What Is Pneumono?ultra?micro?scopic?silico?volcano?coniosis?

gamma9 · December 13, 2006

I found this article on wikipedia. I heard that this was the longest word in the English language, so I had to check it out.

The longest word in any major English language dictionary is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, a 45-letter word supposed to refer to a lung disease contracted from the inhalation of volcanic ash, but research has discovered that this word was originally intended as a hoax. It has since been used in a close approximation of its originally intended meaning, lending at least some degree of validity to its claim.[1]
The Oxford English Dictionary contains pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism (30 letters).

The longest non-technical word is floccinaucinihilipilification at 29 letters. Consisting of a series of Latin words meaning "nothing" and defined as "the act of estimating something as worthless," its usage has been recorded as far back as 1741.[2][3][4] In recent times its usage has been recorded in the proceedings of the United States Senate by Senator Robert Byrd [5], and at the White House by Bill Clinton's press secretary Mike McCurry, albeit sarcastically.[6]

Antidisestablishmentarianism (a nineteenth century movement in England opposed to the separation of church and state) at 28 letters is still in colloquial currency for being one of the longest words in the English language.

The longest word which appears in William Shakespeare's works is the 27-letter honorificabilitudinitatibus, appearing in Love's Labour's Lost. This is arguably an English word (rather than Latin), but only because it was Shakespeare who used it.

The humuhumu-nukunuku-a-puaa, or reef triggerfish, is Hawaii's official state fish.[7] At 22 letters (including the okina) it is one of the best known very long one-word names for an animal. It is occasionally quipped that the name is longer than the fish.

Although only fourteen letters long, sesquipedalian deserves a mention. It is derived from a nonce word used by the Roman author Horace, in his work Ars Poetica (The Art of Poetry). The quote is as follows: "Proicit ampullas et sesquipedalia verba," which means, "He throws aside his paint pots and his words that are a foot and a half long." The Oxford English Dictionary lists sesquipedalianism ("the practice of using words one and a half feet long"), and further derivations can be created as described in the Constructions section below.

Wikipedia : Longest Word

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rsf · December 14, 2006

Now I just need to learn how to pronounce flocci?nauci?nihili?pili?fication. Thank you, that was very interesting.

Dooga · December 14, 2006

I knew about this word, but I don't really like how this word is so famous.... I mean sure it's long, but it's not like anyone has ever used it before :S

icemarle · December 14, 2006

I knew about this word, but I don't really like how this word is so famous.... I mean sure it's long, but it's not like anyone has ever used it before :S

Heh, yeah... I have to agree with you on that one. It's good for trivia, but I don't think anyone would actually use it. If they do, they'd probably shorten it to something. It's... not very practical. It's fun to know... yeah, but it's only useless trivia to me. :lol:

salamangkero · December 14, 2006

Oh, I thought it was the humuhumu nukunuku wakawaka. Oh well.I just wonder, since I've also encountered this "word" a lot, does supercalifragelisticexpliadocious count as a valid word? :lol:

hotchick2121 · December 14, 2006

Wow, i have got to say that whoever makes words longer than 10 letters should be hit repeatedly. Hard. who is the idiot who would come up with such stupidity???oh well, the world is full of idiots...nothing we do or say will change that.

Forbez · December 15, 2006

I found some other long words.

HEPATICOCHOLANGIOCHOLECYSTENTEROSTOMIES = a surgical creation of a connection between the gall bladder and a hepatic duct and between the intestine and the gall bladder.This is the longest word in Gould's Medical Dictionary.

SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS = song title from the Walt Disney movie Mary Poppins.It is in the Oxford English Dictionary.

HIPPOPOTOMONSTROSESQUIPEDALIAN = pertaining to a very long word.From Mrs. Byrne's Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure and Preposterous Words.

All of which I think are stupidlly long words.

bhavesh · December 15, 2006

In medical profession one can find many long and un-pronunciable word but definetly not like this one. It is not only longest but also most difficult to pronunciate and remember. Actually it seems to be made up of many small words.

Koopler · December 16, 2006

Wow, i have got to say that whoever makes words longer than 10 letters should be hit repeatedly. Hard. who is the idiot who would come up with such stupidity???
oh well, the world is full of idiots...nothing we do or say will change that.

this word was originally intended as a hoax.

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iGuest · May 11, 2008

These words are interesting to know and fun to impress your friends with! =)-reply by Sakura