Donaudampfschiffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft
Donaudampfschiffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft is a compound word that serves as an example of the virtually unlimited compounding of nouns that is possible in many Germanic languages. According to the 1996 "Guinness Book of World Records", it is the longest word published in the German language.
List of placeholder names by language
German also sports a variety of placeholders; some, as in English, contain the element "Dings", "Dingens" (also "Dingenskirchen"), "Dingsda", "Dingsbums", cognate with English "thing". Also, "Kram", "Krimskrams", "Krempel" suggests a random heap of small items, e.g. an unsorted drawful of memorabilia or souvenirs. "Apparillo" (from "Apparat") may be used for any kind of machinery or technical equipment. In a slightly higher register, "Gerät" represents a miscellaneous artifact or utensil, or, in casual German, may also refer to an item of remarkable size. The use of the word "Teil" (part) is a relatively recent placeholder in German that has gained great popularity since the late 1980s. Initially a very generic term, it has acquired a specific meaning in certain contexts. "Zeug" or "Zeugs" (compare "Dings", can be loosely translated as 'stuff') usually refers to either a heap of random items that is a nuisance to the speaker, or an uncountable substance or material, often a drug. Finally, "Sache", as a placeholder, loosely corresponding to Latin "res", describes an event or a condition. A generic term used especially when the speaker cannot think of the exact name or number, also used in enumerations analogously to "et cetera", is the colloquial "schlag-mich-tot" or "schieß-mich-tot" (literally "strike/shoot me dead", to indicate that the speaker's memory fails him/her).