hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian

English

Etymology

An extension of sesquipedalian using a modified form of hippopotamus and Latin monstrum, with the extensions almost certainly chosen with the intention of making the new construct autological.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌhɪpəˌpɒtəˌmɒnstɹəˌsɛskwɪpɪˈdeɪlɪən/

• Audio (Kansas):

  (file)

Adjective

hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian (comparative more hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian, superlative most hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian)

1. Of or pertaining to extremely long words.^[1]
   • 1997, Steven George Krantz, A primer of mathematical writing:

     To indulge in hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian tergiversation is not to show your erudition: rather, it is to be superficial.

   • 2005, Greg Vaughn, Fred Holmes, Letters from Dad:

     And when it comes to language, short, simple words often have more impact and power than multisyllabic, hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian ones.

   • 2006, Richard Lederer, Word Wizard: Super Bloopers, Rich Reflections, and Other Acts of Word Magic:

     […] a forty-five-letter hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian word for black lung disease.

Related terms

• sesquipedalian
• hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia

References

1. Mrs. Byrne [Josefa Heifetz Byrne] (1979) “hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian”, in Mrs. Byrne’s Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure and Preposterous Words: Gathered from Numerous and Diverse Authoritative Sources, London: Granada Publishing, →ISBN.