“Rindfleischetikettierungsueberwachungsaufgabenuebertragungsgesetz” is the longest word in the German language. This Deutsch tongue twister is conveniently abbreviated as “RkReÜAÜG.” It means “law delegating beef label monitoring” and connotes efforts to combat a deadly disease. This word has 63 letters and it was born in 1999 in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania during the BSE or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) crisis – mad cow disease in layman’s terms. A linguistic expert at the Free University of Berlin, Prof. Anatol Stefanowitsch said that RkReÜAÜG was the longest authentic German word.
Compound German nouns
German words are not like English words. They can go on for infinity. The practice is to just keep adding an extra concept to an existing word. Deutsch has the reputation for creating Bandwurmwörter or compound words to describe a legal or scientific term (mostly in chemistry). They are popularly known in Germany as “tapeworm words.” Mark Twain has referred to these infamous compound German words as “alphabetic processions marching majestically across the page.”
No more need for it
The longest word was repealed with a legislation that was passed in order to conform to standards of the European Union with regard to cattle testing. The EU has called for the abolishment of testing of healthy cattle that used to be done in abattoirs. And with this new regulation in place, there is no need for the word anymore. Authorities in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern have now retired “Rindfleischetikettierungsueberwachungsaufgabenuebertragungsgesetz” to the history books.
Is it in the German dictionary?
Because the really long German words are rarely used, they are usually not included in standard German dictionaries. Duden, the publisher of what is the most extensive Deutsch dictionary to date requires a word to be “in common parlance” to be included in the word listing. What is now the former longest German word, “Rindfleischetikettierungsueberwachungsaufgabenuebertragungsgesetz” was in official texts but not in dictionaries mainly because it was rather “uncomfortable.” Another basis for inclusion is the frequency of use and it was not used much either, not even the abbreviation which is almost unpronounceable.
Longest word contenders
Now that the former longer word does not exist anymore, there is an ongoing search for the newest longest German word. The longest word in the Duden German language dictionary today is “Kraftfahrzeughaftpflichtversicherung” with 36 letters, and denotes “automobile liability insurance.” American writer and humorist Mark Twain referred to this particular compound German word as “a word so long it has perspective.”
A good contender for the top post has 49 letters: “Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaftskapitaenswitwe” which means “widow of a steamboat company captain in the Danube. Germans use compound words in everyday life the longest of which is “Rechtsschutzversicherungsgesellschaften” with 39 letters. It means “insurance companies providing legal protection.” The word is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.
RkReÜAÜG’s long road to the top
Germany did not take on RkReÜAÜG that readily. It was recognized as the longest word only after eight years and only when the 67-letter title holder was retired in 2007. The torch was passed to RkReÜAÜG from a word which means “regulation governing the delegation of authority pertaining to land conveyance permissions.” And the word is “Grundstücksverkehrsgenehmigungszuständigkeitsübertragungsverordnung.”
Photo Credit: Image of a Cow with BSE
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