Which are the longest words in Latin?











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7
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Today I was reading 1 Samuel 5 in the Vulgata and in verse 9 these two words are found:




... circumducentibus ... computrescebant ...




which surprised me for their length (16 and 15 letters respectively). So, which are the longest, attested words in Latin? Is Honorificabilitudinitatibus the longest? (27 letters...horrible word, btw) Which are other examples of very long (say, +25 letters) words?










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  • 1




    Are you looking for attested words, or are we free to coin new words? In principle one can derive without limits.
    – Joonas Ilmavirta
    2 days ago










  • @JoonasIlmavirta Attested words, for sure. I was not aware you could create your own words. Looks like an interesting question itself.
    – luchonacho
    2 days ago






  • 2




    You can indeed create your own words using existing words and a toolbox of new elements you can add. You can certainly ask a question about that. If you are only looking for attested words here (you could specify that in the question), I won't give an answer about extending words more or less artificially.
    – Joonas Ilmavirta
    2 days ago










  • @JoonasIlmavirta But the fact I can put together words does not mean it becomes an official word. Maybe that's how all words end up being official in the long term (i.e. by someone using them and hanging around), but that's a separated issue.
    – luchonacho
    2 days ago








  • 2




    Aristophanes went a little too far in deriving a new word. Greek is somewhat more flexible with compound words than Latin, though.
    – Joonas Ilmavirta
    2 days ago















up vote
7
down vote

favorite












Today I was reading 1 Samuel 5 in the Vulgata and in verse 9 these two words are found:




... circumducentibus ... computrescebant ...




which surprised me for their length (16 and 15 letters respectively). So, which are the longest, attested words in Latin? Is Honorificabilitudinitatibus the longest? (27 letters...horrible word, btw) Which are other examples of very long (say, +25 letters) words?










share|improve this question




















  • 1




    Are you looking for attested words, or are we free to coin new words? In principle one can derive without limits.
    – Joonas Ilmavirta
    2 days ago










  • @JoonasIlmavirta Attested words, for sure. I was not aware you could create your own words. Looks like an interesting question itself.
    – luchonacho
    2 days ago






  • 2




    You can indeed create your own words using existing words and a toolbox of new elements you can add. You can certainly ask a question about that. If you are only looking for attested words here (you could specify that in the question), I won't give an answer about extending words more or less artificially.
    – Joonas Ilmavirta
    2 days ago










  • @JoonasIlmavirta But the fact I can put together words does not mean it becomes an official word. Maybe that's how all words end up being official in the long term (i.e. by someone using them and hanging around), but that's a separated issue.
    – luchonacho
    2 days ago








  • 2




    Aristophanes went a little too far in deriving a new word. Greek is somewhat more flexible with compound words than Latin, though.
    – Joonas Ilmavirta
    2 days ago













up vote
7
down vote

favorite









up vote
7
down vote

favorite











Today I was reading 1 Samuel 5 in the Vulgata and in verse 9 these two words are found:




... circumducentibus ... computrescebant ...




which surprised me for their length (16 and 15 letters respectively). So, which are the longest, attested words in Latin? Is Honorificabilitudinitatibus the longest? (27 letters...horrible word, btw) Which are other examples of very long (say, +25 letters) words?










share|improve this question















Today I was reading 1 Samuel 5 in the Vulgata and in verse 9 these two words are found:




... circumducentibus ... computrescebant ...




which surprised me for their length (16 and 15 letters respectively). So, which are the longest, attested words in Latin? Is Honorificabilitudinitatibus the longest? (27 letters...horrible word, btw) Which are other examples of very long (say, +25 letters) words?







text-corpus






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 2 days ago

























asked 2 days ago









luchonacho

4,13331048




4,13331048








  • 1




    Are you looking for attested words, or are we free to coin new words? In principle one can derive without limits.
    – Joonas Ilmavirta
    2 days ago










  • @JoonasIlmavirta Attested words, for sure. I was not aware you could create your own words. Looks like an interesting question itself.
    – luchonacho
    2 days ago






  • 2




    You can indeed create your own words using existing words and a toolbox of new elements you can add. You can certainly ask a question about that. If you are only looking for attested words here (you could specify that in the question), I won't give an answer about extending words more or less artificially.
    – Joonas Ilmavirta
    2 days ago










  • @JoonasIlmavirta But the fact I can put together words does not mean it becomes an official word. Maybe that's how all words end up being official in the long term (i.e. by someone using them and hanging around), but that's a separated issue.
    – luchonacho
    2 days ago








  • 2




    Aristophanes went a little too far in deriving a new word. Greek is somewhat more flexible with compound words than Latin, though.
    – Joonas Ilmavirta
    2 days ago














  • 1




    Are you looking for attested words, or are we free to coin new words? In principle one can derive without limits.
    – Joonas Ilmavirta
    2 days ago










  • @JoonasIlmavirta Attested words, for sure. I was not aware you could create your own words. Looks like an interesting question itself.
    – luchonacho
    2 days ago






  • 2




    You can indeed create your own words using existing words and a toolbox of new elements you can add. You can certainly ask a question about that. If you are only looking for attested words here (you could specify that in the question), I won't give an answer about extending words more or less artificially.
    – Joonas Ilmavirta
    2 days ago










  • @JoonasIlmavirta But the fact I can put together words does not mean it becomes an official word. Maybe that's how all words end up being official in the long term (i.e. by someone using them and hanging around), but that's a separated issue.
    – luchonacho
    2 days ago








  • 2




    Aristophanes went a little too far in deriving a new word. Greek is somewhat more flexible with compound words than Latin, though.
    – Joonas Ilmavirta
    2 days ago








1




1




Are you looking for attested words, or are we free to coin new words? In principle one can derive without limits.
– Joonas Ilmavirta
2 days ago




Are you looking for attested words, or are we free to coin new words? In principle one can derive without limits.
– Joonas Ilmavirta
2 days ago












@JoonasIlmavirta Attested words, for sure. I was not aware you could create your own words. Looks like an interesting question itself.
– luchonacho
2 days ago




@JoonasIlmavirta Attested words, for sure. I was not aware you could create your own words. Looks like an interesting question itself.
– luchonacho
2 days ago




2




2




You can indeed create your own words using existing words and a toolbox of new elements you can add. You can certainly ask a question about that. If you are only looking for attested words here (you could specify that in the question), I won't give an answer about extending words more or less artificially.
– Joonas Ilmavirta
2 days ago




You can indeed create your own words using existing words and a toolbox of new elements you can add. You can certainly ask a question about that. If you are only looking for attested words here (you could specify that in the question), I won't give an answer about extending words more or less artificially.
– Joonas Ilmavirta
2 days ago












@JoonasIlmavirta But the fact I can put together words does not mean it becomes an official word. Maybe that's how all words end up being official in the long term (i.e. by someone using them and hanging around), but that's a separated issue.
– luchonacho
2 days ago






@JoonasIlmavirta But the fact I can put together words does not mean it becomes an official word. Maybe that's how all words end up being official in the long term (i.e. by someone using them and hanging around), but that's a separated issue.
– luchonacho
2 days ago






2




2




Aristophanes went a little too far in deriving a new word. Greek is somewhat more flexible with compound words than Latin, though.
– Joonas Ilmavirta
2 days ago




Aristophanes went a little too far in deriving a new word. Greek is somewhat more flexible with compound words than Latin, though.
– Joonas Ilmavirta
2 days ago










2 Answers
2






active

oldest

votes

















up vote
9
down vote













Your word, honorificabilitudinitatibus, seems to be commonly regarded as the longest, and it has the distinction of being used by Shakespeare.



However, there's also this one with 28 letters:




floccinaucinihilipilificatio,




which is the action or habit of estimating something as worthless.



Although the latter is longer by one letter, it was coined by students at Eton College as a humorous word. It can be broken down as follows:




floccus (“a wisp”) +‎ naucum (“a trifle”) +‎ nihilum (“nothing”) +‎ pilus (“a hair”) + ficatio




Given that floccinaucinihilipilificatio is of late coinage, I believe that honorificabilitudinitatibus is most likely the winner. Besides being used by Shakespeare, it wasn't coined by him. Rather, it appeared long before his day, such as in the following dictionary entry by Johannes Balbus in 1286:



enter image description here






share|improve this answer



















  • 2




    But wait.... the word you mention is an English word. Sure, it's composed of Latin terms, but it seems it's never been used in a Latin context. Maybe the one I mentioned hasn't been either!
    – luchonacho
    2 days ago






  • 2




    Brilliant find, EB.
    – Hugh
    2 days ago






  • 2




    To be more accurate, Shakespeare didn't use it, he mentioned it. Or, to put it another way, he used it not to express a meaning, but to put into the mouth of the character Costard in Love's Labour's Lost, for him to cite it as a very long word (again, not to express a meaning). The Balbus is, as you say, a dictionary entry, so he cites the word just to define it, not to use it. And where Balbus spells its -ibus form in full, is this merely to cite it as a very long (longissima) word? What's the longest attested Latin word used to express its meaning, not just cited for its length?
    – Rosie F
    2 days ago






  • 1




    @RosieF. Either way, we agree that Shakespeare used it. I'm fine with that.
    – Expedito Bipes
    2 days ago






  • 2




    @ExpeditoBipes Please don't misrepresent me. Read my earlier comment's first two sentences in full, rather than taking a few words from them out of context.
    – Rosie F
    2 days ago


















up vote
2
down vote













First of all, with all due respect, this word is not Classical Latin; it’s a Medieval Latin neologism (a nonce word) that was occasionally used solely because of its length.



Secondly, honorificabilitudinitatibus is technically a word form, not a word (i.e. it’s not a lexeme).



Afaik, it is first encountered in a treatise written by Peter of Pisa, an eighth century Italian grammarian, who, incidentally, taught Latin to Charlemagne.



Here’s the screenshot:



enter image description here






share|improve this answer























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    2 Answers
    2






    active

    oldest

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    2 Answers
    2






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    up vote
    9
    down vote













    Your word, honorificabilitudinitatibus, seems to be commonly regarded as the longest, and it has the distinction of being used by Shakespeare.



    However, there's also this one with 28 letters:




    floccinaucinihilipilificatio,




    which is the action or habit of estimating something as worthless.



    Although the latter is longer by one letter, it was coined by students at Eton College as a humorous word. It can be broken down as follows:




    floccus (“a wisp”) +‎ naucum (“a trifle”) +‎ nihilum (“nothing”) +‎ pilus (“a hair”) + ficatio




    Given that floccinaucinihilipilificatio is of late coinage, I believe that honorificabilitudinitatibus is most likely the winner. Besides being used by Shakespeare, it wasn't coined by him. Rather, it appeared long before his day, such as in the following dictionary entry by Johannes Balbus in 1286:



    enter image description here






    share|improve this answer



















    • 2




      But wait.... the word you mention is an English word. Sure, it's composed of Latin terms, but it seems it's never been used in a Latin context. Maybe the one I mentioned hasn't been either!
      – luchonacho
      2 days ago






    • 2




      Brilliant find, EB.
      – Hugh
      2 days ago






    • 2




      To be more accurate, Shakespeare didn't use it, he mentioned it. Or, to put it another way, he used it not to express a meaning, but to put into the mouth of the character Costard in Love's Labour's Lost, for him to cite it as a very long word (again, not to express a meaning). The Balbus is, as you say, a dictionary entry, so he cites the word just to define it, not to use it. And where Balbus spells its -ibus form in full, is this merely to cite it as a very long (longissima) word? What's the longest attested Latin word used to express its meaning, not just cited for its length?
      – Rosie F
      2 days ago






    • 1




      @RosieF. Either way, we agree that Shakespeare used it. I'm fine with that.
      – Expedito Bipes
      2 days ago






    • 2




      @ExpeditoBipes Please don't misrepresent me. Read my earlier comment's first two sentences in full, rather than taking a few words from them out of context.
      – Rosie F
      2 days ago















    up vote
    9
    down vote













    Your word, honorificabilitudinitatibus, seems to be commonly regarded as the longest, and it has the distinction of being used by Shakespeare.



    However, there's also this one with 28 letters:




    floccinaucinihilipilificatio,




    which is the action or habit of estimating something as worthless.



    Although the latter is longer by one letter, it was coined by students at Eton College as a humorous word. It can be broken down as follows:




    floccus (“a wisp”) +‎ naucum (“a trifle”) +‎ nihilum (“nothing”) +‎ pilus (“a hair”) + ficatio




    Given that floccinaucinihilipilificatio is of late coinage, I believe that honorificabilitudinitatibus is most likely the winner. Besides being used by Shakespeare, it wasn't coined by him. Rather, it appeared long before his day, such as in the following dictionary entry by Johannes Balbus in 1286:



    enter image description here






    share|improve this answer



















    • 2




      But wait.... the word you mention is an English word. Sure, it's composed of Latin terms, but it seems it's never been used in a Latin context. Maybe the one I mentioned hasn't been either!
      – luchonacho
      2 days ago






    • 2




      Brilliant find, EB.
      – Hugh
      2 days ago






    • 2




      To be more accurate, Shakespeare didn't use it, he mentioned it. Or, to put it another way, he used it not to express a meaning, but to put into the mouth of the character Costard in Love's Labour's Lost, for him to cite it as a very long word (again, not to express a meaning). The Balbus is, as you say, a dictionary entry, so he cites the word just to define it, not to use it. And where Balbus spells its -ibus form in full, is this merely to cite it as a very long (longissima) word? What's the longest attested Latin word used to express its meaning, not just cited for its length?
      – Rosie F
      2 days ago






    • 1




      @RosieF. Either way, we agree that Shakespeare used it. I'm fine with that.
      – Expedito Bipes
      2 days ago






    • 2




      @ExpeditoBipes Please don't misrepresent me. Read my earlier comment's first two sentences in full, rather than taking a few words from them out of context.
      – Rosie F
      2 days ago













    up vote
    9
    down vote










    up vote
    9
    down vote









    Your word, honorificabilitudinitatibus, seems to be commonly regarded as the longest, and it has the distinction of being used by Shakespeare.



    However, there's also this one with 28 letters:




    floccinaucinihilipilificatio,




    which is the action or habit of estimating something as worthless.



    Although the latter is longer by one letter, it was coined by students at Eton College as a humorous word. It can be broken down as follows:




    floccus (“a wisp”) +‎ naucum (“a trifle”) +‎ nihilum (“nothing”) +‎ pilus (“a hair”) + ficatio




    Given that floccinaucinihilipilificatio is of late coinage, I believe that honorificabilitudinitatibus is most likely the winner. Besides being used by Shakespeare, it wasn't coined by him. Rather, it appeared long before his day, such as in the following dictionary entry by Johannes Balbus in 1286:



    enter image description here






    share|improve this answer














    Your word, honorificabilitudinitatibus, seems to be commonly regarded as the longest, and it has the distinction of being used by Shakespeare.



    However, there's also this one with 28 letters:




    floccinaucinihilipilificatio,




    which is the action or habit of estimating something as worthless.



    Although the latter is longer by one letter, it was coined by students at Eton College as a humorous word. It can be broken down as follows:




    floccus (“a wisp”) +‎ naucum (“a trifle”) +‎ nihilum (“nothing”) +‎ pilus (“a hair”) + ficatio




    Given that floccinaucinihilipilificatio is of late coinage, I believe that honorificabilitudinitatibus is most likely the winner. Besides being used by Shakespeare, it wasn't coined by him. Rather, it appeared long before his day, such as in the following dictionary entry by Johannes Balbus in 1286:



    enter image description here







    share|improve this answer














    share|improve this answer



    share|improve this answer








    edited 2 days ago

























    answered 2 days ago









    Expedito Bipes

    1,8981311




    1,8981311








    • 2




      But wait.... the word you mention is an English word. Sure, it's composed of Latin terms, but it seems it's never been used in a Latin context. Maybe the one I mentioned hasn't been either!
      – luchonacho
      2 days ago






    • 2




      Brilliant find, EB.
      – Hugh
      2 days ago






    • 2




      To be more accurate, Shakespeare didn't use it, he mentioned it. Or, to put it another way, he used it not to express a meaning, but to put into the mouth of the character Costard in Love's Labour's Lost, for him to cite it as a very long word (again, not to express a meaning). The Balbus is, as you say, a dictionary entry, so he cites the word just to define it, not to use it. And where Balbus spells its -ibus form in full, is this merely to cite it as a very long (longissima) word? What's the longest attested Latin word used to express its meaning, not just cited for its length?
      – Rosie F
      2 days ago






    • 1




      @RosieF. Either way, we agree that Shakespeare used it. I'm fine with that.
      – Expedito Bipes
      2 days ago






    • 2




      @ExpeditoBipes Please don't misrepresent me. Read my earlier comment's first two sentences in full, rather than taking a few words from them out of context.
      – Rosie F
      2 days ago














    • 2




      But wait.... the word you mention is an English word. Sure, it's composed of Latin terms, but it seems it's never been used in a Latin context. Maybe the one I mentioned hasn't been either!
      – luchonacho
      2 days ago






    • 2




      Brilliant find, EB.
      – Hugh
      2 days ago






    • 2




      To be more accurate, Shakespeare didn't use it, he mentioned it. Or, to put it another way, he used it not to express a meaning, but to put into the mouth of the character Costard in Love's Labour's Lost, for him to cite it as a very long word (again, not to express a meaning). The Balbus is, as you say, a dictionary entry, so he cites the word just to define it, not to use it. And where Balbus spells its -ibus form in full, is this merely to cite it as a very long (longissima) word? What's the longest attested Latin word used to express its meaning, not just cited for its length?
      – Rosie F
      2 days ago






    • 1




      @RosieF. Either way, we agree that Shakespeare used it. I'm fine with that.
      – Expedito Bipes
      2 days ago






    • 2




      @ExpeditoBipes Please don't misrepresent me. Read my earlier comment's first two sentences in full, rather than taking a few words from them out of context.
      – Rosie F
      2 days ago








    2




    2




    But wait.... the word you mention is an English word. Sure, it's composed of Latin terms, but it seems it's never been used in a Latin context. Maybe the one I mentioned hasn't been either!
    – luchonacho
    2 days ago




    But wait.... the word you mention is an English word. Sure, it's composed of Latin terms, but it seems it's never been used in a Latin context. Maybe the one I mentioned hasn't been either!
    – luchonacho
    2 days ago




    2




    2




    Brilliant find, EB.
    – Hugh
    2 days ago




    Brilliant find, EB.
    – Hugh
    2 days ago




    2




    2




    To be more accurate, Shakespeare didn't use it, he mentioned it. Or, to put it another way, he used it not to express a meaning, but to put into the mouth of the character Costard in Love's Labour's Lost, for him to cite it as a very long word (again, not to express a meaning). The Balbus is, as you say, a dictionary entry, so he cites the word just to define it, not to use it. And where Balbus spells its -ibus form in full, is this merely to cite it as a very long (longissima) word? What's the longest attested Latin word used to express its meaning, not just cited for its length?
    – Rosie F
    2 days ago




    To be more accurate, Shakespeare didn't use it, he mentioned it. Or, to put it another way, he used it not to express a meaning, but to put into the mouth of the character Costard in Love's Labour's Lost, for him to cite it as a very long word (again, not to express a meaning). The Balbus is, as you say, a dictionary entry, so he cites the word just to define it, not to use it. And where Balbus spells its -ibus form in full, is this merely to cite it as a very long (longissima) word? What's the longest attested Latin word used to express its meaning, not just cited for its length?
    – Rosie F
    2 days ago




    1




    1




    @RosieF. Either way, we agree that Shakespeare used it. I'm fine with that.
    – Expedito Bipes
    2 days ago




    @RosieF. Either way, we agree that Shakespeare used it. I'm fine with that.
    – Expedito Bipes
    2 days ago




    2




    2




    @ExpeditoBipes Please don't misrepresent me. Read my earlier comment's first two sentences in full, rather than taking a few words from them out of context.
    – Rosie F
    2 days ago




    @ExpeditoBipes Please don't misrepresent me. Read my earlier comment's first two sentences in full, rather than taking a few words from them out of context.
    – Rosie F
    2 days ago










    up vote
    2
    down vote













    First of all, with all due respect, this word is not Classical Latin; it’s a Medieval Latin neologism (a nonce word) that was occasionally used solely because of its length.



    Secondly, honorificabilitudinitatibus is technically a word form, not a word (i.e. it’s not a lexeme).



    Afaik, it is first encountered in a treatise written by Peter of Pisa, an eighth century Italian grammarian, who, incidentally, taught Latin to Charlemagne.



    Here’s the screenshot:



    enter image description here






    share|improve this answer



























      up vote
      2
      down vote













      First of all, with all due respect, this word is not Classical Latin; it’s a Medieval Latin neologism (a nonce word) that was occasionally used solely because of its length.



      Secondly, honorificabilitudinitatibus is technically a word form, not a word (i.e. it’s not a lexeme).



      Afaik, it is first encountered in a treatise written by Peter of Pisa, an eighth century Italian grammarian, who, incidentally, taught Latin to Charlemagne.



      Here’s the screenshot:



      enter image description here






      share|improve this answer

























        up vote
        2
        down vote










        up vote
        2
        down vote









        First of all, with all due respect, this word is not Classical Latin; it’s a Medieval Latin neologism (a nonce word) that was occasionally used solely because of its length.



        Secondly, honorificabilitudinitatibus is technically a word form, not a word (i.e. it’s not a lexeme).



        Afaik, it is first encountered in a treatise written by Peter of Pisa, an eighth century Italian grammarian, who, incidentally, taught Latin to Charlemagne.



        Here’s the screenshot:



        enter image description here






        share|improve this answer














        First of all, with all due respect, this word is not Classical Latin; it’s a Medieval Latin neologism (a nonce word) that was occasionally used solely because of its length.



        Secondly, honorificabilitudinitatibus is technically a word form, not a word (i.e. it’s not a lexeme).



        Afaik, it is first encountered in a treatise written by Peter of Pisa, an eighth century Italian grammarian, who, incidentally, taught Latin to Charlemagne.



        Here’s the screenshot:



        enter image description here







        share|improve this answer














        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer








        edited 2 days ago

























        answered 2 days ago









        Alex B.

        7,67411327




        7,67411327






























             

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