Wikipedia:Featured article candidates/Longest word in English/archive1

Longest word in English

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is not the actual word. Sesquipedalia phobia is the true Fear of Long Words. The Hippoptomonstroses was added later as a way to make the word longer. Hippotomonstroses is huge water horse, and is in no relation to the actual fear of long words.

Fascinating article that is unique to Wikipedia and could only have been created with much deliberation and compromise that is at the core of any good Wikipedia article.--The_stuart 20:29, 7 Jan 2005 (UTC)

• Object. No references, mediocre lead section and inappropriate bolding of words. Johnleemk | Talk 05:25, 8 Jan 2005 (UTC)
• Object, for the following reasons: jguk 10:29, 8 Jan 2005 (UTC)

1. The bit on "constructions" seems to be a long self-reference to Wikipedia.

So, should I hunt up a dictionary or paper encyclopedia that uses the word, and reference it instead? --Carnildo 05:07, 9 Jan 2005 (UTC)

If you can find one - I'm not aware of any one of those longer than "antidisestablishmentarianism" being used in practice, though I'm quite prepared to be proved wrong.

The main point of that section is how long words can be constructed. Using "contraneoantidisestablishmentarianalistically" from Wikipedia is just a convienient source of a long composite word. --Carnildo 08:20, 12 Jan 2005 (UTC)

2. Doesn't "antidisestablishmentarianism" relate specifically to a 19th century movement against the disestablishment of the Church of England?

Changed --Carnildo 05:07, 9 Jan 2005 (UTC)

3. All the places names but one aren't English - and then, what about English place names outside the US? Or if the US one is included as it's the longest English name in the world, say so.

4. Still can't work out why "Sesquipedalianism" deserves a mention. If you want to mention really long words in ancient languages, look at Aeschylus first.

Self-referential humor, mainly. It's a notable long word used to describe long words. --Carnildo 05:07, 9 Jan 2005 (UTC)

5. The sentence "a more likely clinical name for the fear would be sesquipedaliaphobia" is untrue. "-phobia" is Greek. "sesquipedalia-" is Latin. A clinical name for such a fear (if it existed) would just use Greek. No piccis (could have one of Mary Poppins or Big Bird, for instance).

The whole Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia paragraph is there because I got tired of removing it after each time some kid finds the article. If you could suggest a likely actual name for the fear, I'll replace sesquipedaliaphobia with it; or I could just remove the entire paragraph. --Carnildo 05:07, 9 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Sounds like you think it should be deleted. I agree with you, it doesn't add anything for me. I haven't done any Ancient Greek for nearly 15 years, so I can't help you with a properly constructed word.

Removed. --Carnildo 08:20, 12 Jan 2005 (UTC)

6.By the way, there are references throughout the article (eg to the Guinness Book of Records, Shakespeare, etc.) They just need to be consolidated down the bottom. Mind you, an act and line number for the Shakespeare might be interesting too (or perhaps a longer quotation to put the word into full context).

Wikipedia:Cite your sources says that in-text citations are acceptible. --Carnildo 08:20, 12 Jan 2005 (UTC)

• Neutral I like the article, but there are no references and not a very good introduction (as Johnleemk said). I shall stay neutral on this. Squash 09:44, 9 Jan 2005 (UTC)
• Object I don't think this article is very informative. It's bulky, saying what could be said in a few words in many. -GregNorc (talk)

I would think that pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis deserves a mention. It's also called Black Lung.