Lexophiles; come close

The longest word in the English dictionary is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, which Wikipedia helpfully provides as
a 45-letter word which refers to a lung disease contracted from the inhalation of very fine silica particles, specifically from a volcano. Research has discovered that this word was originally 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
How wonderful is that? You can make up a word, and it might still count. There's hope for us plebs yet.

The longest recognised place name, Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu
(88 letters - Wiki Entry here)And of course you can't talk about really long words without mentioning our old favourite, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (34 letters- Wiki), but its not a real word and is only included in dictionaries as a Proper Noun, the name of a song.

(Funnily, Blogger's built in Dictionary recognises Super..... but not the two official words above...)

6 kindred spirits ~ This bugs them too!:

.:.:. Reanan .:.:. said...
June 23, 2008 8:48 PM

um-diddly-diddly-um-diddle-ey
um-diddly-diddly-um-diddle-ey

Hehe I did always fast forward through the end of that song.

Dataceptionist said...
June 24, 2008 1:26 PM

Eeesh I only vaguely recognise those words anyway! I havent' actually seen Mary Poppins very many times. I like the chalk dancing bit.
Should watch it again....

K said...
June 26, 2008 5:02 PM

Am I sad that I already knoew about pneumonoultramicroscopicslicovolcanoconeosisis? And can both spell and pronounce it?

I aloways thought, however, that the longest 'real' word was antidisestablishmentarianism.

Dataceptionist said...
June 26, 2008 8:28 PM

K. I think I might love you. And I think you may be the first person I've ever met that has also heard of antidisestablishmentarianism, which I also thought was the longest word.
*grin*

K said...
June 27, 2008 3:08 PM

Woot - go me/us!!

The typos in my above post detract somewhat from the thrill though. I really must learn to proof before posting - I get all caught up in the excitement of having something to say.....

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