Learned something cool today

[JohnL]

I found out that the German word for history has the German word for "layers" in it.

[Robert]

Layers as in levels or layers as in chickens?

[Szdfan]

I found out that the German word for history has the German word for "layers" in it.

Geschichte? That’s pretty common in German. It’s super easy to build German words from other words, which is why they have some super long words. What’s really interesting is the kind of nuances you get with it — i.e. history being understood as “layers.”

[JohnL]

Layers as in levels or layers as in chickens?

Lasagne
What SZDFAN said.

[Heirbyadoption]

I found out that the German word for history has the German word for "layers" in it.

Geschichte? That’s pretty common in German. It’s super easy to build German words from other words, which is why they have some super long words. What’s really interesting is the kind of nuances you get with it — i.e. history being understood as “layers.”

"Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz" - layers indeed. Trying saying THAT one three times fast. If I remember right though, there is another longer one that got in the Guinness Book of World Records, but its not formally recognized or something...

[Bootstrap]

I found out that the German word for history has the German word for "layers" in it.

Geschichte? That’s pretty common in German. It’s super easy to build German words from other words, which is why they have some super long words. What’s really interesting is the kind of nuances you get with it — i.e. history being understood as “layers.”

"Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz" - layers indeed. Trying saying THAT one three times fast. If I remember right though, there is another longer one that got in the Guinness Book of World Records, but its not formally recognized or something...

Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz (63 letters)

"Beef labeling supervision duties delegation law" — a now-obsolete law from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It’s often cited as one of the longest words to have appeared in official use, but you don't see it in normal German.

Donaudampfschifffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft (79 letters)

"Association for subordinate officials of the head office management of the Danube steamboat electrical services" — a famously playful example, not generally used in daily life.

Grundstücksverkehrsgenehmigungszuständigkeitsübertragungsverordnung (67 letters)

"Regulation on the delegation of authority concerning land conveyance permissions" — a genuine bureaucratic term that you will see in the wild.

Here are some more you see in real life:

Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflichtversicherung (36 letters)
"Motor vehicle liability insurance" — appears in insurance policies, accident reports, and legal forms involving traffic accidents.

Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz (36 letters)
"Federal Training Assistance Act" — the official name of the German law (BAföG) regulating student financial aid.

Krankenhausbehandlungskostenabrechnung (39 letters)
"Hospital treatment cost billing" — used in hospital administration and insurance paperwork to itemize patient charges.

Lebensmittelüberwachungsbehörde (33 letters)
"Food safety inspection authority" — refers to the government body responsible for enforcing food safety standards.

Verkehrsinfrastrukturfinanzierungsgesellschaft (43 letters)
"Transport infrastructure financing company" — the official name of an organization managing German transport project funding.

Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung (32 letters)
"Doctor’s certificate of incapacity to work" — a required document for workplace sick leave.

Rentenversicherungsbeitragsnachweis (39 letters)
"Pension insurance contribution statement" — an official report for Germany’s public retirement system.

Datenschutzgrundverordnung (31 letters)
"General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)" — the EU privacy regulation, widely mentioned in compliance notices and websites.

Waffenbesitzkartenpflicht (29 letters)
"Requirement to have a firearms possession card" — used in discussions about German gun laws and permits.

Verkehrssicherheitsüberprüfung (33 letters)
"Traffic safety inspection" — refers to official checks on vehicles or infrastructure to ensure compliance with safety standards.

[Bootstrap]

I found out that the German word for history has the German word for "layers" in it.

Geschichte? That’s pretty common in German. It’s super easy to build German words from other words, which is why they have some super long words. What’s really interesting is the kind of nuances you get with it — i.e. history being understood as “layers.”

Sadly, this isn’t the origin of the word.

Schicht (“layer”) looks like the -schichte in Geschichte, but they come from different roots and are not historically related.

In Middle High German, geschihte meant “event” or “story of events,” evolving into today’s “history.” It comes from the past participle geschehen → geschehen/geschicht in older forms of German.

So I’m afraid etymology — like history — has many layers. And no, not chickens. “Layers” as in strata and “layers” as in hens that lay eggs actually do come from the same root.

[ohio jones]

There’s a great power in words, if you don’t hitch too many of them together. ~ Josh Billings, who was obviously not German

Pity the Deutsche Schulkinder who have to learn to spell their address:
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (21 letters excluding the hyphen)
Ohio (4 letters)

[Szdfan]

I found out that the German word for history has the German word for "layers" in it.

Geschichte? That’s pretty common in German. It’s super easy to build German words from other words, which is why they have some super long words. What’s really interesting is the kind of nuances you get with it — i.e. history being understood as “layers.”

Sadly, this isn’t the origin of the word.

Schicht (“layer”) looks like the -schichte in Geschichte, but they come from different roots and are not historically related.

In Middle High German, geschihte meant “event” or “story of events,” evolving into today’s “history.” It comes from the past participle geschehen → geschehen/geschicht in older forms of German.

So I’m afraid etymology — like history — has many layers. And no, not chickens. “Layers” as in strata and “layers” as in hens that lay eggs actually do come from the same root.

I stand corrected. Thanks.

[Heirbyadoption]

Geschichte? That’s pretty common in German. It’s super easy to build German words from other words, which is why they have some super long words. What’s really interesting is the kind of nuances you get with it — i.e. history being understood as “layers.”

"Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz" - layers indeed. Trying saying THAT one three times fast. If I remember right though, there is another longer one that got in the Guinness Book of World Records, but its not formally recognized or something...

Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz (63 letters)

"Beef labeling supervision duties delegation law" — a now-obsolete law from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It’s often cited as one of the longest words to have appeared in official use, but you don't see it in normal German.

Donaudampfschifffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft (79 letters)

"Association for subordinate officials of the head office management of the Danube steamboat electrical services" — a famously playful example, not generally used in daily life.

Grundstücksverkehrsgenehmigungszuständigkeitsübertragungsverordnung (67 letters)

"Regulation on the delegation of authority concerning land conveyance permissions" — a genuine bureaucratic term that you will see in the wild.

Here are some more you see in real life:

Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflichtversicherung (36 letters)
"Motor vehicle liability insurance" — appears in insurance policies, accident reports, and legal forms involving traffic accidents.

Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz (36 letters)
"Federal Training Assistance Act" — the official name of the German law (BAföG) regulating student financial aid.

Krankenhausbehandlungskostenabrechnung (39 letters)
"Hospital treatment cost billing" — used in hospital administration and insurance paperwork to itemize patient charges.

Lebensmittelüberwachungsbehörde (33 letters)
"Food safety inspection authority" — refers to the government body responsible for enforcing food safety standards.

Verkehrsinfrastrukturfinanzierungsgesellschaft (43 letters)
"Transport infrastructure financing company" — the official name of an organization managing German transport project funding.

Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung (32 letters)
"Doctor’s certificate of incapacity to work" — a required document for workplace sick leave.

Rentenversicherungsbeitragsnachweis (39 letters)
"Pension insurance contribution statement" — an official report for Germany’s public retirement system.

Datenschutzgrundverordnung (31 letters)
"General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)" — the EU privacy regulation, widely mentioned in compliance notices and websites.

Waffenbesitzkartenpflicht (29 letters)
"Requirement to have a firearms possession card" — used in discussions about German gun laws and permits.

Verkehrssicherheitsüberprüfung (33 letters)
"Traffic safety inspection" — refers to official checks on vehicles or infrastructure to ensure compliance with safety standards.

Imagine the killing we could make if we started holding motivational conferences on punctuation and word simplification...