Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (/ˌnjuːmənoʊˌʌltrəˌmaɪkrəˈskɒpɪkˌsɪlɪkoʊvɒlˌkeɪnoʊˌkoʊniˈoʊsɪs/(listen)[1][2]) is a 45-letter made-up word coined in 1935 by the then president of the National Puzzlers' League, Everett M. Smith. It has sometimes been used as a synonym for the occupational disease known as silicosis, but it should not be as most silicosis is not related to mining of volcanic dusts, and no evidence of silicosis has been found in populations exposed to crystalline silica in volcanic ash. It is the longest word in the English language published in a popular dictionary, Oxford Dictionaries, which defines it as "an artificial long word said to mean a lung disease caused by inhaling very fine ash and sand dust".[3]
Clinical and toxicological research conducted on volcanic crystalline silica has found little to no evidence of its ability to cause silicosis/pneumoconiosis-like diseases and geochemical analyses have shown that there are inherent factors in the crystalline structure which may render volcanic crystalline silica much less pathogenic than some other forms of crystalline silica.[4][5]
Silicosis is a form of occupational lung disease caused by inhalation of crystalline silica dust, and is marked by inflammation and scarring in the form of nodular lesions in the upper lobes of the lungs. It is a type of pneumoconiosis and is known in the United Kingdom and eastern United States as the "black lung".
coni: from ancient Greek (κόνις, kónis) which means dust
-osis: from ancient Greek, suffix to indicate a medical condition
This word was invented in the daily meeting from the National Puzzlers' League (N.P.L.) by its president Everett M. Smith. The word featured in the headline for an article published by the New York Herald Tribune on February 23, 1935, titled "Puzzlers Open 103rd Session Here by Recognizing 45-Letter Word":[6]
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis 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 synonym of a special form of pneumoconiosis caused by ultra-microscopic particles of silica volcanic dust...
— As quoted from New York Herald Tribune[7] in reference[6]
Although it has been defined as an extension of pneumoconiosis, there is no scientific evidence for a similar disease related to volcanic silica particle exposures.[8]
Subsequently, the word was used in Frank Scully's puzzle book Bedside Manna, after which time, members of the N.P.L. campaigned to include the word in major dictionaries.[9][10]
This 45-letter word, referred to as "p45",[11] first appeared in the 1939 supplement to the Merriam-Webster New International Dictionary, Second Edition.[12]
Any references on the internet to pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis or silicosis being caused by 'sharp particles [which] lacerate lining of lungs; causing victim to leak air from their lungs while simultaneously bleeding into their lung cavity'[13] are inaccurate. Particles of a size able to enter the lung (< 10 μm diameter) gently settle on the lung lining rather than cutting or abrading the surface.
^. Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 2012-07-19.
^Stewart, Carol; Damby, David E.; Horwell, Claire J.; Elias, Tamar; Ilyinskaya, Evgenia; Tomašek, Ines; Longo, Bernadette M.; Schmidt, Anja; Carlsen, Hanne Krage; Mason, Emily; Baxter, Peter J.; Cronin, Shane; Witham, Claire (2021-12-21). "Volcanic air pollution and human health: recent advances and future directions". Bulletin of Volcanology. 84 (1): 11. doi:10.1007/s00445-021-01513-9. ISSN 1432-0819.
^Horwell, Claire J.; Williamson, Benedict J.; Donaldson, Ken; Le Blond, Jennifer S.; Damby, David E.; Bowen, Leon (2012-11-19). "The structure of volcanic cristobalite in relation to its toxicity; relevance for the variable crystalline silica hazard". Particle and Fibre Toxicology. 9 (1): 44. doi:10.1186/1743-8977-9-44. ISSN 1743-8977. PMC3574026. PMID 23164071.
^ abRochlin, Dara (2016-04-20). "Word Wednesday: Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis". Dara Rochlin Book Doctor. Retrieved 2022-09-10.
^Staff (1935-02-23). "Puzzlers Open 103rd Session Here by Recognizing 45-Letter Word". New York Herald Tribune.
^Horwell, Claire J.; Baxter, Peter J. (2006-07-01). "The respiratory health hazards of volcanic ash: a review for volcanic risk mitigation". Bulletin of Volcanology. 69 (1): 1–24. Bibcode:2006BVol...69....1H. doi:10.1007/s00445-006-0052-y. ISSN 1432-0819. S2CID 19173052.
^ Cole, Chris (1999). Wordplay, A Curious Dictionary of Language Oddities. Sterling. pp. 106–107. ISBN0-8069-1797-0.
^Miller, D. Gary (2014). English Lexicogenesis. Oxford University Press. p. 217. ISBN978-0-19-968988-0.
^Miller, Jeff (2017-12-24). "A collection of word oddities and trivia: page 11, long words". A Collection of Word Oddities and Trivia. Retrieved 2007-10-08.
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, pneumono, ultra, microscopic, silico, volcano, coniosis, listen, letter, made, word, coined, 1935, then, president, national, puzzlers, league, everett, smith, sometimes, been, used, synonym, occupational, disease. Pneumono ultra microscopic silico volcano coniosis ˌ nj uː m e n oʊ ˌ ʌ l t r e ˌ m aɪ k r e ˈ s k ɒ p ɪ k ˌ s ɪ l ɪ k oʊ v ɒ l ˌ k eɪ n oʊ ˌ k oʊ n i ˈ oʊ s ɪ s listen 1 2 is a 45 letter made up word coined in 1935 by the then president of the National Puzzlers League Everett M Smith It has sometimes been used as a synonym for the occupational disease known as silicosis but it should not be as most silicosis is not related to mining of volcanic dusts and no evidence of silicosis has been found in populations exposed to crystalline silica in volcanic ash It is the longest word in the English language published in a popular dictionary Oxford Dictionaries which defines it as an artificial long word said to mean a lung disease caused by inhaling very fine ash and sand dust 3 Clinical and toxicological research conducted on volcanic crystalline silica has found little to no evidence of its ability to cause silicosis pneumo coniosis like diseases and geochemical analyses have shown that there are inherent factors in the crystalline structure which may render volcanic crystalline silica much less pathogenic than some other forms of crystalline silica 4 5 Silicosis is a form of occupational lung disease caused by inhalation of crystalline silica dust and is marked by inflammation and scarring in the form of nodular lesions in the upper lobes of the lungs It is a type of pneumoconiosis and is known in the United Kingdom and eastern United States as the black lung Contents 1 Etymology 2 In Popular Culture 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksEtymology EditPneumono ultra microscopic silico volcano coniosis is the longest word in the English language The word can be analysed like this Pneumono from ancient Greek pneymwn pneumōn which means lungs ultra from Latin meaning beyond micro and scopic from ancient Greek meaning small looking referring to the fineness of particulates silico from Latin silicon volcano from Latin referring to volcano coni from ancient Greek konis konis which means dust osis from ancient Greek suffix to indicate a medical conditionThis word was invented in the daily meeting from the National Puzzlers League N P L by its president Everett M Smith The word featured in the headline for an article published by the New York Herald Tribune on February 23 1935 titled Puzzlers Open 103rd Session Here by Recognizing 45 Letter Word 6 Pneumono ultra microscopic silico volcano coniosis succeeded electro photo micro graphically 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 synonym of a special form of pneumoconiosis caused by ultra microscopic particles of silica volcanic dust As quoted from New York Herald Tribune 7 in reference 6 Although it has been defined as an extension of pneumoconiosis there is no scientific evidence for a similar disease related to volcanic silica particle exposures 8 Subsequently the word was used in Frank Scully s puzzle book Bedside Manna after which time members of the N P L campaigned to include the word in major dictionaries 9 10 This 45 letter word referred to as p45 11 first appeared in the 1939 supplement to the Merriam Webster New International Dictionary Second Edition 12 Any references on the internet to pneumono ultra microscopic silico volcano coniosis or silicosis being caused by sharp particles which lacerate lining of lungs causing victim to leak air from their lungs while simultaneously bleeding into their lung cavity 13 are inaccurate Particles of a size able to enter the lung lt 10 mm diameter gently settle on the lung lining rather than cutting or abrading the surface In Popular Culture EditIn The Simpsons episode Grampa vs Sexual Inadequacy the character Abraham Simpson voiced by Dan Castellaneta pronounces the word correctly and in proper context See also Edit Look up pneumono in Wiktionary the free dictionary Llanfair pwllgwyngyllgogery chwyrndrobwll llan tisiliogogogoch Anti dis establish ment arian ism Coalworker s pneumoconiosis Floccinaucinihilipilification Health hazards of vog Honorificabilitudinitatibus List of long place names Longest word in English Longest words Pseudo pseudo hypo para thyroid ism Super cali fragil istic expiali dociousReferences Edit Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis Lexico UK English Dictionary Oxford University Press Archived from the original on 2020 03 22 Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis Merriam Webster Dictionary Definition of pneumono ultra microscopic silico volcano coniosis in Oxford dictionary British and World English Oxford Dictionaries Oxford University Press Archived from the original on 2012 07 19 Stewart Carol Damby David E Horwell Claire J Elias Tamar Ilyinskaya Evgenia Tomasek Ines Longo Bernadette M Schmidt Anja Carlsen Hanne Krage Mason Emily Baxter Peter J Cronin Shane Witham Claire 2021 12 21 Volcanic air pollution and human health recent advances and future directions Bulletin of Volcanology 84 1 11 doi 10 1007 s00445 021 01513 9 ISSN 1432 0819 Horwell Claire J Williamson Benedict J Donaldson Ken Le Blond Jennifer S Damby David E Bowen Leon 2012 11 19 The structure of volcanic cristobalite in relation to its toxicity relevance for the variable crystalline silica hazard Particle and Fibre Toxicology 9 1 44 doi 10 1186 1743 8977 9 44 ISSN 1743 8977 PMC 3574026 PMID 23164071 a b Rochlin Dara 2016 04 20 Word Wednesday Pneumono ultra microscopic silico volcano coniosis Dara Rochlin Book Doctor Retrieved 2022 09 10 Staff 1935 02 23 Puzzlers Open 103rd Session Here by Recognizing 45 Letter Word New York Herald Tribune Horwell Claire J Baxter Peter J 2006 07 01 The respiratory health hazards of volcanic ash a review for volcanic risk mitigation Bulletin of Volcanology 69 1 1 24 Bibcode 2006BVol 69 1H doi 10 1007 s00445 006 0052 y ISSN 1432 0819 S2CID 19173052 Cole Chris 1999 Wordplay A Curious Dictionary of Language Oddities Sterling pp 106 107 ISBN 0 8069 1797 0 Miller D Gary 2014 English Lexicogenesis Oxford University Press p 217 ISBN 978 0 19 968988 0 Cole Chris 1989 The Biggest Hoax Word Ways The Journal of Recreational Linguistics Archived from the original on 2014 08 10 Retrieved 2007 10 08 Miller Jeff 2017 12 24 A collection of word oddities and trivia page 11 long words A Collection of Word Oddities and Trivia Retrieved 2007 10 08 Bennett Giles Pneumono ultra microscopic silico volcano coniosis Corgin Retrieved 2022 12 17 External links Edit Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis amp oldid 1165528291, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
