Sorry Chuck.  Your wikipedia article doesn't contain a cited source.  If
you're going to lob monkey poo in a flame war, at least have the sense to
not cite a wikipedia article that itself does not contain a verifiable
citation.  While there may be *something* to the origin of the word, I'm
forced to consider it unsubstantiated none-the-less.

That doesn't mean I don't like it.  In fact, I love it.

Can we come up with a long, ridiculous german word for "flame war on the
proper use of german on the internetz as it pertains to
schutzengrabenabwehrvernichtungskraftfahrwagen?"   I bet that would be
hella-long.

-Rob


On Wed, Jun 30, 2010 at 4:20 PM, Chuck Cole <cncole at earthlink.net> wrote:

> Check the web and correct those sources.  This is not my invention: I used
> several web references to refresh my memories from German and linguistics.
>  This is prevalent, if not entirely precise and accurate.
>
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Reference_desk/Archives/Language/2006_December_11
>
>
> My German teacher back in college is where I first heard this, and later in
> linguistic refrences.  Perhaps you don't have enough gray hair.  This *is* a
> linguist's issue, and you say that is not your strength.  Long
> concatenations were common German usage 40 or more years ago, but I would
> not be surprised to find that modern usage has moved away from that as
> technology lingo became more commonplace and concatenation too cumbersome.
>
> Sorry, but yours is the specious and undocumented bullshit.
>
> Chuck
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: tclug-list-bounces at mn-linux.org
> > [mailto:tclug-list-bounces at mn-linux.org]On Behalf Of Munir Nassar
> > Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 2010 9:44 AM
> > To: TCLUG Mailing List
> > Subject: Re: [tclug-list] What distros do you no longer use?
> >
> >
> > 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.
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
> > tclug-list at mn-linux.org
> > http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list
> >
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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