law ▁deleg ating ▁be ef ▁label ▁monitoring " ▁but ▁as ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁it ▁was ▁removed ▁from ▁the ▁books ▁because ▁European ▁Union ▁reg ulations ▁have ▁changed ▁and ▁that ▁particular ▁law ▁became ▁ob sole te , ▁leading ▁to ▁news ▁reports ▁that ▁Germany ▁" had ▁lost ▁its ▁longest ▁word ". ▁ ▁In ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁the ▁ 5 1 - letter ▁word ▁ ▁(" de fer ral ▁of ▁the ▁second ▁iteration ▁of ▁the ▁federal ▁president ial ▁run - off ▁election ") ▁was ▁elected ▁the ▁Aust rian ▁Word ▁of ▁the ▁Year ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁The ▁j ury ▁called ▁it ▁a ▁" des cript ive ▁word " ▁which ▁" in ▁terms ▁of ▁its ▁content ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁its ▁length , ▁is ▁a ▁symbol ▁and ▁an ▁ir onic ▁form ▁of ▁comment ary ▁for ▁the ▁political ▁events ▁of ▁this ▁year , ▁character ized ▁by ▁the ▁very ▁long ▁campaign ▁for ▁the ▁president ial ▁election , ▁the ▁challeng es ▁of ▁the ▁voting ▁process , ▁and ▁its ▁re iter ation ." ▁ ▁Greek ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁comedy ▁Assembly w omen ▁( c . ▁ 3 9 2 ▁BC ), ▁Arist oph anes ▁co ined ▁the ▁ 1 7 3 - letter ▁word ▁, ▁a ▁fict ional ▁food ▁d ish ▁consisting ▁of ▁a ▁combination ▁of ▁fish ▁and ▁other ▁meat . ▁The ▁word ▁is ▁c ited ▁as ▁the ▁longest ▁ancient ▁Greek ▁word ▁ever ▁written . ▁A ▁modern ▁Greek ▁word ▁of ▁ 2 2 ▁letters ▁is ▁ ▁() ▁( gen . ▁ ▁( ), ▁