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?
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?
- um = around
- die Welt = world
- die Umwelt = environment
- 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
- der Müll = garbage, trash, rubbish, litter
- -ung = -ing
- die Vermüllung = littering
- ver- = see before
- zweifeln = to doubt
- -ung = see before
- die Verzweiflung = despair, exasperation, desperation
die Umweltvermüllungsverzweiflung = …
This is a german compound on the spot master class and I am LIVING
- das Monster = monster
- das Wort = word
- der Groll = grudge, anger, malice, rancor
der Monsterwortgroll = …
Monsterwortbildungsimitationsunfähigkeitsverzweiflungsgroll
- die Bildung = formation
- die Imitation = imitation
- un- = un-, in-
- fähig = able
- -keit = -ility
- die Unfähigkeit = inability
der Monsterwortbildungsimitationsunfähigkeitsverzweiflungsgroll = anger about the inability to imitate the formation of monster words
Linguistikfehdenhandschuhwurf
- die Linguistik = linguistics
- die Fehde = feud
- der Handschuh = glove
- der Fehdehandschuh = gauntlet
- der Wurf = throw
der
Linguistikfehdenhandschuhwurf = throwing down the linguistic gauntlet
*slowly backs in fear*
@shiplocks-of-love, @thatswhywelovegermany
Monsterwortbildungsunfähigkeitsangstverzweiflungsrückzugsecke
Monster=monster // wort=word // bildung(s)=formation
unfähigkeit (s)=incabability // angst=anxiety
verzweiflung(s)=desperation // rückzug(s)=retreat // ecke=corner
=the corner in which you retreat when you´re desperate because of your fear when being unable to form monster words
*eye twitch*
But what I want to see now is two germans arguing over the construction of one of these monster words.
@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
Monsterwortbildungsgespür
Monster = monster
Wort = word
Bildung(s) = formation
Gespür = intuition
;-)
yourfavouritedoll