Learning a new language is a permanent fixture on my bucket list, and so I have tried to learn (and then slowly forgotten) as much as I could language-wise in every country I’ve lived in. With the exception of Thai, where the same word could mean fish sauce or pussy juice based on the tone, I’ve managed to make some headway into small talk, at the very least.
And so, here I am in Germany, learning the good old Deutsch. And while it drives me crazy most days, there are some true gems in the language. Take for example their strange addiction to combining a tonne of words together to make an entirely new word.
This has resulted in the creation of a stunningly beautiful WORD – Die Eierlegendewollmilchsau.
Eier = Egg. Legende = Laying. Woll = Wool. Milch = Milk. Sau = Sow/Pig.
The word means precisely it’s literal translation. An egg laying, wolly, milk giving pig. This is the German word for ‘A Perfect Person’ or a superwoman, someone who can do everything and do it amazingly!
“Not only does my boss expect me to work on 3 projects at the same time, he also expects me to make him coffee, babysit his children and answer my phone at all times of day. What does he think I am? Die Eierladendewollmilchsau?!!”
Also interestingly, the article ‘the’, takes on the female form in German. Which means that this Eierladenwollmilchsau is a woman! But of course!
This Labyrinth I Roam 
(EN) Love your post and… love die deutsche Sprache😉. Thanks for sharing
(IT) Mi piace molto il tuo post e…mi piace molto die deutsche Sprache😉. Grazie per la condivisione
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And now I know a little Italian 😂 thank you for your comment
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(EN) Welcome…funny and beautiful world of languages😊
(IT) Prego… divertente e bellissimo mondo delle lingue😊
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Ah. Portmanteau words taken to the extreme. Or perhaps not because I believe portmanteau words are supposed to be only two words melded. The Germans take everything to extremes.
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Guess what ‘speed limit’ is in German? Geschwindishkeitbeschränkungen! 🙄🙄🙄
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Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung is the correct term. But only in Germany (?) there are streets without Speed Limit.
Ok, a riddle:
During the day it is ‚das Korn und der Weizen‘, at the evening: ‚der Korn und das Weizen.‘
Explain the difference!
🙃😎😂🍺
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Hahaha. I can’t believe I spelt it the way I pronounce it. My teacher would be so upset! And prost! I get the difference. Und jetzt werde ich mir ein Kölsch kaufen!
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Can’t, so you do please? Meaning, and why the der and das change places!
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The change of article is the joke. Das Korn and Der Weizen indicates bread. Der Korn and Das Weizen indicates alcohol (brandy and beer respectively). It’s a very German thing that I hope I understood correctly 😂 both are made from the same raw materials
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That is fascinating! Mind you, I imagine a lot of major changes can come about by switching articles around! 🙂
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I know. It’s completely insane and also amazing!
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That’s it. Both words ‘Korn’ and ‘Weizen’ have a double meaning. Funnily, however, the articles are different.
There is a guessing game (for kids) in Germany, they call it “Teekesselchen” (means small teapot (don’t ask why…)), so you have to guess two terms.
You have to say:
My ‘Teekesselchen’ you can drink. – With my ‘Teekesselchen’ you can bake bread.
There are two solutions: der/das Korn (booze or schnapps / grain) and der/das Weizen (wheat / beer).
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Oh, wow. English is certainly not alone in giving scope for wordplay!
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Oooh yeah. We learnt about these just the other day. Like schlange is snake but also a long queue. It’s funny!
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Oh yes. There are sentences you can read from beginning to the end or vv. It‘s the same.
But the eierlegende Wollmilchsau is always great and every German knows about this (female) Specialist… 😎
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I can’t wait to learn more!
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Perfect!
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Oh a mistake by me: Geschwindigkeitsbeschränkung.
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I am proud that I was able to translate that without help, although when I got to the pig part I thought I had gone wrong.
We have a classic in Afrikaans with a place name: Tweebuffelsmeteenskootmorsdoodgeskietfontein, or ‘two- buffalo-with-one-shot-shot-completely-dead-fountain’.
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Say what? 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 That word will give me night terrors! Is Afrikaans similar to German?
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Based on Dutch, German and a touch of French, plus influences from African languages.
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If you add a bit of Spanish and mandarin to it. It’ll be the perfect language
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