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Longest words (individual languages): Dutch: Hottentottententenbouwtentoonstellingsterreinafsluitingsmaterialenvoorraadsverzendingskostenberekeningsstatenadministratieboekhoudkundige "the bookkeeper of the administration of the tables which show an overview of the costs of calculation of transportation of the stock of materials that should lock (close) the terrain where the exhibition of tent building of the Hottentots was being organised" Finnish: kumarreksituteskenteleentuvaisehkollaismaisekkuudellisenneskenteluttelemattomammuuksissansakkaankopahan [meaning unknown] Slovak: Najneskomercionalizovatel'nejieho Longest name of a city or town (Europe): Welsh: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch "Saint Mary's Church in the hollow of the white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio of the red cave" [Note also four consecutive L's] *The longest place name is in New Zealand, right? Seven vowels in a row: Dutch: koeieuier "cow's udder" Finnish: hääyöaie "a wedding night plan" Nine consonants in a row: Dutch: zachtstschrijdend "walking most silently" Eight consonants in a row: Dutch: Angstschreeuw "cry because of fear" Quadrupled vowels: Dutch: zeeeend "sea duck" Estonian: kuuuurija "moon explorer" Estonian: jäääärne "edge of the ice" Longest palindrome (single word) Finnish: saippuakippokukkakivikakkukoppikauppias "soap-bowl-flower-stone-cake-box seller" Oldest known palindrome: Greek: Nipson anomęmata mę monan opsin. "Wash my transgressions, not only my face." (must be written in Greek letters; ps = psi) Longest one-syllable words: Romanian: s¸treang "noose, rope" No vowels: Czech: Vlk zmrzl, ltl hrst zrn. "A wolf froze to death, gulped a handful of grains." Czech: Strc^ prst skrz krk. "Thrust a thumb through your throat." All vowels: Swedish: I ĺa ä e ö ĺ i öa ä e ĺ. "In the stream there is an island and in the island there is a stream." Danish (West Jutland): A ć o ć ř i ć ĺ, ć a! "I come from an island in the river, I do!" Romanian: Oaia aia e a ei. "That sheep is hers." Norwegian: Ć e i a ć. Ć e i a ć ĺ! "I'm from A [political party]." "I'm also from A!" The infamous "R-hacek" of Czech: U R^ezác^u° r^inc^el r^etęz pr^i r^ezání r^ezanky. "At the Rezaces you could hear chains while they were cutting grass." Zalyar^iví si lyar^ potkal nezaltar^iví si lyar^ku. "A skier who was skiing met a skier who wasn't skiing." One repeated vowel: Hungarian: Öt török öt görögöt dögönyöz örökös örömök között. "Five Turks massages five Greeks among perpetual pleasures." Hungarian: Te tetted e tettetett tettet, te! Te tettetett tettek tettese, te! "You committed this fake crime, you! Hungarian: Akkor jó a jó hajó, Ha jó hajó a jó hajó. "A good boat is good only if it is a good boat." (apparently that's true in Ohio) Diphthongs": Catalan: Si qui deu deu diu que deu deu diu el que deu i deu el que diu. "If one who owes ten says that he owes ten he is saying what he owes and he's owing what he says." Six initial consonants: Georgian: mts'vrtneli "trainer" Georgian: vprtskvni "I am peeling it" (ts and ts' are single consonants) Four initial consonants: Polish: wskrzesic' "to revive" (rz is a single consonant) Longest tongue twister: Turkish: Bir dag^da iki tarla varmIs¸ birinci tarlaya keilen bir sinik kekere mekereye dadanan bozala boz bas¸lI kürkü yirtik pis porsuk, ikinci tarlaya ekilen bir sinik kekere mekereye dadanan bozala boz bas¸lI kürkü yIrtIk pis porsug~a demis, ki, sen ne zamandan beridir bu tarlaya ekilen bir sinik kekere mekereye dadanan bozala boz bas¸lI kürkü yIrtIk pis porsuksun? Öbür tarlaya ekilen bir sinik kekere mekereye dadanan bozala boz bas¸lI kürkü yIrtIk pis porsuk da demis¸ ki, sen ne zamandan beridir by tarlaya ekilen bir sinik kekere mekereye dadanan bozala boz bas¸lI kürkü yIrtIk pis porsuksan ben de o zamandan beridir bu tarlaya ekilen bir sinik kekere mekereye dadanan bozala boz bas¸lI kürkü yIrtIk pis porsug^um, demis¸. [no translation available] Biblical tongue-twisters: Greek (modern): Lalęthę'setaí soi ti se deî poieîn. (pronounced: [lali'TisEtE si ti sE Di pi'in]) "You will be told what you are to do." (Acts 9:6; Jesus speaking to Paul on the road to Damascus) Stuttering problem? Icelandic: Stuttur steyttur fluttur fleittr fljótt er breyttur skjótt hér ţreyttr ţáttur skreyttur háttur hreyttr hćtti neyttur mćtti reyttr. [no translation available] Your mother rides a horse. Mandarin (Chinese): ma ma qí mâ mâ mŕn ma ma mŕ mâ "Mother is riding a horse. The horse moves slowly. Mother chides the horse." [German: Mutter reitet auf einem Pferd, Das Pferd geht langsam, Mutter schimpft mit dem Pferd.] Taken from a website I completely forgot about. DaW. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get Yahoo! Mail Free email you can access from anywhere! http://mail.yahoo.com/