I hope I have spelt it correctly ... long time since I last used it. lol
This word is a Tryptophan synthetase A protein, an enzyme that has 267 amino acids, and makes a record of 1,909 letters. It is the term for the formula C1289H2051N343O375S8. It has actually been printed in various publications.
First used in the 1970's. Many sites list the word with 1913 letters, not the 1909 I have printed, but don't ask me where the other 4 letters fit in.
Jun 05 2003, 3:10 AM
rowan
Answer has 5 votes
rowan 24 year member
38 replies
Answer has 5 votes.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the longest word ever to occur in a literary work has to do with a fricassee, with 17 sweet and sour ingredients, including brains, honey vinegar, fish, pickles, and ouzo. The word appears in The Ecclesiazusae, a satirical comedy by Aristophanes (443-388? BC), an Athenian playwright. In Greek, the word is 170 letters, transliterated into English it is 182 letters. Lopadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimhypotrimmatosilphiopar aomelitokatakechymenokichlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryonopteke phalliokigklopeleiolagoiosiraiobaphetraganopterygon
"Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis succeeded electrophotomicrographically as the longest word in the English language recognized by the National Puzzlers' League at the opening session of the organization's 103rd semi-annual meeting held yesterday at the Hotel New Yorker.
The puzzlers explained that the forty-five letter word is the name of a special form of silicosis caused by ultra-microscopic particles of siliceous volcanic dust."
Response last updated by stedman on Aug 22 2016.
Jun 05 2003, 4:36 AM