Erudition 101: Pertaining to English
So.
Leave it to me, when, in the throes of studying for my final exam in Chem205, I sadly attempted to procrastinate by reading up on the etymology of English - thus finally consolidating "A.D." as an acronym for Anno Domini ("Year of our Lord") instead of the much appreciated, yet much misappropriated, "After Death." *(Anno Domini, Wikipedia)
Curiousity piqued, I used the remaining of my "study break" time to research the oddities of the English language, coming up with anagrams, pangrams, spoonerisms, and, ultimately, world records. My interest was of course drawn immediately to the longest word (recognized by the Guinness World Records):
floccinaucinihilipilification, n
[flok-suh-naw-suh-nahy-hil-uh-pil-uh-fi-key-shuhn]*(Longest, Wikipedia)
Which means the act of deeming something worthless. You are, perhaps, using it at this very moment to judge this article. Haha.
Other notable words include -
THE LONGEST MEDICAL WORD:
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, n
[noo-muh-noh-uhl-truh-mahy-kruh-skop-ik-sil-i-koh-vol-key-noh-koh-nee-oh-sis]*(Pneumo, Wikipedia)
It is basically defined as a pulmonary disease caused by the inhalation of volcanic (silicone) dust. It is never used in practice and is suspected to have been coined as a hoax. I can only imagine a bespeckled physiologist who, in the midst of chortling at the chemists who produced such gems as cummingtonite (for a rock mineral discovered in Cummington, Mass), arsole, dickite, and moronic acid, decided that he might very well join in the fun. (To save you the trouble of googling these terms and finding some not-so-unexpected surprises, here is a link.)
THE LONGEST UNOBSCURE WORD:
antidisestablishmentarianism, n
[an-tee-dis-uh-stab-lish-muhn-tair-ee-uh-niz-uhm]*(Anti, Wikipedia)
Less abstruse than flocci-whatchamacallit, antidisestablishmentarianism was a movement in late nineteenth century England, Wales, and Ireland against the removal of the status of the Church of England as the state church. The movement failed in Ireland and Scotland, with both churches respectively disestablished in 1869 and 1920. In England however, the church remains allied to the state. Lucky for us here in North America, our vague Civil Rights Amendments are generally suspected to make state churches illegal.
Now, with the question of the longest word tremulously answered, I turned my attention to rare and uncommon words. And though the list is boundless, I will hope to satisfy you with a selection of words from my particular search which I found insufferably amusing:
agelast, n [AJ-uh-last] *(agelast, Wiktionary)
One of the rarer words that I encountered, agelast simply means one who never smiles. My delightedness with this word stems from its euphony with smarmy, which, when coupled together, makes a nice whippy comeback to any failed joke. For instance: beh, what do you know, you smarmy agelast, and the like. A notable antonym is cachinnator, which means one who guffaws loudly and is coincidentally pronounced similarly to cackle. *(cachinnator, Dictionary.com)
anabasis, n [uh-nab-uh-sis] *(anabasis, Dictionary.com)
Generally recognized as a (military) advance from the coast to the interior, the source of the word anabasis comes from an even littler known Greek annal of the same name. Written by the Grecian general Xenophon, it recounts an unsuccessful mercenary expedition led by Cyrus the Younger into Asia Minor in 401 BC. A notable antonym is katabasis, which is a march from the interior to the coast, or a retreat. *(katabasis, Dictionary.com) Regardless, I can think of no better way to use the word anabasis than thusly: Tommy's anabasis into the kitchen for cookies was stopped by his stern mother. Aww. And haha.
bibliobibuli, n [bih-blee-oh-bih-bew-lie] *(biblio, answers.com)
Though frightfully close to being a neologism, this is too attractive a word to pass up on. Coined in the early 1900's by HL Mencken, the famously biting Baltimore Sun columnist, bibliobibuli means one who is oblivious to their surroundings due to excessive (intensive) reading, and there is just no better way to describe university students.
dysania, n [dis-say-nee-ah]*(Sleep, vicnet.net)
There wasn't much I could unearth about this medical term. It's defined as the state in which getting out of bed is difficult and - now you'll stop snickering - characterized by exhaustion, stiff and aching joints, low alertness and slow brain function. Common in CFIDS patients, it usually lasts one to two hours in the morning. Huh. =/
leman, n [lem-uhn, lee-muhn] *(leman, Dictionary.com)
Most notably used in Chaucer's and Shakespeare's Middle English verse to refer to a sweetheart, a lover, or a mistress, leman is derived from both the Old English loef (dear) and man. Though leman has a masculine etymology, it is also commonly used to refer to a feminine lover - perfect for scrounging up originality points during dating. :-)
moribund, adj [mawr-uh-buhnd] *(moribund, Dictionary.com)
Moribund, noticeably containing the latin root mori (to die), is used to describe something in a state near death, near extinction, or stagnant. For example, if one wanted to be poetically ironic, one would say: "Sadly, the Canadian Green Party is moribund". Heh. Oh ba bam!
...What? Oh whatever, I laughed.
nepenthe, n [ni-pen-thee] *(nepenthe, Dictionary.com)
Ahh nepenthe. Ancient Grecian writers defined it as a drug or drink which would induce a pleasurable sensation of forgetfulness, esp. of sorrow or trouble. The Greeks formed the term from the latin words for not (ne) and sorrow (penthos). Poor little scholars...brains just didn't do it for the women back then, did they?
pungle, v[puhng-guhl] *(pungle, Mirriam Webster)
It really is no wonder that this word is unpopular. Followed most frequently (ahem) with the word up, pungle means to make a payment of money. For example: "Pungle up!" The robber said, which, to his dismay, only made the teller laugh. I'd bet good money its harmony with bungle is no coincidence.
schadenfreude, n [shahd-n-froi-duh] *(schadenfreude, Dictionary.com)
I hope this wicked little word remains underground. Once overused, words lose their meaning, and I really rather enjoy this one. Coined in the 1890s from the german words schaden (harm) and freude (joy), schadenfraude is the satisfaction or pleasure derived from someone else's misfortune. And I just really, really enjoy watching people step into puddles.
twee, adj [twee] *(twee, Dictionary.com)
A thing which is twee is affectedly dainty or quaint. Originally coined in early 1900's, twee mimics the a child's pronunciation of the word sweet. I'd just love to use this word to subtly insult ones who I need but dislike- they'll think it's a compliment since it sounds so cute, but I'll know better. Ha.
weltschmerz, n [velt-shmerts] *(weltschmerz, Dictionary.com)
You could possibly come across this word during the perusal of philosophy or critical theory, so listen carefully. Weltschmerz is defined as sentimental or romantic pessimism, esp. sadness over the evils of the world. My secret enjoyment of this term stems from the fact that, despite its elitist facade, the word simply means angst. Use weltschmerz instead the next time you need a good moping. And yes, teens, I'm looking at you.
Other notable words:
bumf - useless pamphlets and brochures or slang for toilet paper *(bumf, Dictionary.com)
e.g. - exempli gratia; "for example" *(e.g., Dictionary.com)
i.e. - id est; "that is" *(i.e., Dictionary.com)
mordant - sarcastic; caustic *(mordant, Dictionary.com)
poples - the back of your knee *(poples, Dictionary.com)
puckeroo - New Zealand slang for broken *(puckeroo, encarta.com)
scuttlebutt - a gossip or a busybody *(scuttlebutt, Dictionary.com)
tohubohu - chaos *(tohubohu, Dictionary.com)
twitterpated - confused *(twitterpated, Dictionary.com)
weltanschauung - a thorough conception of the universe and humanity's relation to it. *(weltanschauung, Dictionary.com)
You, as well as I, may be wondering why I am doling out so much time to write down the definitions of the words, rather than just linking to the dictionary. The only explanation is such - that I like hearing myself type. :-)
Oh yes. If you want to research as well, I'd recommend these sites to begin with.
General Sites:
Rinkwork's Fun with Words - an eclectic list of commonly looked up words, malapropisms, rare words, and fun facts. For general laughs, visit their main site.
Fun with Words - not to be confused with the above link, this one is more focussed on riddles, anagrams, miscellaneous facts, and links to various books for further research.
Glossaries and Dictionaries:
The Phrontistery My favourite glossary of rare words. All listed words have a short paragraph illucidating definition, etymology, and usage.
The Grandiloquent Dictionary - an 100+ page downloadable pdf of rare words.
The Archive of Endangered Words - contains user-submitted words which are in disuse. It's a wonderful, eclectic collection. Meanings and spellings should be cross-referenced to a more reliable site.
Worthless Word for the Day - although I balk at the name, this site contains reliable (though succinct) definitions of rare words. Also points to other online dictionaries like Mirriam Webster and OED.
Until next time:
Great minds think alike - but fools seldom differ
Leave it to me, when, in the throes of studying for my final exam in Chem205, I sadly attempted to procrastinate by reading up on the etymology of English - thus finally consolidating "A.D." as an acronym for Anno Domini ("Year of our Lord") instead of the much appreciated, yet much misappropriated, "After Death." *(Anno Domini, Wikipedia)
Curiousity piqued, I used the remaining of my "study break" time to research the oddities of the English language, coming up with anagrams, pangrams, spoonerisms, and, ultimately, world records. My interest was of course drawn immediately to the longest word (recognized by the Guinness World Records):
floccinaucinihilipilification, n
[flok-suh-naw-suh-nahy-hil-uh-pil-uh-fi-key-shuhn]*(Longest, Wikipedia)
Which means the act of deeming something worthless. You are, perhaps, using it at this very moment to judge this article. Haha.
Other notable words include -
THE LONGEST MEDICAL WORD:
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, n
[noo-muh-noh-uhl-truh-mahy-kruh-skop-ik-sil-i-koh-vol-key-noh-koh-nee-oh-sis]*(Pneumo, Wikipedia)
It is basically defined as a pulmonary disease caused by the inhalation of volcanic (silicone) dust. It is never used in practice and is suspected to have been coined as a hoax. I can only imagine a bespeckled physiologist who, in the midst of chortling at the chemists who produced such gems as cummingtonite (for a rock mineral discovered in Cummington, Mass), arsole, dickite, and moronic acid, decided that he might very well join in the fun. (To save you the trouble of googling these terms and finding some not-so-unexpected surprises, here is a link.)
THE LONGEST UNOBSCURE WORD:
antidisestablishmentarianism, n
[an-tee-dis-uh-stab-lish-muhn-tair-ee-uh-niz-uhm]*(Anti, Wikipedia)
Less abstruse than flocci-whatchamacallit, antidisestablishmentarianism was a movement in late nineteenth century England, Wales, and Ireland against the removal of the status of the Church of England as the state church. The movement failed in Ireland and Scotland, with both churches respectively disestablished in 1869 and 1920. In England however, the church remains allied to the state. Lucky for us here in North America, our vague Civil Rights Amendments are generally suspected to make state churches illegal.
Now, with the question of the longest word tremulously answered, I turned my attention to rare and uncommon words. And though the list is boundless, I will hope to satisfy you with a selection of words from my particular search which I found insufferably amusing:
agelast, n [AJ-uh-last] *(agelast, Wiktionary)
One of the rarer words that I encountered, agelast simply means one who never smiles. My delightedness with this word stems from its euphony with smarmy, which, when coupled together, makes a nice whippy comeback to any failed joke. For instance: beh, what do you know, you smarmy agelast, and the like. A notable antonym is cachinnator, which means one who guffaws loudly and is coincidentally pronounced similarly to cackle. *(cachinnator, Dictionary.com)
anabasis, n [uh-nab-uh-sis] *(anabasis, Dictionary.com)
Generally recognized as a (military) advance from the coast to the interior, the source of the word anabasis comes from an even littler known Greek annal of the same name. Written by the Grecian general Xenophon, it recounts an unsuccessful mercenary expedition led by Cyrus the Younger into Asia Minor in 401 BC. A notable antonym is katabasis, which is a march from the interior to the coast, or a retreat. *(katabasis, Dictionary.com) Regardless, I can think of no better way to use the word anabasis than thusly: Tommy's anabasis into the kitchen for cookies was stopped by his stern mother. Aww. And haha.
bibliobibuli, n [bih-blee-oh-bih-bew-lie] *(biblio, answers.com)
Though frightfully close to being a neologism, this is too attractive a word to pass up on. Coined in the early 1900's by HL Mencken, the famously biting Baltimore Sun columnist, bibliobibuli means one who is oblivious to their surroundings due to excessive (intensive) reading, and there is just no better way to describe university students.
dysania, n [dis-say-nee-ah]*(Sleep, vicnet.net)
There wasn't much I could unearth about this medical term. It's defined as the state in which getting out of bed is difficult and - now you'll stop snickering - characterized by exhaustion, stiff and aching joints, low alertness and slow brain function. Common in CFIDS patients, it usually lasts one to two hours in the morning. Huh. =/
leman, n [lem-uhn, lee-muhn] *(leman, Dictionary.com)
Most notably used in Chaucer's and Shakespeare's Middle English verse to refer to a sweetheart, a lover, or a mistress, leman is derived from both the Old English loef (dear) and man. Though leman has a masculine etymology, it is also commonly used to refer to a feminine lover - perfect for scrounging up originality points during dating. :-)
moribund, adj [mawr-uh-buhnd] *(moribund, Dictionary.com)
Moribund, noticeably containing the latin root mori (to die), is used to describe something in a state near death, near extinction, or stagnant. For example, if one wanted to be poetically ironic, one would say: "Sadly, the Canadian Green Party is moribund". Heh. Oh ba bam!
...What? Oh whatever, I laughed.
nepenthe, n [ni-pen-thee] *(nepenthe, Dictionary.com)
Ahh nepenthe. Ancient Grecian writers defined it as a drug or drink which would induce a pleasurable sensation of forgetfulness, esp. of sorrow or trouble. The Greeks formed the term from the latin words for not (ne) and sorrow (penthos). Poor little scholars...brains just didn't do it for the women back then, did they?
pungle, v[puhng-guhl] *(pungle, Mirriam Webster)
It really is no wonder that this word is unpopular. Followed most frequently (ahem) with the word up, pungle means to make a payment of money. For example: "Pungle up!" The robber said, which, to his dismay, only made the teller laugh. I'd bet good money its harmony with bungle is no coincidence.
schadenfreude, n [shahd-n-froi-duh] *(schadenfreude, Dictionary.com)
I hope this wicked little word remains underground. Once overused, words lose their meaning, and I really rather enjoy this one. Coined in the 1890s from the german words schaden (harm) and freude (joy), schadenfraude is the satisfaction or pleasure derived from someone else's misfortune. And I just really, really enjoy watching people step into puddles.
twee, adj [twee] *(twee, Dictionary.com)
A thing which is twee is affectedly dainty or quaint. Originally coined in early 1900's, twee mimics the a child's pronunciation of the word sweet. I'd just love to use this word to subtly insult ones who I need but dislike- they'll think it's a compliment since it sounds so cute, but I'll know better. Ha.
weltschmerz, n [velt-shmerts] *(weltschmerz, Dictionary.com)
You could possibly come across this word during the perusal of philosophy or critical theory, so listen carefully. Weltschmerz is defined as sentimental or romantic pessimism, esp. sadness over the evils of the world. My secret enjoyment of this term stems from the fact that, despite its elitist facade, the word simply means angst. Use weltschmerz instead the next time you need a good moping. And yes, teens, I'm looking at you.
Other notable words:
bumf - useless pamphlets and brochures or slang for toilet paper *(bumf, Dictionary.com)
e.g. - exempli gratia; "for example" *(e.g., Dictionary.com)
i.e. - id est; "that is" *(i.e., Dictionary.com)
mordant - sarcastic; caustic *(mordant, Dictionary.com)
poples - the back of your knee *(poples, Dictionary.com)
puckeroo - New Zealand slang for broken *(puckeroo, encarta.com)
scuttlebutt - a gossip or a busybody *(scuttlebutt, Dictionary.com)
tohubohu - chaos *(tohubohu, Dictionary.com)
twitterpated - confused *(twitterpated, Dictionary.com)
weltanschauung - a thorough conception of the universe and humanity's relation to it. *(weltanschauung, Dictionary.com)
You, as well as I, may be wondering why I am doling out so much time to write down the definitions of the words, rather than just linking to the dictionary. The only explanation is such - that I like hearing myself type. :-)
Oh yes. If you want to research as well, I'd recommend these sites to begin with.
General Sites:
Rinkwork's Fun with Words - an eclectic list of commonly looked up words, malapropisms, rare words, and fun facts. For general laughs, visit their main site.
Fun with Words - not to be confused with the above link, this one is more focussed on riddles, anagrams, miscellaneous facts, and links to various books for further research.
Glossaries and Dictionaries:
The Phrontistery My favourite glossary of rare words. All listed words have a short paragraph illucidating definition, etymology, and usage.
The Grandiloquent Dictionary - an 100+ page downloadable pdf of rare words.
The Archive of Endangered Words - contains user-submitted words which are in disuse. It's a wonderful, eclectic collection. Meanings and spellings should be cross-referenced to a more reliable site.
Worthless Word for the Day - although I balk at the name, this site contains reliable (though succinct) definitions of rare words. Also points to other online dictionaries like Mirriam Webster and OED.
Until next time:
Great minds think alike - but fools seldom differ