this post was submitted on 06 Jan 2025
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[–] hsdkfr734r@feddit.nl 54 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (3 children)

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

[–] IndiBrony@lemmy.world 22 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Reminds me of the Flammenwerfer!

[–] Spezi@feddit.org 8 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months 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)

[–] Vincent@feddit.nl 8 points 10 months 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.

[–] hsdkfr734r@feddit.nl 1 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months 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

[–] Vincent@feddit.nl 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

🇳🇱 Eekhoorntjesstaart! (And vlammenwerper of course.)

[–] hsdkfr734r@feddit.nl 2 points 10 months ago

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

[–] stroz 16 points 10 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] Successful_Try543@feddit.org 22 points 10 months 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.

[–] stroz 12 points 10 months ago

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

[–] stevedice@sh.itjust.works 3 points 10 months ago

So it's a girl house.