Longest words

The longest word in any given language depends on the word formation rules of each specific language, and on the types of words allowed for consideration. Agglutinative languages allow for the creation of long words via compounding. Even non-agglutinative languages may allow word formation of theoretically limitless length in certain contexts. Words consisting of hundreds, thousands, or even millions of characters have been coined with the goal of being ranked among the world's longest words; technical scientific terms can run to hundreds of thousands of characters in length. Place names may not be accepted on lists of longest words despite their length. Longest word candidates may be judged by their acceptance in major dictionaries such as the Oxford English Dictionary or in record-keeping publications like Guinness World Records, and by the frequency of their use in ordinary language.

Afrikaans, as it is a daughter language of the Dutch language, is capable of forming compounds of potentially limitless length in the same way as in the Dutch language. According to the Total Book of South African Records, the longest word in the language is Tweedehandsemotorverkoopsmannevakbondstakingsvergaderingsameroeperstoespraakskrywerspersverklaringuitreikingsmediakonferensieaankondiging (136 letters), which means "issuable media conference's announcement at a press release regarding the convener's speech at a secondhand car dealership union's strike meeting". This word, however, is contrived to be long and does not occur in everyday speech or writing.

The longest word in the Albanian language is thought to be Kundërzhurmëkrijuesabërësave, which is 27 letters long, and means "Against noise maker makers".

The longest word in Armenian language is considered to be the 29 letter-long Արևաճաճանչաերկրափայլատակություն (Arevajajanchaerkrapaylatakutyun). It means more or less, "rays of sun lighting up everything".

The Armenian language is agglutinative, and words are often formed by compounding elements and adding suffixes that modify a root word; this can be carried to extremes by creative writers, and theoretically endless words can be made. Արեգակնաճաճանչացողապայծառափայլատակութիւն ("Arekagnajajanchatsoghabaydzarrap'ayladagoutiun") is a 40-letter variation of similar meaning to the above word ("brilliance of the solar radiation gleaming on dewdrops"). Theoretical words include 41-letter մանրաշաքարաւազանամանավաճառապետուհիներնուն ("manrashak'aravazanamanavajarrabedouhinernoon") - "for our finely ground sugar bowl chief saleswomen," and 97-letter անուշարքայամորեհամեղահամապաղպաղակադաշխուրանահմուտավաճառանդամակցմատեղակալայառաջագահապարապութիւնները ("anoushark'ayamorehameghahamabaghbaghagatashkhouranahmoudavajarrantamagts'madeghagalaharrachakahabaraboutiunnere") - "the vice chairmanship of the senior sweet raspberry-flavored ice cream vendors' association vacancies."

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Wikipedia