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> Like, even if a native German speaker had never heard that compound word, they'd still understand it because it's just a combination of other words?

Usually yes but occasionally compound words take on a different or additional meaning than one might think based purely off the meaning of the compounds. Furthermore, homonyms are a thing in German and it’s not always immediately clear which meaning a compound carries in an unknown compound words. Also, some (compound) words take on new meanings over time when they’re often used metaphorically.

Examples: Weltschmerz, Ohrwurm, sturmfrei

You think spelling is hard in English, try French! Half the letters in most words are silent!

#missingADrummer #canIGetARimShot

> this German word doesn't exist in English

It’s very common that a language has a distinct word for a concept for which no distinct word exists in another language. But that’s not the same as composite words. Although sometimes composites take on a different or additional meaning than just the combination of their parts (see below).

I can think of a bunch of German words that really do not exist in English except for their loanwords:

• Zeitgeist
• Weltschmerz
• Wanderlust
• Fernweh
• Zugzwang
• Ohrwurm
• sturmfrei

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Unless they got a baby through ivf, then they’re truly ugly amiright

I have to limit what I explain because I could drone on for a while about the history of the English language. I've found just blaming the French to be the most efficient way of explaining the situation.

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https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/26/majority-of-the-worlds-richest-people-are-self-made-says-new-report.html

I friggin love watching that but I nearly have a heart attack sometimes. It's... stressful.

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Rebuttal and checkmate: the people are the problem, not the language.

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More like you're buddy digs 3/4 of a hole

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So if I remove one spec of dirt that's a hole? I disagree holeheartedly with that notion.

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That's not very true.

While the wealthiest people may have gotten help at the beginning with a loan or something, they most certainly did something with it and needed the qualifications to do it.

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Well then it has one hole.

They're all indentions

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