|
|
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 203
enthusiast
|
OP
enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 203 |
Does anyone know the "chemical compound word" mentioned here as an example of the longest word in the English language? Caveat lector : hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobics should not this link follow.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 203
enthusiast
|
|
OP
enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 203 |
Oh, and how do you pronounce Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
Quote:
Does anyone know the "chemical compound word" mentioned here as an example of the longest word in the English language?
it's been posted here before -- FWIW.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467 |
Quote:
Oh, and how do you pronounce Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch?
Smith. And my way is just as good as anyone else's!!
TEd
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
Quote:
Oh, and how do you pronounce Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch?
Just the way it's spelled. That's the nice thing about Welsh, there's a one to one correspondence between the way a word is spelled and the way it's pronounced. The fact that it takes as long to explain how to pronounce the <ll> as it does to pronounce the whole word is irrelevant.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,713 Likes: 2
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,713 Likes: 2 |
Getting back to the 1,913-letter word - if you allow the chemical representation of Tryptophane Synthetase (that's the common name of the protein so specified), you introduce another category of "words" and render moot your search for the Longest Word. I'm sure there are proteins with more than 267 amino acids, and as soon as you specify one the biochemists can make one still longer by tacking on an extra amino acid...
So there can't be a Longest Word, because there can't be a "biggest protein," any more than there is a "biggest number."
Sorry, folks.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511 |
Quote:
So there can't be a Longest Word, because there can't be a "biggest protein," any more than there is a "biggest number."
Sorry, folks.
Another cherished myth brutally wrestled to the ground... 
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757 |
Quote:
Quote:
Oh, and how do you pronounce Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch?
Just the way it's spelled. That's the nice thing about Welsh, there's a one to one correspondence between the way a word is spelled and the way it's pronounced. The fact that it takes as long to explain how to pronounce the <ll> as it does to pronounce the whole word is irrelevant.
Tip of tongue to just behind top front teeth - no palatal seal on tongue edges - unvoiced expulsion of air to both sides of tongue, releasing tongue tip in an ordinary Anglo /l/ sound. So it ends up summat like HHH~lan, or not unlike the /x/ at the end of loch.
oh yeah, and not to disabuse Fong's lovely theory but: the fair part is sounded more like 'vire' ('fire' with a voiced first consonant).
For a sound file (MP3) go to near the foot of this page - it's a full explanation and recording done for Welsh Radio International, an internet outlet run by my aunt (heard presenting, and learning the pronunciation!)
Last edited by maverick; 11/29/05 01:31 AM.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210 |
that's great, mav. thanks.
formerly known as etaoin...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230 |
Quote:
that's great, mav. thanks.
I second that. Doesn't change the fact that the "language" is still one giant expelltoration, but. 
Last edited by sjmaxq; 11/29/05 10:14 AM.
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,580
Members9,187
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
864
guests, and
0
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
