On Tue, Jun 29, 2010 at 18:39, Chuck Cole <cncole at earthlink.net> wrote:
> Language perspective, not argument:  The old German WWI word for a military
> tank was "schutzengrabenabwehrvernichtungskraftfahrwagen".  That was a
> Guiness record for word length.  Is there any wonder why it wasn't long
> before people more often used "tank".  Even Germans often used a shorter
> term "panzerauto" by WWII.  I'm among those that prefer the shorter term
> Linux and find GNU adequately embedded, as are Torvald, open source
> operating system, etc.

I call bullshit, i am not a linguist, but i speak german. Contrary to
popular belief stringing together any number of words does not work,
they have to make sense. "Schutzen Graben" is a defensive ditch,
"Abwehr" is counter fire or defence, "vernichtung" is destruction,
"kraft" is power, usually a prefix to a machine. ("LKW", or "Last
Kraft Wagen" is heavy load power automobile or what we would call a
truck, tractor trailer) "fahr" is drive, and "wagen" is wagon/car. As
you can see stringing these words together is rather nonsensical, at
best i can translate it to mean: the destruction of the defence(noun)
in the defensive ditch with a drivable powered wagon.The german
wikipedia article calls the first german tank: "schweren Kampfwagen"
or Heavy Combat Wagon.

as for the 2nd word, the pre-WW2 german word for tank was "Schwerer
Schlepper", which means Heavy Tractor. the reason being is that
Germany was forbidden from building any sort of offensive military
equipment and the soldiers and everybody who knew about these
"tractors" was most likely sure to be told to keep their mouths shut
to keep the secret in(not that it really was a secret). in any case
the official name for tank in German before and during WW2 was "Panzer
Kampf Wagen", Armoured Combat Wagon, and would most likely be
shortened to Panzer or PanzerWagen or referred to by their military
designation (Panzer III, Tiger I, Panther). PanzerAuto would refer
more to an armoured car.