# What is the longest word in your language?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-word-in-your-language/1000563>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [April 20, 2024, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-word-in-your-language/1000563 "2024-04-20T23:20:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2024, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-word-in-your-language/1000563/61 "2024-04-22T22:34:23Z")

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> [@Mops](#):
>
> Of course compound nouns of arbitrary length can be contrived in German, but in practical use there is a _Kompositaerfindungstriebsbegrenzung_ which makes us leave off at some point.

The “magic words” used by Sir Boss come to mind… 😃

“Constantinopolitanischerdudelsackspfeifenmachersgesellschafft!”  
“Nihilistendynamittheaterkaestchenssprengungsattentaetsversuchungen!”  
“Transvaaltruppentropentransporttrampelthiertreibertrauungsthraenentragoedie!”  
“Mekkamuselmannenmassenmenchenmoerdermohrenmuttermarmormonumentenmacher!”

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**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-word-in-your-language/1000563/62 "2024-04-23T00:36:48Z")

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> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#):
>
> Huh. For whatever reason in copying and pasting from my e-copy of Byrne, some L’s were transformed into I’s, nylarginyl included

“Nylarginyl” sounds like something Cthulhu takes for his blood pressure.

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**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-word-in-your-language/1000563/63 "2024-04-23T02:58:02Z")

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Using any of those will make you sound like Ralphie’s Old Man when someone closed the damper on the furnace. 🤣

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**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-word-in-your-language/1000563/64 "2024-04-23T03:43:10Z")

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> [@Yllaria](#):
>
> Paradimethylaminobenzaldehyde may not be the longest English (chemical) word - but you can dance to it.

If you’re Irish or Isaac Asimov.

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**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-word-in-your-language/1000563/65 "2024-04-23T04:56:44Z")

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> [@markn\_1](#):
>
> If you’re Irish or Isaac Asimov.

One of the reasons I keep coming back here.

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**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-word-in-your-language/1000563/66 "2024-04-23T12:30:21Z")

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> [@markn\_1](#):
>
> If you’re Irish or Isaac Asimov.

I started singing it when I first read that post. 😃

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**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2024, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-longest-word-in-your-language/1000563/67 "2024-04-23T12:58:47Z")

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“Otorrinonaringologia” (The field of study of Nose, ear and throat doctors) is  
the word I remember as the longest in Spanish.  
However a quick google search turns out the word “electroencefalografista” (the person who administers electroencephalograms) is longer.  
Spanish does not go for too long words, generally, but I strongly suspect the average Spanish word is longer than the average English word (as evidenced by the struggle of early videogame translators to fit the spanish translations in the too short space given to them by the original english speaking programmers)

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