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And we don't expect dictionaries to contain every compound word you could come up with in German either.
by account42 9mo ago
And we don't expect dictionaries to contain every compound word you could come up with in German either.
- ben_w 9mo agoNot the ones that someone could come up with, just the ones people do use.
- netsharc 9mo agoYour examples are ridiculous though.. The meaning of "[G]esundheitszeugnis" can be derived if you understand the 2 words. Meanwhile, a Bahnhof would be a "Yard/square of lanes" if one didn't get taught that it's "train station". Although I suppose anyone learning German will quickly learn that "Bahn" is something to do with trains. Unless it's Autobahn. Or Schwimmbahn.
- ben_w 9mo agoWhy are they ridiculous? Words that get used, get used, the etymology is a curiosity to most. In English, we use "computer" even though it used to be a job title. Native English speakers freely use "rucksack" even though it was stolen from German and even though "backpack" is also available, without the space, as a compound English word for a pack worn on the back. English/German has "briefcase"/"Briefkasten" to describe a box that letters go in, it's just that the former is for transporting letters and the latter is for receiving them.