2006-08-29 23:51:44 · 15 answers · asked by kathleengoble 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Other - Arts & Humanities
For one, Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is a 45 letter word that is defined as "a lung disease caused by the inhalation of very fine silica dust, mostly found in volcanos". It was originally postulated by Everett M. Smith, simply to serve as the longest English word, but has been used in several sources as an approximation of its originally intended definition. The plural of this word, pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconioses is equally long.
Etymology:
* pneumono = related to lungs (Latin, from Greek)
* ultra = beyond (Latin, as in "ultraviolet")
* microscopic = extremely small (Latin/Old English, from Greek mikron, small, and skopos, view)
* silico = silica (Latin)
* volcano = volcano (Latin)
* coni = related to dust (Greek: konis, dust)
* osis = disease / condition (Greek)
2006-08-29 23:56:17 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Forever
2006-08-30 00:00:01 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Okay, I was gonna say Pneumonoultra . . . but it's already been defined. I'll give a 'smart' answer with
Smiles - because there's a mile between the first and last letter (so much for middle school humor)
2006-08-30 00:08:51 · answer #3 · answered by words_smith_4u 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Antidisestablishmentarianism.
2006-08-29 23:55:59 · answer #4 · answered by kitty 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Shuvanalistriphilodophy
2006-08-29 23:55:14 · answer #5 · answered by lala 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
god is the biggest word i know
2006-08-30 00:53:11 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Supercalifragalisticexplodocius
2006-08-29 23:54:32 · answer #7 · answered by Shahbaaz Ali K 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Antidis establishment ariansm. (I had to break up the word or Y! Answers will just put little dots like this...)
2006-08-29 23:57:16 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
"love" the most difficult and hard to understand word in the dictionary
proof: how many askers ask "whats the meaning of love?"
2006-08-29 23:53:58 · answer #9 · answered by unquenchablethirst 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
anitidisestablishmentarianism- supposedly the longest word in the english language.
2006-08-29 23:57:59 · answer #10 · answered by sarah 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋