Salzamt
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German[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Salz (“salt”) + Amt (“government agency”)
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
Salzamt n (strong, genitive Salzamtes or Salzamts, plural Salzämter)
- (historical) an agency tasked with the administration of the government salt monopoly
- (Austria, humor) a fictional non-existing or unresponsive government agency
Usage notes[edit]
For the humerous usage, the word is typically used with the verb beschweren (“to complain”), e.g. Du kannst dich beim Salzamt beschweren (“you may complain at the department of saline affairs”), meaning that any complaint with any authority will be fruitless.
Declension[edit]
Declension of Salzamt [neuter, strong]
Further reading[edit]
- “Salzamt” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
- “Salzamt” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.
- “Salzamt” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
- “Salzamt” in Duden online