Long word

The Germans are renowned for their love of long words, but they are not the only ones who like to create complex compound words as nouns. The Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes coined the 183 lettered

lopado-temacho-selacho-galeo-kranio-leipsano-drim-hupotrimmatosilphio-karabo-melito-katakechumeno-kichl-epikossuphophatto-peristeralektruon-opto-kephallio-kigklo-peleio-lagoio-siraio-baphe-traganopterugon

meaning a dish compounded of all kinds of dainties, fish, fowl and sauces. 

Albanian

zëvendëskryeredaktori 

(21 letters) deputy editor-in-chief

Kundërzhurmëkrijuesabërësave 

(27 letters) against noisemakers


Bulgarian

neprotivokonstitutsionstvuvatelstvuvayte 

(40 letters) something against constitution


Catalan

anticonstitucionalment 

(22 letters) unconstitutionally


Croatian

prijestolonaslijednikovica 

(26 letters) the wife of a heir to the throne


Czech

nejneobhospodarovávatelnejšími 

(30 letters) the less farmed


Danish

Speciallægepraksisplanlægningsstabiliseringsperiode  

(52 letters) period where a specialist doctors planning of the practice is stabilized

Økonomiprofessorassistentsuddannelse  

(36 letters) an education to be an assistant for a professor in economics


Dutch

kindercarnavalsoptochtvoorbereidingswerkzaamheden 

(48 letters) preparation activities for a children’s carnival procession

         hottentottententententoonstelling

(33 letters) the exhibition of the tents of the Hottentot-tribe


English

As for the English language, there are somewhat fanciful claims for extremely long words. However, more realistically here are the following in descending length:

pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis 

(45 letters) the longest word in a major dictionary, a technical word for a lung disease created by silica dust inhalation

supercalifragilisticexpialidocious 

(34 letters) from the Mary Poppins film and musical with a fanciful defintion

hippopotomonstrosesquipedalianism 

(33 letters) which means the love of long words

pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism 

(30 letters) the longest non-coined word in a major dictionary for a specific inherited medical disorder

floccinaucinihilipilification 

(29 letters coined in 1741) meaning the categorizing of something that is useless or trivial (the longest unchallenged non-technical word)

antidisestablishmentarianism

(28 letters) the longest non-coined and non-technical word

          hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia  

(35 letters) the fear of long words


Estonian

raudteeülesõidukoht

(19 letters) train crossing point


Finnish

lentokonesuihkuturbiinimoottoriapumekaanikkoaliupseerioppilas

(61 letters) technical warrant officer trainee specialized in aircraft jet engines

käsipyyherullajärjestelmä 

(25 letters) an automatic towel system for drying your hands

peruspalveluliikelaitoskuntayhtymä

(34 letters) a municipality providing basic services

metroraideliityntäpysäköintiyhdistelmäajoneuvoparkkialue

(56 letters) combined vehicles parking area with access to metro rail


French

anticonstitutionnellement 

(25 letters) unconstitutionally

intergouvernementalisation 

(26 letters) intergovernmentalisation


German

Grundstücksverkehrsgenehmigungszuständigkeitsübertragungsverordnung 

(67 letters) a regulation about competences

Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaft 

(34 letters) Danube steamship company

Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung 

(26 letters) speed limit


Greek

υποδηματοεπιδιορθωτήριον  

(24 letters) by mending shoes

ωτορινολαρυγγολόγος

(19 letters) otolaryngologist (throat-ear-nose specialist)

ακτινοχρυσοφαιδροβροντολαμπροφεγγοφωτοστόλιστος

(47 letters) dressed in golden-shining, thundering and incandescent clothes

σκουληκομυρμηγκότρυπα

(21 letters) an anthill

φαλαινοκαρχαρίας 

(16 letters) whale shark


Hungarian

megszentségtelenithetetlenségeskedéseltekért 

(44 letters) “for your unprofaneable actions”

legmegvesztegethetetlenebbek 

(28 letters) the least corruptible ones


Icelandic

vaðlaheiðarvegavinnuverkfærageymsluskúrslyklakippuhringurinn 

(60 letters) the key ring to the tool work shed in the road works of Vaðlaheiði


Italian

precipitevolissimevolmente 

(26 letters) to do something in a hurry

psiconeuroendocrinoimmunologia 

(30 letters) a discipline that deals with the relationship between the functioning of the nervous system, the immune system and the endocrine system


Latin

honorificabilitudinitatibus 

(27 letters) the state of being able to achieve honours (the longest word in Shakespeare from Love’s Labour’s Lost)


Latvian

pretpulksteņrādītājvirziens 

(28 letters) in a counter-clockwise direction

Virsapakšcepure 

(15 letters) underneath hat


Lithuanian

nebeprisikiškiakopusteliaudavome 

(30 letters) we didn't pick rabbit cabbage


Polish

konstantynopolitańczykowianeczka

(32 letters) a girl living in Constantinople


Portuguese

anticonstitucionalissimamente 

(29 letters) unconstitutionally


Romanian

otorinolaringologie 

(19 letters) Otorhinolaringology

sternocleidomastoidian 

(22 letters) the sternocleidomastoid muscle that is located in the front of the neck

pneumoultramicroscopicosilicovulcaniconioza 

(49 letters) pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcaniconiosis. lung disease caused by inhalation of volcanic silicon dust


Russian

тетрагидропиранилциклопентилтетрагидропиридопиридиновые 

(55 letters) Chemical substance


Serbian

prestolonaslednikovica 

(22 letters) wife of the Crown Prince

деведесетдеветогодишњакиња 

(26 letters) a ninety-nine-year-old woman


Slovenian

dialektičnomaterialističen 

(26 letters) dialectical materialistic

starocerkvenoslovanšcina 

(24 letters) Old Church Slavik Language


Slovak

najnevypočítavatelnejší

(23 letters) the most difficult example to calculate

najneobhospodárovatel'nejší

(26 letters) the less farmed


Spanish

anticonstitucionalmente

(23 letters) unconstitutionally

contrarrevolucionario

(21 letters) person who favors or is part of the counter-revolution

          electroencefalografista

(23 letters)  electroencephalographists, specialists in the brain measurement technology of electroencephalography (EEG)


Swedish

nordvästersjökustartilleriflygspaningssimulatoranläggningsmaterielunderhåll – suppföljningssystemdiskussionsinläggsförberedelsearbeten

(131 letters) north west sea coastal artillery reconnaissance flight simulator facility equipment maintenance follow-up discussion posts preparatory work


Turkish

Afyonkarahisarlilardanlarmis 

(28 letters) They are said to belong to the family that came from Afyonkarahisar

Muvaffakiyetsizlestiricilestiriveremeyebileceklerimizdenmissinizcesine

(70 letters) As if you would be from those we can not easily/quickly make a maker of unsuccessful ones

çekostravakyalılardanmısınızsiz?

(31 letters) Are you from çekostravakyalı?


Ukranian

рентгеноелектрокардіографічного

(31 letters) x-ray electrocardiographic


Welsh

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

(58 letters) village on the island of Anglesey in Wales, literal meaning: St Mary's in Hollow of the White Hazel near to the Rapid Whirlpool of Llantysilio of the Red Cave



The concept and examples featured on this page have been provided by Adam Jacot de Boinod

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