h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: The Longest Word in the English Language - A4130443
Author: Cyvros - U944960

Hi there!

This is the first Guide Entry that I've written that I've considered submitting for review. I hope it's up to your standards.

Thanking you all in advance.

Cheers,
Cyvros, Your Friendly Nieghbourhood Manchester Dealer.

Welcome to Peer Review!

I'm not sure what to say about this. It is short but sweet. It is interesting and amusing. But whether there is enough content in it to make a good Edited Entry - I'm not sure.

It is very hard to read because of the very long word. I predict that the editors will have problems editing this, if it ever gets that far.

I think it *could* make it into the EG, after all, it is factual, but it would need a lot of work, like maybe an explanation of what each part of that horribly long word means, and why it needs to be so long.

Well, the word would need to be hyphenated so that it could wrap, that's for sure.

There seem to be a few spelling mistakes in the word, as well.

Now *that* would be a problem!

I don't know where we could get a reliable source to check this word against, if it is not listed in the dictionary. The word seems to consist of a string of short bits, each ending in 'yl' such as 'glutamyl' and 'leucyl' followed by the word 'serine'. But there are places where this pattern doesn't hold such as -alanylyalylthreonyl-.

It would have to be checked.

If it isn't in any dictionary, is it really a word in the English language?

I agree with Gnomon - short and sweet.

I think there is potential for bulking it out a bit and making it into a really good entry. Why not include some more history and definitions (supercali... for example has a history in the legal courts), as well as including which dictionaries recognise which words as 'longest' and why and perhaps long words in other languages (with their definitions)?

I think, that under a more general title of 'Long Words' you have the makings of a really interesting Entry, but as it stands it's failing to excite me.

B

Well, if it's the word I think it is, I have a book that contains it. I'll have to print it out and check it once I get home.


Geggs

It's already in the EG: A182765

In that case, if you adopt some of the suggestions on this thread, you could submit this to the update forum to replace that rather dull entry.

B

So it is. That lets me out of checking it then. That's a relief.<biggrin.


Geggs

lordWolfden has mentioned several other long words at F19585?thread=607652&post=7143215#p7143130 which could make the whole thing more interesting.


Geggs

Warning: LordWolfden, true to style, has failed to come up with anything original, and has copied the lot from:

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Longest-word-in-English

Doing that will get your thrown out of PR sharpish.

B

The Guinness Book of Records, in its 1992 and subsequent editions, declared the "longest real word" in the English language to be floccinaucinihilipilification at 29 letters.

Oh Master B fighting talk

*Thinks the act of floccinaucinihilipilification is one that needs to be undertaken* But I'll leave it at that
Frood

Ah. More interesting than the battle between B and W is the fact that there is already an Edited Entry A182765 giving the big long word, so that makes this entry a bit redundant, unless it can be fleshed out with lots of other stuff.

That town in Wales has changed its name to something shorter I believe.