posted
Comment: While I was talking with a group of friends, somehow the topic of long words came up. someone said that the longest word in the English language was Antidisestablishmentarianism, and I said that it was pneumonultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. he said that pneumonultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis wasn't a real word, that someone just made it up to be the longest word in the english language. Looking in my OED, it said that pneumonultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis was "a facticious *sic* word" I am not sure whether that was a typo or what, and I found a site or two saying that it was ficticious. Please look into this.
Posts: 36029 | From: Admin | Registered: Feb 2000
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I think "facticious" is a great word. We should henceforth use it to describe sources that purport to be factual but really aren't (e.g., Ann Coulter, NewsMax).
-------------------- "There is no constitutional right to sleep with endangered reptiles." -- Carl Hiaasen Won't somebody please think of the adults! Posts: 8254 | From: Florida | Registered: Oct 2002
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posted
Supposedly I've heard that it meant a lung illness caused by inhaling particles of volcano debris (ie ash.)
-------------------- "Shakespeare and Dante divide the world between them. There is no third." - T. S. Eliot Posts: 77 | From: New Milford, CT | Registered: Mar 2006
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1. Produced artificially rather than by a natural process. 2. Lacking authenticity or genuineness; sham: speculators responsible for the factitious value of some stocks.
Antidisestablishmentarianism and pneumonultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis are both factitious words, made up by people to create long words.
The generally accepted "real" longest non-technical word in English is floccinaucinihilipilification.
-------------------- Signature? I don't need no stinkin' signature! Posts: 41 | From: Ottawa, Ontario | Registered: Jun 2005
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Alex Buchet
I'll Be Home for After Christmas Sales
posted
Don, no. Floccinaucinihilipilfication is a fabricated word.
On the other hand, antidisestablishmentarianism refers to a real, and serious, political movement: opposition to removal of Anglicanism as the Established, i.e. official, religion of the United Kingdom.
Posts: 202 | From: Paris, France | Registered: Feb 2006
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According to my copy of Websters unabridged (1979 - but I've seen no claims that the other two words have entered the language within the last few decades) antidisestabilshmentarianism is the only one listed in that volume. The meaning was one who opposes the disestablishment of a state church - such as William Gladstone with the church of Ireland. (presumably, by that definition the term could be used to describe Iranian mulahs who don't want their nation secularized.)
floccinaucinihilipilification is not in my unabridged dictionary, but the word does show up in some semi-reliable places such as Wikipeadia, a BBC wiki claims it is in the Oxford English dictionary (anyone have one they can check?), in which they also note the claim of pneumonultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis as a medical, and hence techincal term, and give a different technical termas the true longest.
-------------------- The best measure of a man's honesty isn't his income tax return. It's the zero adjust on his bathroom scale. Arthur C. Clarke (1917 - ) Posts: 244 | From: Ventura, CA | Registered: Sep 2005
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1992 Guiness says the longest words used are: disproportionableness and incomprehensibilities.
Posts: 201 | From: Toronto, ON | Registered: Jun 2006
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Sorry, but I never understood that "longest technical term" bit.
The supposed "longest technical term" merely represents the sequence of the 268 amino acids that compose the protein form of the alpha subunit of tryptophan synthetase, a bacterial enzyme. Nobody actually refers to this enzyme by that string of 1,913 letters.
Besides, the protein form of another enzyme, HC toxin synthetase, is composed of over 5,200 amino acids. Surely, then, by Wikipedia's or the BBC's stringent standards, the latter protein has a better claim to the "longest technical term" crown than does the former.
In any event, here's what the folks at the Oxford University Press, publisher of the OED, have to say about various really, really, really long words in English.
The erudite and sagacious KathyB has previously pointed us to the following page for everything one would want to know about really, really, really long words in many languages.
quote:Originally posted by Alex Buchet: On the other hand, antidisestablishmentarianism refers to a real, and serious, political movement: opposition to removal of Anglicanism as the Established, i.e. official, religion of the United Kingdom.
I wrote an essay last year and could have used antidisestablishmentarianism in the essay and I didn't realize it till I handed the essay in.
I was so upset with myself. My one pointless university goal presented itself to me and I missed1
-------------------- In politics, absurdity is not a handicap - Napoleon Bonaparte Posts: 1801 | From: The Forest City, Ontario | Registered: Dec 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Bonnie: The erudite and sagacious KathyB has previously pointed us to the following page for everything one would want to know about really, really, really long words in many languages.
Please disregard all that is said about the longest German word there (or elswhere) - in German, one is able (and allowed) to make up words as long as one likes. There even is a game that consists of trying to make longer and longer words. These words are not in daily use, of course, and may actually be used only once and in the context of the game, but they are gramatically correct nevertheless.
Don "Donaudampfschifffahrtselektrizitätshauptbetriebswerksbauunterbeamtengesellschaftsabzeichen" Enrico
-------------------- My spelling is Wobbly. It's good spelling, but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places. - Pooh Bear Posts: 2209 | From: Hamburg, Germany | Registered: Oct 2004
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So if there's a group of people against getting rid of the church, wouldn't they be antidisestablishmentarianists? And that's one letter longer than antidisestablishmentarianism.
~ "new longest word?" Spikey
-------------------- "The fact that "uvula" and "vulva" look and sound similar was just a happy coincidence." - Lainie Posts: 548 | From: England | Registered: Sep 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Don Enrico: ... in German, one is able (and allowed) to make up words as long as one likes.
You can do that in all Germanic languages (I think) except English, which is too much influenced by French grammar.
-------------------- Små hönor skall inte lägga stora ägg för då blir de slarviga i ändan Posts: 1334 | From: Sweden | Registered: Feb 2000
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But what Don Enrico said. The longest word in the German language, that I know was once suggested in the title of an actual law, would be Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz. Since this was too long, even by German standards, it was duly changed to a structure that could be easier understood.
But, as DE said, technically, there is no longest German word, but especially when something starts with "Donaudampfschifffahrt" you better watch out, that is very likely only a joke.
Ulko "don't get me started on the rubbish on that page about the spelling reform" maalainen
-------------------- Movie characters never make typing mistakes. Posts: 586 | From: Hamburg, Germany | Registered: Sep 2005
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Alex Buchet
I'll Be Home for After Christmas Sales
posted
quote:Originally posted by Spikey: So if there's a group of people against getting rid of the church, wouldn't they be antidisestablishmentarianists? And that's one letter longer than antidisestablishmentarianism.
~ "new longest word?" Spikey
But if they were forced to operate in secret, wouldn't they be cryptoantidisestablishmentarianists?
--which would be redolent of that romance inherent in secrecy and conspiracy.
So much so, that certain young men, eager to court thrill-seeking young ladies, fall into the state of being pseudocryptoantidisestablishmentarianists.
Obviously, they must present a façade that shows them to the world pseudocryptoantidisestablishmentarianistically.
Posts: 202 | From: Paris, France | Registered: Feb 2006
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posted
Floccinaucinihilipilfication is indeed in the OED, and also in Chambers (Which describes it as facetious). The word was, I believe, as many words are, coined by Shakespeare, with tounge firmly placed in cheek. (Sadly although I'm sure I read this somewhere I am unable to tie it to a source. Furthermore a bit of googling appears to directly contradict this assertion and instead the OED apprears to quote a William Shenstone, suggesting I may have been half asleep when looking at the OED)
Of course one could dismiss the whole debate as slightly worthless. As such words can rarely be fitted into normal conversation it is easy to support such floccinaucinihilipilification.
Richard W
Ding Dong! Merrily on High Definition TV
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quote:DonSample said: Factitious is a real word
Yes, I was going to point that out. I think it's quite funny that somebody holding a copy of the OED, and finding an unfamiliar word, would assume it's a spelling mistake in the dictionary rather than look it up!
I almost used "antidisestablishmentarianism" in real conversation once, but I can't remember when.
(edit)
From Kathy B's link:
quote:1967Decisions U.S. Courts involving Copyright 1965-66 488 The complaint alleges copyright infringement of plaintiff's song `Supercalafajalistickespeealadojus' by defendants' song 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.' (All variants of this tongue twister will hereinafter be referred to collectively as 'the word'.)
Posts: 8725 | From: Ipswich - the UK's 9th Best Place to Sleep! | Registered: Feb 2000
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quote:Originally posted by Ulkomaalainen: Finnish would join the club, too.
I'd think so. A couple of weeks ago I visited the Suomen urheiluilmailuopisto and I have no doubt that you could expand it a bit.
-------------------- Små hönor skall inte lägga stora ägg för då blir de slarviga i ändan Posts: 1334 | From: Sweden | Registered: Feb 2000
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Village in Wales. Also the longest domain name is llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.org.uk
By the way, it means 'St Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the church of St Tysilio of the red cave'.
-------------------- Brosandi. Hendumst í hringi Höldumst í hendur Allur heimurinn óskýr Nema þú stendur Posts: 694 | From: York, UK | Registered: Jul 2006
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-------------------- Brosandi. Hendumst í hringi Höldumst í hendur Allur heimurinn óskýr Nema þú stendur Posts: 694 | From: York, UK | Registered: Jul 2006
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posted
Of course there is the the ever famous Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg in Massachusetts (also known as Lake Webster). Supposedly it means "you fish on your side, we'll fish on our side and no one fishes in the middle.
My friend wrote a song using it as the only lyrics.
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According to my sources, Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu means "The summit of the hill, where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, who slid down, climbed and swallowed mountains, known as the land eater, played on his flute to his loved one." And it should not be remarkable at all. You know, my dancing partner went to New Zealand, and all I got was this stupid picture of a sign.
-------------------- Movie characters never make typing mistakes. Posts: 586 | From: Hamburg, Germany | Registered: Sep 2005
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quote:Originally posted by James G.: Floccinaucinihilipilfication is indeed in the OED, and also in Chambers (Which describes it as facetious). The word was, I believe, as many words are, coined by Shakespeare, with tounge firmly placed in cheek. (Sadly although I'm sure I read this somewhere I am unable to tie it to a source. Furthermore a bit of googling appears to directly contradict this assertion and instead the OED apprears to quote a William Shenstone, suggesting I may have been half asleep when looking at the OED)
Of course one could dismiss the whole debate as slightly worthless. As such words can rarely be fitted into normal conversation it is easy to support such floccinaucinihilipilification.
It was also used by RAH (Robert A. Heinlein for the uninitiated) in The Number of the Beast. Zeb refers to Hilda as a floccinaucinihilipilificatrix.
-------------------- Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of -- but do it in private, and wash your hands afterwards.
- Lazarus Long Posts: 300 | From: Waldorf, MD | Registered: Jan 2006
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Most likely. I've heard that when translating software, the usual practice is to start with Finnish, as that makes sure that you have reserved enough space for the text in any language.
-------------------- /Troberg Posts: 4360 | From: Borlänge, Sweden | Registered: Nov 2005
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Actually, sometimes Finnish sentences are quite short, letterwise. True, the words are long, but depending on the situation half or even less of the words than in English would be sufficient. "Meen yötyölleni" would mean "I am going to my night work" and is way shorter
-------------------- Movie characters never make typing mistakes. Posts: 586 | From: Hamburg, Germany | Registered: Sep 2005
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posted
There's also a word, "aqueosalinocalcalinoseraseoaliminosocupreovitriolic," which was used to describe water at a spa, the location of which eludes me. This is a factitious word it that is was made up by the scientists who analysed the water, but at one point the Guinness book accepted it as the longest word in English because it had actually been used in a published document, and was utilitarian-- that is, it hadn't been made up by someone who just wanted to create a long word.
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