this post was submitted on 12 Jul 2025
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Any language, explain what it means if it's not English.

For example (as a non-native speaker) I've always liked the English word 'unprecedented', mostly in the context of fiction. Especially if it paints some entity to be really mystical or wondrous or it's own never before seen order of magnitude in any way.

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[–] wizzor@sopuli.xyz 27 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Epäjärjestelmällistyttämättömyydelläänsäkäänköhän.

It's the longest word you can make in Finnish without using compounds, which can be infinite length.

It means, very loosely translated "I wonder if the outcome was a result of their lack of ability to cause others to be disorganized. "

I know, Finnish is an enviable language.

[–] folkrav@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Am I understanding that Finnish has a way to combine words without being considered to be a compound? My very limited exposure to compound words (through German) was the very idea of mashing the words together made them compound.

[–] wizzor@sopuli.xyz 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

We have a concept of word inflection, which can be used to replace a lot of words that English would use to denote something being a question, ownership markers, causes and effects etc.

Compounds are fun too, since you can do chaining:

Viskibassokitaravahvistinpiiri

Whisky base guitar amplifier circuit

[–] Ephera@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 weeks ago

We have a concept of word inflection, which can be used to replace a lot of words that English would use to denote something being a question, ownership markers, causes and effects etc.

I don't speak Finnish, but I believe a good example for such an inflection is how in English you can glue an -s to words to make them plural. In some other languages, you say "many word" instead, because they don't have such an inflection.

[–] watson387@sopuli.xyz 17 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] nebulaone@lemmy.world 15 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

English: Spaghettification (being ripped/stretched apart extremely violently)

Oh and almost forgot: Yeet is an actual word now, so that as well.

German: Zeitgeist (so well known you've probably heard it already ["spirit of the times"])

Programming languages: print("lol, lmao even.");

[–] grillgamesh@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

antidisestablishmentarianism. its a fun word to say.

[–] lattrommi@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

i feel the same way about pneumonoultramicroscopicsyllacovolcanoconiosis. it's fun to say!

it's not considered a real word anymore (and from what i gather, never really was a real word, in the opinion of the english nerds who decide such things) but i learned how to say it, dammit! i can't unlearn that!

i might have even learned how to spell it correctly. i didn't check the spelling as i wrote it in this comment but i also don't think it matters if i incorrectly spell a word that isn't really a word. so... yeah...

anyways, it was possibly used as a complicated version of what was known as 'black lung' disease, which coal miners in the appalacians contracted from inhaling silica dusts, for anyone curious.

[–] hperrin@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

It should be “silico” instead of “syllaco”. It comes from “silicon”, like the dust you mentioned.

[–] anothermember@feddit.uk 12 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Steadfast. As a native English speaker it feels like a very strong, grounded word which also suits its meaning. Originally literally means fixed in place, it's come to mean loyal and unswerving.

[–] Bldck@beehaw.org 3 points 2 weeks ago

Stalwart Stolid Solid

[–] hperrin@lemmy.ca 11 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I love the word helicopter, because unobviously, the root words aren’t heli and copter, but are “helico”, meaning spiral, and “pter”, meaning wing.

[–] chaosCruiser@futurology.today 11 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

Subtle, rhythm, and Wednesday. The spelling is just absolutely wild.

It’s about as messy as old British coins and Roman measures.

[–] Ephera@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I also enjoy "one". There's just a random "w" in there when you pronounce it.

[–] chaosCruiser@futurology.today 2 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah, “wan” would make 5000% more sense.

[–] hperrin@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 weeks ago

The subtle debt rhymed in rhythm on Wednesday.

[–] mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Gruntled. It means pleased or contented. It’s the positive form of the much more common “disgruntled”. If someone is caught in the rain, they may be disgruntled about being wet. But you very rarely hear the word “gruntled” used.

Similarly, “whelmed” is a word, which basically means “submerged” or “engulfed”. You can be _over_whelmed by emotion, meaning you were completely overtaken and swept away by the emotion. You can be _under_whelmed by an experience, meaning it failed to fully meet your expectations. But you can also just be whelmed. The experience did exactly what you expected; no more, no less.

Waffle not the food just the word. It’s fun to say.

[–] daggermoon@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] FireWire400@lemmy.world 1 points 2 weeks ago

Very versatile word in Straya and NZ

[–] Suck_on_my_Presence@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Anesthetize

The 'esth' right into a t is just about the coolest combination of word sounds in any word in English.

Second favorite is cwm. :)

[–] lattrommi@lemmy.ml 5 points 2 weeks ago

As someone with a lisp who tends to turn 's' and 'z' sounds into a 'th' sound, i will respectfully disagree that it is a cool combination. it hurts me a little that i can't always say words properly but i suppose i could always ask a doctor to aneththetithe me.

[–] hperrin@lemmy.ca 8 points 2 weeks ago

I love the word trabajaba (pronounced trah-buh-hah-buh). It means “worked” in Spanish.

[–] Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

autodefenestration is a fun one

[–] lattrommi@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 weeks ago

defenestratafenestra isn't a real word but i use it to tell people i stopped using Windows and switched to Linux.

[–] lemuria@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

There are plenty of feminine given names that roll off the tongue incredibly well. Names like "Anna" and "Elaine" and "Katherine" do not begin to scratch the surface... But again, I pay more attention to names than the average person because I am obsessed with linguistics, and that obsession is what made me click this thread and type out a reply in the first place.

[–] cy_narrator@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 2 weeks ago

I knew a girl with such a cute name but she was not very good looking so guys used to say "name scam"

[–] DJDarren@sopuli.xyz 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Vegemíté, as pronounced by Gloria in Modern Family.

Every time I open the cupboard that has a jar, it brings me joy.

[–] daggermoon@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It's good shit. I ain't even an Aussie but that shit makes everything better.

[–] pineapple@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

No way, I've never met anyone who didn't grow up with Vegemite but still enjoys it.

[–] DJDarren@sopuli.xyz 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Thing with Vegemíté is that it's like Marmite, but not fucking awful.

[–] daggermoon@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago

I like Marmite too lol

[–] Quilotoa@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 weeks ago

Paraprosdokian. A sentence with a twist in it. Eg. Some people are like slinkies: not really good for much but they bring a smile to your face when you see one tumble down a set of stairs.

[–] SubArcticTundra@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 weeks ago

Sunwise and widdershins.

[–] ada@friend.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 weeks ago

Dificilisimo. Spanish word meaning very difficult. I just love the way it sounds though.

[–] teawrecks@sopuli.xyz 3 points 2 weeks ago

I've always liked the word Adenosine. Not sure why, just fun to say.

[–] kdcd@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 weeks ago

Solamente, it just flows so well. It means only in Spanish.

[–] skankhunt42@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 weeks ago
[–] MrBobs@lemmy.one 3 points 2 weeks ago

Tmesis. Breaking up a word and inserting another word.

Like absolutely becomes....

Abso-bloody-lutely.

Don't think it has to be a swear word, but it seems most common. :)

[–] hbar@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 weeks ago

I have 2, spangled and gumption.

[–] GrantUsEyes@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I have a few favorite ones in english (which is not my first language) of the top of my head:

-Document/documented (I particularly like the Q sound of the second syllable and the cadence of the pronunciation)

-Cocoon. (Just great. Satisfying to say. Makes me feel cosy. 10's across the board)

-Gazebo. (Very removed from the usual sounds of my native language, unusual but fun)

Edited to add:

In spanish: Panóptico (panopticon) also satisfying to sat and with good cadence

[–] MrsDoyle@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 weeks ago

Scots is full of wonderful words - glaiket, baffies, birl, coorie - it's hard to pick a favourite. But I'll go for "thrawn" - it's a kind of perverse stubbornness, a grim grip on a point of view.

[–] penguin202124@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (I hope I spelt that right)

[–] Kuma@lemmy.world 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I searched for the meaning and got a video clip instead of a musical about the word, still don't know the meaning and I am fine with that, now I know how to sound precocious ;)

[–] penguin202124@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 week ago

Remember to say it loud enough!

[–] replicator@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 weeks ago

The Trinity of Doo: doobie, doofus, doodle.

[–] 6stringringer@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 week ago

I like the word “Unexpurgated”.

[–] Ibuthyr@feddit.org 1 points 1 week ago

Lautmalerei.

It's just the German word for onomatopoeia (which also exists in the German language). It could be directly translated into soundpainting I suppose?

[–] SlartyBartFast@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 weeks ago
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