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To: Marla Starr
German only has 200,000 words, or 1/5 of the number in English.

True, but you can also make as many new words in German as you wish. Just hook them together one long jumble.

There is supposedly a German word,

"Mississippischaufelraddampferkapitänsmützenfabrikbesitzer",

that has been used at least once in print. It means the owner of a factory for making hats for captains of paddle boats on the Mississippi.

So the number of German words is really infinite. Any combination of words that can be conceived can be used as a legitimate word.

-ccm

77 posted on 03/25/2006 11:09:13 PM PST by ccmay (Too much Law; not enough Order)
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To: ccmay; Atlantic Bridge
"Mississippischaufelraddampferkapitänsmützenfabrikbesitzer",

LOL! Never seen that one ;^)
However, as far as I know such long words aren't something you encounter in everyday German and especially these extra-long words are just made up for fun because you can and not because you have to.

80 posted on 03/26/2006 6:23:42 AM PST by BMCDA (If the human brain were so simple that we could understand it,we would be so simple that we couldn't)
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