this post was submitted on 06 Jan 2025
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[–] [email protected] 56 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

Uvula? The german says Gaumenzäpfchen. It's a Zäpfchen and it's dangling from the Gaumen. Makes sense, no?

[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Reminds me of the Flammenwerfer!

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

It’s literally a 1:1 translation of Flamethrower.

There are much better examples for long German words beeing short in English like

Toy = Spielzeug (Play Stuff)

Mall = Einkaufszentrum (Shopping Centre)

Sale = Schlussverkauf (End sale)

Matchbox = Streichholzschachtel (Swipe wood box)

Lighter = Feuerzeug (Fire Creator)

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I don't think that was intended as an example of a long German word being short in English. Rather, it was an example of the meaning of a word being clear from the word itself.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

To me it was both. The descriptive nature of words on the one hand and the word length which often comes with it on the other.

Eichhörnchenschwanz is one more nice example (it also works with dialects: oachkatzlschwoaf - an oak cat's tail) :D

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

🇳🇱 Eekhoorntjesstaart! (And vlammenwerper of course.)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Google insists that I must have mistyped eekhoorntjestaart. Who am I to argue? 🤷‍♀️

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Didn't know I'd be thinking about a "palate suppository" when I woke up today, but here it is.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The word Zäpfchen itself is the diminutive of Zapfen, a stud, peg or pin. E.g. the fruits of needle trees are also called Zapfen, Tannen-, Fichten- or Kiefernzapfen. So Gaumenzäpfchen is a small stud dangling down from the palate.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 month ago

This makes way more sense! (and also makes it obvious I currently do not speak German 😅)

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

So it's a girl house.