this post was submitted on 06 Jan 2025
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[–] [email protected] 55 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (3 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 22 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Reminds me of the Flammenwerfer!

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days 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] 6 points 2 days 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 day ago* (last edited 1 day 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 day ago (1 children)

🇳🇱 Eekhoorntjesstaart! (And vlammenwerper of course.)

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

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

[–] [email protected] 18 points 2 days 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 2 days 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 2 days ago

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

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

So it's a girl house.