswhywelovegermany:\n>\n>> mareebrittenford:\n>>\n>>> randomgerman:\n>>>\n>>>> linguistness:\n>>>>\n>>>>> thatswhywelovegermany:\n>>>>>\n>>>>>> woolhattery:\n>>>>>>\n>>>>>>> a-german-learning-clown:\n>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>> melmey-fanfics:\n>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>> shiplocks-of-love:\n>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>> meetinginsamarra:\n>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>> shiplocks-of-love:\n>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>> thatswhywelovegermany:\n>>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>> wildflower182:\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>> thatswhywelovegermany:\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> linguistikforum:\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> thatswhywelovegermany:\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> thiswontbebigondignity:\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> thatswhywelovegermany:\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> latveriansnailmail:\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> thatswhywelovegermany:\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Honestly, as a German I can not quite understand the obsession of the English speaking world with the question whether a word exists or not. If you have to express something for which there is no word, you have to make a new one, preferably by combining well-known words, and in the very same moment it starts to exist. Agree?\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Deutsche Freunde, could you please create for me a word for the extreme depression I feel when I bend down to pick up a piece of litter and discover two more pieces of litter?\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>     * _um_ = around\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>     * _die Welt_ = world\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>   * _die Umwelt_ = environment\n>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>     * _ver_ = prefix to indicate something difficult or negative, a change that leads to deterioration or even destruction that is difficult to reverse or to undo, or a strong negative change of the mental state of a person\n>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>     * _der Müll_ = garbage, trash, rubbish, litter\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>     * _-ung_ = -ing\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>   * _die Vermüllung_ = littering\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>     * _ver-_ = see before\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>     * _zweifeln_ = to doubt\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>     * _-ung_ = see before\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>   * _die Verzweiflung_ = despair, exasperation, desperation\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> **_die Umweltvermüllungsverzweiflung_ = …**\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> This is a german compound on the spot master class and I am LIVING\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> #my german is still too basic for this but I desperately want a compound word for how much these compound words piss me off\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>   * _das Monster_ = monster\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>   * _das Wort_ = word\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>   * _der Groll_ = grudge, anger, malice, rancor\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> **_der Monsterwortgroll_ = …**\n>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Monsterwortbildungsimitationsunfähigkeitsverzweiflungsgroll\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>   * _die Bildung_ = formation\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>   * _die Imitation_ = imitation\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>   *     * _un-_ = un-, in-\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>     * _fähig_ = able\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>     * _-keit_ = -ility\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>   * _die Unfähigkeit_ = inability\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> _der Monsterwortbildungsimitationsunfähigkeitsverzweiflungsgroll_ = anger about the inability to imitate the formation of monster words\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>> _Linguistikfehdenhandschuhwurf_\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>   * _die Linguistik_ = linguistics\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>     * _die Fehde_ = feud\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>     * _der Handschuh_ = glove\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>   * _der Fehdehandschuh_ = gauntlet\n>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>   * _der Wurf_ = throw\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n\n>>>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>> **_der Linguistikfehdenhandschuhwurf_ = throwing down the linguistic gauntlet**\n>\n>>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>>> *slowly backs in fear*\n>\n>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>> @shiplocks-of-love, @thatswhywelovegermany\n>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>> **Monsterwortbildungsunfähigkeitsangstverzweiflungsrückzugsecke**\n>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>> Monster=monster // wort=word // bildung(s)=formation\n>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>> unfähigkeit (s)=incabability // angst=anxiety\n>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>> verzweiflung(s)=desperation // rückzug(s)=retreat // ecke=corner\n>>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>>> =the corner in which you retreat when you´re desperate because of your fear when being unable to form monster words\n>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>> *eye twitch*\n>>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>>> But what I want to see now is two germans arguing over the construction of one of these monster words.\n>\n>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>> @shiplocks-of-love I don’t think that will happen. The words make perfect sense. I think if German is your mother tongue you get a feeling for combining words, like a\n>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>> **Monsterwortbildungsgespür**\n>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>> Monster = monster\n>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>> Wort = word\n>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>> Bildung(s) = formation\n>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>> Gespür = intuition\n>>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>>> ;-)\n>>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>>> 🤡\n>>>>>>>\n>>>>>>> Sprachirrgartenbelustigungsbeitrag\n>>>>>>\n>>>>>>   * _die Sprache_ = language\n>>>>>>   * • _irren_ = to become lost (also: to err, to be mistaken; to wander, to stray)\n>>>>>>   * • _der Garten_ = garden\n>>>>>>   *  _der Irrgarten_ = maze, knot garden\n>>>>>>   * • _be-_ = prefix with a variety of functions: **¹** as part of a compound word, it denotes a processing or change of state; **²** as part of a compound word, it denotes a touch; **³** as part of a compound word, it denotes a more intensive preoccupation with or thematization of something; **⁴** it forms from a noun an adjective with a pseudo-participle form because the corresponding verb does not exist; **⁵** as a prefix, it forms a transitive verb from a previously intransitive verb; **⁶** as a prefix of a verb, it shifts the focus and thus changes the sentence structure\n>>>>>>   * • _lustig_ = funny\n>>>>>>   * • _-ung_ = suffix turning an adjective/adverb into a noun\n>>>>>>   *  _die Belustigung_ = amusement, entertainment, merriment\n>>>>>>   *  _der Beitrag_ = contribution, article in a newspaper or magazine, posting on social media, input to a discussion\n>>>>>>\n\n>>>>>\n>>>>> Bloody love this language <3<3<3\n>>>>\n>>>> The thing is, since in German you have to decline/conjugate many words in relation to the noun they are refering to those monster words actually serve a purpose of making the language simpler.\n>\n> A common example is a (as in any) red wine (_ein roter Wein_) as compaired to the compound a red wine (_ein Rotwein_). If _rot_ is an adjective it has to be conjugated: _der rote Wein - des roten Weins - die roten Weine_ - and many more. But it if _rot_ is part of the noun you only have to decline _Wein_ : d _er Rotwein - des Rotweins - die Rotweine_.\n>\n> So, _die Verzweiflung über die Vermüllung der Umwelt_ is way longer than _Umweltvermüllungsverzweiflung_ and you would have to know three grammatical genders and the words’ respective declinations. Whereas for _Umweltvermüllungsverzweiflung_ you only need to know that _Verzweiflung_ is grammatically feminine (_die_) and its deklinations.\n>>>\n>>> Ok, now I want to see Germans playing Scrabble\n>\n> Doomscrollaufhellungsrepost\n>\n> Doom scroll // self explanatory\n>\n> auf- // lit.: „up“ indicates rising, or something becoming bigger, better, healthier\n>\n> hell // bright\n>\n> aufhellen // to brighten something up\n>\n> -ung // makes a verb a noun\n>\n> -s- // the glue that keeps german compound words together\n>\n> repost // self explanatory\n>\n> Doomscrollaufhellungsrepost // a repost to brighten up your doom scroll\n>\n>\n>\n>\n> You‘re Welcome!\n\nThe thing that I always want to point out to English speakers marvelling at German compounds is that we do this too! It’s a thing that Germanic languages are especially prone to!\n\nIt’s just conventional in English to keep writing spaces in between larger compounds, whereas in German it’s conventional to remove them. But they sound the same! Grammatically, they’re identical!\n\nYou could call it the…\n\nEnglish-German compound word space omission overadmiration fallacy",
  "title": "the-lax-disciple:\n\nthatswhywelovegermany:mareebrittenford:\n\nrandomgerman:\n\nlinguistness:\n\nthatswhywel..."
}