# Finnish, in which words can be stuck together in long string



## SuprunP

[...]Finnish, in which words can be stuck together in long strings of *indefinite length*, and which therefore have an almost infinite number of 'words'.
(Source)

Is it true?

Thanks.


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## Hakro

Yes, it's true. 

There are many long compounds but most of the longest words are artificial, they don't exist in normal language.

Probably the longest word in real use is _"lentokonesuihkuturbiinimoottoriapumekaanikkoaliupseerioppilas "_. It means roughly "airplane jet engine helper mechanic noncomissioned officer apprentice".

In Finnish the longest words are numerals as they are compounds, written in one word. So from one to one million we have one million different words. From one to one billion we have one billion different words.

For example, 123,456,789 is written in Finnish _satakaksikymmentäkolmemiljoonaaneljäsataaviisikymmentäkuusituhattaseitsemänsataakahdeksankymmentäyhdeksän._


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## hui

In[de]finite lenght? Yes. Simple examples:_- isänisänisän...isänäidinisä _(translation from "right-to-left": father of mother of father... of father of father of father)
_- lapsenlapsenlapsen...lapsenlapsi _(great great great ... grandchild, or literally: child's child's child's ... child's child).
​
(Almost) infinite number of other kinds of words? Yes again. Any two nouns could be joined to form a compound word. The resuld may or may not be a good word, though. And new nouns can be added indefinitely in front, middle, or end._-hai _(shark)
_-haikala_ (shark-fish = shark)
_-haikalanpyytäjä_ (...['s]-catcher)
_-koirashaikalanpyytäjä_ (male-...; meaning male shark, not male catcher)_
-koirashaikalanpyytäjälaiva_ (...-ship)_
-koirashaikalanpyytäjälaivanvarustamo _(...['s]-shipping_company)
_-koirashaikalanpyytäjälaivanvarustamonomistaja _(...['s]-owner)
_-koirashaikalanpyytäjälaivanvarustamonomistajayhtiö _(...-company)
_-koirashaikalanpyytäjälaivanvarustamonomistajayhtiönomistaja _(...['s]-owner)
_-koirashaikalanpoikasenpyytäjälaivanvarustamonomistajayhtiönomistaja _(...-offspring's-...)
etc.​

Only the first two are real (dictionary) words. The third is also a valid word but you won't find it in a dictionary. The rest are made-up. Should a need for such concepts arise they would be expressed more understandable using multiple shorter words.

 In Finnish, it is possible and even quite common to make up an ad hoc compound word when there is a need for one. For example, I cannot find the word _sananpituuskeskustelu_ (discussion about word length[s]) in any dictionary or even the Google – prior to this, of course. Yet it is a perfectly good and understandable word.


> For example, 123,456,789 is written in Finnish _satakaksikymmentäkolmemiljoonaaneljäsataaviisikymmentäkuusituhattaseitsemänsataakahdeksankymmentäyhdeksän._


No, it isn't. Long numerals are grouped in threes like when using numbers:
123,456,789; [in Finnish notation:] 123 456 789; that's three words:_
satakaksikymmentäkolmemiljoonaa neljäsataaviisikymmentäkuusituhatta seitsemänsataakahdeksankymmentäyhdeksän_


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## Hakro

hui said:


> No, it isn't. Long numerals are grouped in threes like when using numbers:
> 123,456,789; [in Finnish notation:] 123 456 789; that's three words:_
> satakaksikymmentäkolmemiljoonaa neljäsataaviisikymmentäkuusituhatta seitsemänsataakahdeksankymmentäyhdeksän_


I know it. It's the new system for people who have difficulties to read long words. I never had this problem, so I was taught that all numerals are written as compound. It was in the fifties.

In fact, the most common way to write it today is _sata kaksikymmentäkolme miljoonaa neljäsataa viisikymmentäkuusi tuhatta seitsemänsataa kahdeksankymmentäyhdeksän_


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## hui

> I know it. It's the new system for people who have difficulties to read  long words. I never had this problem, so I was taught that all numerals  are written as compound. It was in the fifties.



Well, that explains it. Really large numerals were still big secret in the 50's and 60's. So big that in 1963, Finnish government tried to hide their existence by changing the currency (1 new mark was 100 old marks) but in the early 70's, inflation caught up and the truth was revealed. 

Of course, trying to avoid absurdly long words is one reason.  But don't you think it is most logical to group words the same way numbers are grouped?


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## SuprunP

Thank you!
It is really interesting information.


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